by By: Daniella DeNicola
Louisiana State University faced off against the University of Iowa for the women’s basketball championship title on April 2, 2023. Star players like LSU’s Angel Reese and Iowa’s Caitlyn Clark battled against each other on the court. However, it was not the outcome that elicited a mixed reaction on social media. Angel Reese’s taunting of Caitlyn Clark was the defining moment as confetti fell and LSU has crowned champions.
Reese was captured on video doing WWE wrestler John Cena’s famous, “you can’t see me”, in Clark’s face. The footage of Reese taunting Clark became viral very quickly. Social media became divided. Within 24 hours, the video was mentioned over 115,000 times on Twitter, with Reese herself mentioned in approximately 24,000 tweets. Twitter users attacked Reese for what they deemed a classless act in the face of victory. Even sports announcers weighed in. Keith Olbermann, a sports commentator, tweeted that Reese was an “idiot” for her the way she acted.
However, what social media failed to remember was when Clark did the same taunt after Iowa’s win against Louisville in the same tournament or when Clark dismissed a South Carolina player by not defending her. When the video of Clark taunting Louisville’s Hailey Van Lith went viral, Twitter awarded her for her grit and fierceness. This brings up the question of race. Is it because Clark physically looks like the all-American girl, whereas Reese has been described as “ghetto” by the media? It could also be because Reese is a woman, whereas players like Chris Paul and Steph Curry have been praised for their treatment of other players.
Social media has been a place known for users to express their internalized racism and misogyny. If Reese were a man, there would have been little to no reaction toward her action. If she were white, she would have been praised for her grit, just like Clark was. The video’s reaction demonstrated how sports cater to the image that people want to see, and when someone steps outside of the box, they are chastised for it. When Reese was asked about her opinion of social media’s reaction, she said, “I don’t fit in a box that y’all want me to be in. I’m too hood. I’m too ghetto. But when other people do it, y’all say nothing. So, this was for the girls that look like me, that’s going to speak up on what they believe in.”
Unfortunately, as social media continues to increase in importance, the chances of internalized racism toward athletes won’t decrease. The media is going to continue to push the best narrative that produces the most ratings. Though Reese suffered from backlash, this year’s Women’s March Madness had the highest viewership ever recorded at 2.5 million viewers. Racism and misogamy will remain a problem in sports. However, instead of the negative narrative promoted by social media, it is critical to focus on the rise of phenomenal players such as Angel Reese and Caitlyn Clark.
linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniella-denicola-12734517b/
Overall I really enjoyed reading this piece. Being a female athlete myself, I know better than anyone how women in sport are treated. I really enjoyed how you mentioned important societal issues that women and people of color are dealing with throughout the sports industry. Your blog post inspired me to do some of my own research on Angel Reese and her background as an athlete. Well done!
This blog post was well-written and covered an issue I was unaware of. I enjoyed reading this post because I did not keep up with women march madness, and after reading it, I wish I did. I agree that internalized racism and misogyny are ingrained into what social media has become. I wish the internet could be a safe space for everyone, but I don’t have much hope for positive change in the way social media keeps going. Good job on your post!
Overall, I really enjoyed reading this blog piece. As Willow mentioned above, I didn’t keep up with women march madness either, but now I wish I did also. I think you touched on really important issues that social media does have a role in. I think the Twitter clip you embedded in this piece was good media to use. Good job on your post!