Despite a great game between the two powerhouses, the 2023 NCAA Women’s Championship game between LSU and Iowa will likely be remembered by most for the trash talk between Caitlin Clark from Iowa and LSU’s Angel Reese that most will remember.
Despite Clark dropping 30 points and leaving the tournament with a fist full of records, the second-quarter devastation rained down by Jasmine Carson and the rest of the bench proved too much. Carson came in and made a massive and immediate impact with a 21-point first half, and a 22-point total. Her scoring may have ended in the first half, but she kept the pressure on while on defense and kept Iowa on the ropes.
While impressive, the double-double of Reese with 15 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 assists was more than enough to secure her Final Four Most Outstanding Player honors. With the team winning 102-85, there was little doubt she would take it. Despite both teams being plagued by fouls that were called too easily, the players kept their heads down, and the trash talk up.
Many people have been going after Reese for her incessant trash talk to Clark, and from the outside looking in, it may have been excessive. Given the beating her team was throwing down on the Hawkeyes, and the trash talk coming from Clark during the first quarter and throughout the rest of the game, it was fair game.
This aggressive level of play was commended by First Lady Jill Biden who was in attendance, and in response to their efforts, blurted out an invite to the White House for Iowa despite their loss. Preliminary reports indicate that LSU is so outraged that they now will refuse the honor, and rightfully so.
