Charles Barkley: Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese Controversy ‘Unfortunate’

LSU’s victory over Iowa on Sunday was the most viewed women’s national championship game in history, and yet much of the discussion has been about the game’s final moments—and not because of play on the court. 

Tigers forward Angel Reese sparked reactions from every corner of the sports world when she taunted Iowa guard Caitlin Clark several times when the game was already out of hand for the Hawkeyes. Some fans ripped her for the gestures while a large portion of the sports world defended her. Ahead of the men’s basketball championship game on Monday, Charles Barkley chimed in as well.

“Well, I thought it took away from the game,” Barkley said Monday. “In fairness, Caitlin did that in a game before. I just thought it brought too much attention away from a great performance because she’s amazing. 

“And you got all these fools on the Internet and on television, who, well first they gonna make it about race, which is part of it,” he continued. “They deserve to celebrate. I thought it was unfortunate because people are talking more about that than they are about a great performance.”

Reese specifically gave Clark the “you can’t see me” gesture created by wrestler John Cena—a gesture Clark used during the tournament, one Cena even acknowledged. Afterwards, she appeared to point at her ring finger several times while staring down and following Clark when the guard was walking to her bench. The Hawkeyes guard said she didn’t see Reese make either gesture in the moment. 

After the game, Reese defended her actions. 

“I don’t fit in the box that y’all want me to be in,” Reese said. “I’m too hood, I’m too ghetto, y’all told me that all year. But when other people do it, y’all don’t say nothing. So this was for the girls that look like me.”