10 Hidden Secrets You Didn’t Know About Caitlin Clark…

.

.

.

ALBANY, N.Y. — On Monday night, there will be trash-talk.

Not because this is LSU and Iowa, a rematch of the most-watched women’s basketball game ever, and not just because this is Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark, two of the best and most prolific talkers in the game.

There will be trash-talk because this is sports and they are athletes. And these are 40 minutes that can define — and end — college careers. There will be trash-talk because this game matters, deeply and completely, and because the emotions and passions of the players can’t, won’t and shouldn’t be confined to blank faces and empty stares.

There will be trash-talk because, as Reese explained, “Between those lines, we’re not friends, we’re not buddies.” And it would be best if you didn’t want them to be. On the court, they’re athletes, not robots. Competitors, not colleagues.

“Both of us want to win more than anything, and that’s how it should be when you’re a competitor and you get into a situation like this,” Clark said about her similarities between herself and Reese. “That goes for LSU’s entire roster. That goes for Iowa’s entire roster. Every single one of us wants this so bad. We want to advance to the Final Four so bad. … We both grew up loving this game, and we’re going to do anything we can to help our teams win.”

Reese taunted Clark in the final seconds of the 2023 national title game when it was clear the Tigers would be hoisting the trophy. Reese stared at Clark, pointed to her ring finger and did the John Cena “you can’t see me” wave. Clark, who like Reese had done her fair share of trash-talking through the entire tournament, seemed unfazed.
Still, heated conversations ensued among fans, sports shows debated the topic for days, and corners of social media devolved into even more of a hateful space.

 

Everyone, it seemed, thought it was a big deal … except Reese and Clark.

“I don’t think people realize it’s not personal,” Reese said Sunday. “Once we get out (from) between those lines, if I see you walking down the street, it’s like, hey, girl, what’s up? Let’s hang out. I think people just take it like we hate each other. Me and Caitlin Clark don’t hate each other. I want everybody to understand that.”

“I don’t think Angel should be criticized at all,” Clark said a few days after the national title game on ESPN’s Outside The Lines. “I’m just one that competes and she competed. … I think everybody knew there was gonna be a little trash-talk in the entire tournament. It’s not just me and Angel.”

Reese and Clark have a magnetism that endears them to the crowds and drives their opposing fans up a wall. In arenas, they are the conductors of choruses of thousands with painted faces and jerseys. After a block or a bucket, Reese can turn to the LSU sections and throw her arms in the air and instantly, as if she jammed her thumb on the remote, the roar becomes deafening. Clark has the same power. It takes just a second of her putting her hand to her ear for Hawkeye fans to know exactly what to do and get to their feet and scream.

 

Their teammates and fans love them for it. Their opponents and adversaries grit their teeth.

Yes, this is a national championship rematch with a trip to the Final Four on the line. But the spectacle around seeing Clark and Reese on the court, the possibility of drama, will draw in many of the millions expected to watch the Elite Eight showdown.

It won’t be just those two on Monday night either. Flau’jae Johnson and Hailey Van Lith are feisty and emotive. Kate Martin and Gabbie Marshall can talk too.

It’s not unique to these teams or this sport. Larry Bird and Magic Johnson’s rivalry feud fueled a growing NBA. John McEnroe yelled at opponents and officials. Richard Sherman was happy to go at it with opponents. Diana Taurasi has led the WNBA in it for a generation (just ask the officials she has asked to see in the lobby).

Like these athletes — all of whom brought more eyes to the game for both their elite play and big personalities — Clark and Reese’s styles aren’t hidden. They talk. They jaw. They celebrate, as they should.

Clark and Reese have known each other for years. Their grassroots teams crossed paths on the EYBL scene in high school. Reese was the No. 2 recruit in the 2020 class, Clark was No. 4. Before Reese starred at LSU, she led Maryland. In their three matchups as freshmen and sophomores, Clark averaged 36 points a game against the Terrapins, but Maryland was 3-0. Reese is now 4-0 against Iowa.

If you don’t believe that chip sits heavily on Clark’s shoulders and lives rent-free in her mind, you clearly haven’t been paying attention. And suppose you don’t think that Reese has turned this undefeated record against Iowa (and Clark) into an underdog narrative in her mind. In that case, you don’t understand how Reese and her teammates — the reigning champs and winners of the offseason transfer portal — have been driven this season by an “us against the world” mentality.

“We’re the good villains,” Reese said. “Everybody wants to beat LSU. Everybody wants to be LSU. Everybody wants to play against LSU.”

The rematch is personal, which means emotions will only be heightened. The paths of these players, programs and coaches weave together to tell part of the story of women’s basketball. It’s rich with competition and passion, players who have drawn the love of thousands and the ire of just as many.

 

LSU coach Kim Mulkey, who is no stranger to speaking her mind, said she was a trash-talker herself as a player. Iowa coach Lisa Bluder — who grew up playing six-on-six basketball — said there was less trash-talking and more just talking.

“You had a lot of time to talk in six-on-six because you stood at the half court line while the other three were playing,” she said. “Yeah, you got to know the guard that was guarding you pretty well.”

Reese and Clark don’t need to get to know each other. The rest of these players share a history too, whether it dates back to just Dallas last year or maybe, even longer, to expect tension. There will be moments that spark fan and social media debate because of the magnitude of this game — one of the most anticipated non-championship tournament games in the sports. Clark and Reese know what’s coming, but will not change just because their passion and fire makes some people uncomfortable. It is as much a part of their games as Reese’s rebounding and Clark’s logo 3s.

This game means everything to them, and these 40 minutes will determine how they define their seasons and see their careers.