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Competitive or Classless?

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National Player of the Year Caitlin Clark followed and mocked by LSU player at end of championship game

By: Chris C. Nelson, Publisher/Owner

If you haven’t heard of Caitlin Clark, you have been living under a rock the last month, or basketball season, or year, or since she was a kid. The generational women’s basketball player from Iowa has been taking the world by storm. She was a phenom in high school in Des Moines, played on the McDonald’s All-American Team, and is now a Hawkeye. At 21 years of age, a junior at Iowa City, Caitlin is arguably already the best female basketball player on the planet. She has more endorsements heading her way after memorable performances in the NCAA Tournament this year and a Final Four run. That lead to a win at the National Semifinal against undefeated South Carolina, and a spot in the National Championship Game. The Naismith College Basketball Player of the Year was phenomenal down the stretch, posting back-to-back 41-point games, and even drew a triple double in the Elite Eight against Louisville. She couldn’t be stopped as a National Champ, right?

Wrong. LSU came to New Orleans and upset the favored Hawkeyes on Sunday, 102-85. LSU has a line of talent, but legendary coach Kim Mulkey, her second year at LSU, has brought three titles with her from Baylor, had a lot of experience and has made quite the jump. Unfortunately, the storyline in this National Championship game won’t go to the execution of the players or coaches on either side. Two things stuck out: bad refs and what happened toward the end of the game (we won’t get into the referees). Caitlin is known for her trash talking on the court, her flamboyant and confident behavior after a big shot, and always celebrating big games. As Midwesterners and Iowans, we can be proud of a player who shows a competitive drive and a respect for the game. Sunday was different. LSU Tigers star basketball player Angel Reese may have taken it too far mocking Caitlin.

Have you heard of the “Can’t See Me” pose? Professional wrestler John Cena uses it as his stage move to intimidate his opponents in a clumsy and laughable way. Young athletes have used his claim to fame for about a decade or longer. Yes, even Caitlin. Sunday, for the first time all season, Reese began to use it at the end of the game in a celebratory mock when a win was out of Caitlin’s reach. As the game came to a close, the final seconds ticked off the time, Angel was seen for :15 seconds or longer following Caitlin around using the “Can’t See Me” pose and pointing to her ring finger letting her know she just won.

I was never a professional athlete; but I was very competitive. I still love to win in everything. I love the art of trash talking during any matchup, and having fun during the game is what it’s about. Did Angel go too far? In my opinion, she did. It’s why I pose the question to you: was Reese being competitive or classless?

Here’s my view: if this was happening during the game, between baskets, after a big play, I love the competitive energy. Since it happened after an unexpected blowout, on a national stage, in front of likely the largest crowd to ever watch a women’s basketball game, at the closing seconds of the game with cameras on you, you pull this? It’s bush-league and amateur. As a coach, I would’ve immediately condoned her behavior and apologized for such actions to

all players, coaches, and fans of Iowa during the press conference after the game. Kim Mulkey, LSU coach, has her own style and flavor. Or were her actions a mere competitor releasing hard work and enthusiasm with a swagger? We will never know. But I know one thing: it’s not what we teach our kids here in Iowa. We celebrate wins and losses together. We teach leadership and sportsmanship. Because at the end of it all, we want memories and life lessons to help what’s next in our lives, and for many of them, it’s not basketball.

What a great season of Hawkeye basketball. Next year will be the year of Champions!

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