Image source: https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/04/02/sports/lsu-dominates-iowa-win-ncaa-championship/
“Classless”, “Obnoxious”, and “Ghetto” are just a few words that you might hear in regards to LSU, women’s basketball player, Angel Reese. Is this the effect of double standards? Is Reese or Clark in the right?
If that’s what you clicked on this article for, then I suggest you click away because this article is not another addition to this racialized narrative. LSU’s massive upset against Iowa should be the focus of the coverage of the NCAA women’s basketball championship. Instead, America has chosen to focus on manufacturing conflict between talented athletes Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark.
Near the end of the game, LSU’s Angel Reese mocked Iowa’s Caitlin Clark by pointing to her ring finger and doing the “you can’t see me” hand motion. Clark shouted the same taunts at the prior game against South Carolina. Following the game, social media and other news sites almost exclusively concentrated on the alleged “beef” between the two.
Despite the fact that both Reese and Clark have stated numerous times that nothing is going on between them, social media has transformed this women’s basketball national championship into a drama. Even before the official kickoff of this national tournament, it was clear that the game would be racialized. This is America, after all.
In the LSU vs Iowa game, racialization within competition reached a level that cannot be ignored. What was supposed to be a national championship game became a representation of the ongoing struggle for equality in our society, with Black vs white being the central narrative. Too often, the media and public reaction to this sport concentrated on racial tensions rather than the outstanding talents of each side. The heated tensions of this game were publicized in a manner that forced people to think more about their personal racial biases rather than the talents of each team.
Drama was created out of natural expressions of competition to support their own implicit bias and stereotypical views that they’ve always held. In America where sports is a form of socialization and entertainment, why are we settling for racism within the boundaries of courts or fields? Coaches usually tell their athletes, “Once you go onto that court, you leave everything outside.” These ideals should apply to the crowd as well. We should not stereotype or discriminate against athletes simply for participating in a sport that they love.
Both Reese and Clark have had their own obstacles to overcome throughout their basketball careers.
Reese, as a Black basketball player, has had to endure discrimination and stereotyping throughout her career. Despite this, she has continued to flourish on the court, becoming one of the country’s most highly regarded college players.
Clark, a white woman, has also experienced discrimination and stereotyping, yet in a different way. She has had to strive for recognition and respect as a female athlete in a male-dominated sport. Instead of being scared by these hurdles, she has used them to motivate herself to work harder and achieve even greater success.
Athletics isn’t a competition revolved around what team or what player has it harder. At the end of the day, when you step on that court, you’re playing for yourself, your team, and your state. It’s about the passion for the game, the pursuit of excellence, and the opportunity to showcase your skills on a national stage, regardless of race or gender.
