Sports fans love a good rivalry story, and the 2023  NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament gave us exactly that. In addition to garnering a record viewership, the much-awaited showdown between LSU and Iowa also gave way to a tense feud. Angle Reese’s LSU Tigers went on to defeat the Iowa Hawkeyes spearheaded by Caitlin Clark. Both Clark and Reese were having a breakout tournament, yet their seemingly competitive gestures toward each other overshadowed their level of play.

A ton of scrutiny and the backlash has been directed Angel Reese’s way, Clark on the other hand was praised for her actions. Both players taunted their way throughout the tournament, yet only one of them is facing the heat for her actions. Amidst all the criticism, one particular NFL veteran and sports commentator came out in support of Reese, citing ‘race’ as the key differentiating factor.

Shannon Sharpe finds criticism of Reese unfair

During the 2023 NCAA Women’s Basketball finals, Reese was seen pursuing Caitlin Clark, pulling out John Cena’s ‘You can’t see me’ celebration in Clark’s face and pointing to her ring finger. The action has sparked a debate on social media, with many calling out Reese’s actions as disrespectful. Ironically, Caitlin Clark did the same celebration in earlier stages of the tournament and many seem to be confused at the selective backlash including 3x Super Bowl champion Shannon Sharpe.

“This is about the portrayal of how women, we see it two different ways,” said Sharpe alluding to the extreme reactions people have had.

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Sharpe continued by calling out the outrage directed at Reese while pointing out the seemingly identical celebrations. “48 hours ago, when Caitlyn Clark did the John Cena it was considered swag. 48 hours later Angel Reese does the exact same gesture, it’s classless”

Read More: “Celebrated Clark for It but Criticised Reese”: Amidst NCAA Saga, US Track Legend Points Out an Unseen Issue

Shannon Sharpe felt that the selective criticism had a deep-rooted racial angle to it, “It’s funny how America, society sees black and white. A white person does the exact same gesture. She said ‘unapologetically me’ she meant unapologetically black.”

Sharpe solidified his point by rolling back the years and questioning why white great players such as NBA legend Larry Bird and NFL’s Phillip Rivers, have been spared when they trash talk as compared to black athletes.

Angel Reese doubles down

The recent altercation between Caitlin Clark and Angel Resse has divided the entire sports world. The double standard around criticizing Reese while applauding Clark has been the biggest talking point among many sports fans and pundits.

After the game, Reese chose to explain her actions, “[Clark is a] hell of a player but I don’t take disrespect lightly. She disrespected [LSU’s] Alexis [Morris] and I wanted to pick her pocket. But I had a moment at the end of her game … I was in my moment.”

Reese continued by calling out the selective outrage against her, “But when other people do it, y’all don’t say nothing. So this is for the girls that look like me, that’s gonna speak up on what they believe in.”

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Just like Shannon Sharpe, Reese believes that she is being targeted just because of the ‘color of her skin’ and believes that her actions will have a bigger impact on society as a whole. Reese is confident in her abilities and feels that she has made her mark on college basketball, inspiring many young girls in the process.