"How they got Angel Reese and not Caitlin Clark": College hoops fans debate former LSU star's legacy among Final Four legends
Angel Reese left a lasting legacy at LSU. She transferred to Baton Rouge following two solid seasons at Maryland and instantly made an impact by leading the Tigers to their first-ever national championship in her junior season. She followed it up by helping them make the Elite Eight in her senior season before the Chicago Sky selected her with the seventh overall pick in this year's WNBA draft.
To celebrate World Basketball Day, the official Instagram account of NCAA March Madness released a list, per their caption, of some of the "Most Outstanding Players" in the Final Four over the years across men's and women's college basketball.
Reese was featured in this elite list of players, which also included ex-South Carolina star Kamilla Cardoso, Arike Ogunbowale, and Brittney Griner. Conspicuous from her absence on the list was Caitlin Clark, who established herself as arguably one of the greatest stars in modern-day women's college basketball at Iowa.
This sparked a debate among fans, who took to social media to express their opinions on Reese's inclusion and Clark's exclusion. Some fans took to voicing their disappointment on Clark missing out, believing her exploits with the Hawkeyes deserved recognition on this list.
"How they got Angel and not Caitlin Clark," one fan said.
"Uhhhh I think you’re missing Miss Clark," a fan uttered.
"Where’s Caitlyn Clark? Remake this list rn," another fan added.
Others, meanwhile, justified Reese's place on the list by pointing out that each player was successful in winning the national championship, which Clark failed to do despite making two consecutive finals.
One fan quizzed, "There all national champions why would they have someone who didn’t win a championship on this list?"
Another fan said, "Caitlyn never won a championship, yall be so quick to be mad."
"Yall saying Caitlin clearly know nothing about the March Madness tournament," added another.
Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark faced off in the 2023 NCAA Tournament final
Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark enjoyed posted stellar numbers in the 2022-23 season and went head-to-head in the national championship game on April 2, 2023.
LSU overcame Clark's Herculean 30-point performance on the night to win 102-85, with Reese recording a double-double of 15 points and 10 rebounds on the night. Clark was named the Consensus National Player of the Year for her efforts, while Reese won an ESPY for the Best Breakthrough Athlete at the end of that season.