LSU beat the University of Iowa, 102-85, last Sunday during the women’s NCAA Championship game. The LSU team became the first basketball team in school history to ever win a championship.
The game ended up gaining over 9.9 million viewers, making this the most-watched women’s college basketball game of all time. This alone is already a huge step forward for women’s basketball. However, not only did the women’s championship game gain tons of viewers, but the entire women’s march madness tournament also became one of the highest-viewed basketball tournaments and gained 2x as much media attention than previous years. The LSU team was a huge reason for these success rates.
LSU women’s basketball has taken over social media this past March. It first started when Angel Reese, the team’s best forward, did her famous one-hand block against Arkansas… while holding her shoe. The 6 ‘3 transfer from Maryland went viral after her block went famous through sports highlights and social media. Since then, Angel has gained 1.3 million followers on both Instagram and TikTok and has landed more NIL deals than any male or female college basketball player.
Angel Reese, also known as the “Bayou Barbie”, transferred to LSU last year from Maryland and grew up in Baltimore. She has elevated the team by not only being a beast on the court but being one of the best teammates. Viewers see her ability to encourage and uplift her teammates on and off the court, making her a truly admirable team player. The Bayou Barbie has set the record this year for the most double-doubles in a single season setting the record at 34.
Her relationship with her team alongside her swag on and off the court has gained her tons of media attention which contributed to the huge views last Sunday. Alongside Angel, players like Freshman and Rap Game star Flau’Jae Johnson, Alexis Morris, and Katari Poole have also helped increase viewership of women’s basketball with their own talents on the court and their social media presences. A new player who has gained tons of attention since the championship game is Jasmine Carson, a graduate student who shocked the audience as she pulled out 22 points and an outstanding half-court shot last Sunday, contributing to the big win.
Their head coach, Kim Mulkey, is also credited for the team’s rise in popularity on social media. Mulkey has only been the LSU women’s basketball coach for two years and has led her team to victory. From her stunning outfits on the court to her passion for the game, Mulkey has become a fan favorite of the NCAA women’s tournament.
Even after the LSU girls dominated Iowa, the media still can’t stop talking about the game. Toward the end of the game, Angel Reese made a gesture to Iowa superstar Caitlyn Clark, insinuating she was going to get the championship ring. She made another gesture during the game meaning “You can’t see me” mimicking Caitlyn Clark after her game with South Carolina a few days prior. This created tons of opinions regarding Angel Reese and her “sportsmanship”.
Anything said negatively about the way Angel Reese trash talks on the court is an intense micro aggression. Caitlyn Clark, a white woman from Iowa, has been doing similar gestures all year, yet has received no backlash. Because Angel is a beautiful, powerful, black woman, the response is different and completely unfair and intolerable.
“I’ve had a narrative all year where they told me that I was too hood, or too ghetto, ‘she plays dirty, she plays too hard’,” said Angel Reese in an I Am Athlete interview. “When she (Clark) did it everybody was so happy, when I did it, it was an issue. It’s because of what I look like.” Some basketball fans have gone as far as to call Reese classless for her actions, Reese isn’t classless, she’s just a champion. Athletes like Angel should be entitled to celebrate their wins how they please, especially when they’ve never crossed the line of vulgarness and are just mimicking popular gestures.
Despite the unnecessary backlash towards Miss Reese this win has been beneficially life changing for the LSU women’s basketball team and all female basketball players. They have made school history and have set the record for the highest viewed women’s college basketball game in the world. These girls are incredible to watch with their amazing game, and insane compatibility with one another and their coaches. Fans can’t wait to see what the team brings to the table next season and see where their graduating players will be moving on next in their basketball careers.