Caitlin Clark

There were many impressive things about LSU's victory over Iowa in the women's NCAA Tournament championship game Sunday — from the Tigers' first basketball ...

[went 9-13](https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/schools/louisiana-state/women/2021.html) a few years ago and who even [entered this year’s tourney](https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/2023-march-madness-predictions/womens/) with only a 3 percent chance of cutting down the nets in Dallas. Despite a [massive edge](https://bigten.org/boxscore.aspx?id=JcLFfL9RUu0H5ystoOMbjYgeW0QoC6K0726uwp87noWJWXu73Dn8TzTNTUhf17%2FghtHeBXu8LIV9g80Zzus%2FCBNyw%2BrO0O1SIS%2B7RPHO6ySEsaEv7HLG47UWBzeMWYoKeJMPD8IbwQBkeUte7OG1gA%3D%3D&path=wbball) in second-chance points (24 to 8), South Carolina’s plus-10 advantage on 2-pointers couldn’t overcome its minus-14 deficit on threes and free throws in the four-point loss. But the Tigers also scored 20 points off of 2-pointers not in the paint, and went 11-for-17 (65 percent) on threes for good measure. In the end, this all helped LSU run up a massive plus-26-point edge over Iowa on 2-pointers and hold even on free throws, making the Hawkeyes’ 9-point advantage on threes moot. [LSU’s victory over Iowa](https://www.espn.com/womens-college-basketball/matchup/_/gameId/401528028) in the women’s NCAA Tournament championship game Sunday — from the Tigers’ [first basketball title in school history](https://www.espn.com/womens-college-basketball/story/_/id/36046402/lsu-ousts-iowa-mulkey-secures-fourth-ncaa-title) to Kim Mulkey’s [turnaround of the program](https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/schools/louisiana-state/women/) within two years of arriving in Baton Rouge, and forward Angel Reese’s ascendance to [first-team All-America status](https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/players/angel-reese-1.html) immediately after transferring from Maryland. For one thing, it was hard to envision South Carolina ever losing to anybody; as part of its undefeated regular season, Dawn Staley’s team had [beaten LSU by 24 points](https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/boxscores/2023-02-12-14-south-carolina_w.html) in mid-February. Just like South Carolina, they outrebounded the Hawkeyes, doubling them up on the offensive glass, and [won the battle for points in the paint](https://hawkeyesports.com/boxscore/ncaa-national-championship-lsu/). [not let Iowa get away with the same game plan](https://www.espn.com/womens-college-basketball/story/_/id/36031086/lsu-punish-iowa-disrespectful-defense) in the national title game — and the Tigers made good on that promise. [had a strong game](https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/boxscores/2023-04-02-15-iowa_w.html) (30 points on a .615 TS%, eight assists), her usage rate and assist rate were both down from their [absurd highs](https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/boxscores/2023-03-31-01-iowa_w.html) in the South Carolina game, and she was held to just one basket from inside the arc after making 10 against the Gamecocks. 1 South Carolina couldn’t [in its semifinal loss](https://www.espn.com/womens-college-basketball/matchup/_/gameId/401528027) to Caitlin Clark and the Hawkeyes Friday night. [seemingly unbeatable Gamecocks](https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/schools/south-carolina/women/2023.html), Clark scored 41 points (on a scorching .606 true shooting percentage) and added eight assists as the Hawkeyes produced a 106.9 offensive rating — the [second-highest South Carolina had allowed](https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/schools/south-carolina/women/2023-gamelogs-advanced.html#sgl-advanced::8) all season. Iowa’s defense also forced South Carolina into [one of its worst offensive ratings](https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/schools/south-carolina/women/2023-gamelogs-advanced.html#sgl-advanced::7) of the year (101.4), mitigating the Gamecocks’ fearsome advantage inside and on the glass by holding them to just 7-for-33 shooting outside of the paint (including 4-for-20 on 3-pointers).

Following LSU's NCAA championship win, the online discourse pitting two star players in the game has opened a discussion on double standards.

The foul on the Iowa star came after the Hawkeyes were hit with a delay-of-game warning for a previous incident in the national title game.

Clark picked up the technical (and her fourth personal foul) when she tossed the game ball out of bounds after a play. She cited Rule 4, Section 9, Article 1F of the rulebook, which reads that a player can be assessed a foul for “attempting to gain an advantage by interfering with the ball after a goal or by failing to immediately pass the ball to the nearest official after a whistle is blown.” As a result, Clark received the foul when she “picked up the ball and failed to immediately pass the ball to the nearest official after the whistle was blown,” Jones said.

The racist double standards Black women athletes are forced to endure are why LSU basketball star Angel Reese doesn't need to apologize to Iowa's Caitlin ...

But the reactions to Clark’s use of the “you can’t see me gesture” on March 26 were drastically different. [shared a Tweet calling](https://twitter.com/stoolpresidente/status/1642648843010428931?s=20) Reese a “classless piece of shit,” while sports commentator Keith Olbermann [quote tweeted](https://twitter.com/KeithOlbermann/status/1642649593140637706?s=20) a video of Reese with the remark: “What a f*cking idiot.” Reese followed up by mimicking Iowa guard

The gesture has sparked much debate, especially on social media. Some have criticized Reese, while others have defended her actions.

"Twitter can say what they want to say," she said. What are you going to say now?" Get used to it," Rowe wrote on Twitter. "But honestly I have no idea. "People hating on Angel Reese or Caitlin Clark. "Caitlin Clark is a hell of a player but I don't take disrespect lightly," Reese said. But I had a moment at the end of her game. She's one of the best basketball coaches of all time, and it shows. (...) I'm looking forward to celebrating and then next season." "And I'm happy. "I don't fit the box that y'all want me to be in. And that's what I did it for tonight.

Yahoo Sports senior NBA reporter Vincent Goodwill is joined by Michael Smith on the latest episode of "Good Word with Goodwill” on the Ball Don't Lie ...

A female LSU basketball player holds up her hand and points to her finger, gesturing. Angel Reese (10) of the LSU Lady Tigers gestures towards Caitlin Clark (22) ...