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Let Them Play: Trash Talk in Women’s Sports

By Brady Lynch|Updated on July 6, 2023 (originally published on April 10, 2023)

The 2023 Women's March Madness tournament was memorable in so many ways. Viewership was at an all time high, as the championship game drew in 9.9 million viewers and stars from all over the country showed out all month, creating a March madness legacy that will last forever.

Among those stars were none other than Iowa's Caitlin Clark and LSU's Angel Reese, perhaps two of the most popular college basketball players in the country, and two of the most talked-about names these past few days. Last Monday alone following the national title game, Reese gained more followers on Instagram in six hours than any men's Final Four player has gained in his entire life. Reese and Clark were the faces of their respective teams during their tournament runs, leading both of their programs to their first ever national championship game, and nearly 10 million viewers were focused on these two superstars last Sunday, as the Hawkeyes and Tigers faced off for the final game of the 2023 season.

Both Clark and Reese play different positions and frankly different styles of basketball, but the one commonality they do share is trash talking. As the faces of their respective teams and two players who are constantly under the media's scrutiny, Clark and Reese have each been critiqued throughout the duration of the season for their trash talk on the court, yet the narratives surrounding their actions are often different.

A Game to Remember…For a Lot of Reasons

Caitlin Clark, the 2023 National Player of the Year, is known for being a generational basketball player after the historic tournament run she had, but she's also widely known for her charisma on the court. There is no hiding how intense of an athlete Clark is, and she often punctuates big plays on her end with celebrations or trash talk. In addition to her 40 point performances during the tournament, Clark went viral for waving off South Carolina's Raven Johnson, implying that she wasn't worth defending and telling Louisville star Hailey Van Lith, “You're down by 15 points. Shut up,” at the tail end of their Elite Eight matchup. However, when spoken to after the game about things she says and does on the court, Clark usually sums it up to emotions and adrenaline running high, emphasizing how it isn't about her, and that she just wants to win for her team–and Clark certainly puts up numbers that justify her antics on the court.

Angel Reese, the LSU sophomore transfer from Maryland who had a breakout season setting an NCAA record for the most double-doubles in a season at 34, and the Most Outstanding Player in the championship game is also an incredibly talented and transformative basketball player–but unlike Clark, Reese has been much more harshly criticized by the public eye all year long. Reese has made waves on social media throughout the season going viral not only for her talent, but for her celebrations, taunts and gestures toward opponents. When asked about it by the media, Reese's explanation stays aligned with her actions as she has consistently said she is “unapologetically herself” and, like Clark, she's not just talking trash for personal attention. Angel Reese plays with a lot of emotion and passion, and these same traits are seen off the court (paired with composure) when she is berated with questions by reporters about her style of play.

Although this year's tournament brought plenty of headlines–from Dawn Staley defending her team from racist media frames, to Jill Biden's brick shot attempt of inviting both championship teams to the White House–arguably the biggest storyline surrounding the women's tournament came after the final game, as everyone besides Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese decided to take offense to two elite athletes being their full authentic selves on and off the court. As the clock ran out and LSU began to celebrate while Iowa walked towards their bench, Angle Reese approached Caitlin Clark, waving a hand in front of her face, emulating John Cena's famous “you can't see me” gesture while pointing to her ring finger as it was apparent in that moment that LSU would be crowned champions. Clark, who had done that same gesture earlier in the tournament after hitting a big shot, appeared unfazed as she was just trying to navigate her way off the court and back to her team. Reese, on the other hand was criticized for her behavior towards Clark after winning the title on Sunday, being called an “idiot” and “classless” for mimicking Clark's style of trash talking.

Reese defended herself after the championship, saying “All year, I was critiqued for who I was. I don't fit the narrative, I don't fit the box that y'all want me to be in. I'm too hood. I'm too ghetto. Y'all told me that all year. But when other people do it, y'all don't say nothing. So this is for the girls that look like me. For those that want to speak up for what they believe in. It's unapologetically you. And that's what I did it for tonight. It was bigger than me tonight.”

When asked about the incident in the post-game press conference, Clark responded by saying, “I was just trying to get to the handshake line and shake hands and be grateful that my team was in that position.” Clark went on to praise the Tigers, and added what she thought of Reese's gesture, stating, “Honestly I have no idea. I was just trying to spend the last few moments on the court with especially the five people that I've started 93 games with and relishing every second of that.”

The exchange between Clark and Reese was not only seen on live television, but dissected by everyone on social media in the days that followed. What had been a monumental game for women's sports and women's basketball in particular had now turned into the internet deciding if they were Team Clark or Team Reese. Two days later, Caitlin Clark appeared on SportsCenter to defend Angel Reese.

“I don't think Angel should be criticized at all,” Clark said. “No matter which way it goes, she should never be criticized for what she did. I'm just one that competes, and she competed. I think everyone knew there was going to be a little trash talking the entire tournament. It's not just me and Angel. So I don't think she should be criticized, like I said. LSU deserves it. They played so well. Like I said, I'm a big fan of hers.”

So if both Clark and Reese have cleared the air on their ends, why is everyone in the sports world choosing to pick a side as if they were directly affected by this exchange between two of the best players in women's college basketball? Caitlin Clark isn't mad that Angel Reese had a moment and went for it, so why should anyone else be? These questions could perhaps be answered when pointing to the inherent paternalism that comes with being a female athlete and how women are expected to act by society's standards. The critical discourse after the game follows suit of how women are expected to act in general–read: quiet, gracious, and humble–and when a confident, outspoken woman like Caitlin Clark or Angel Reese breaks that mold, it makes people uncomfortable.

An Athlete's Perspective

As a female athlete myself, I have experienced firsthand the parameters that are put around us as players. Everyone loves when you are playing well and doing your job on the court, but the second you open your mouth and let that emotion seep through you are automatically judged and usually deemed “trashy” in the spectators' eyes. You are no longer viewed on your ability to play but rather how you act and speak throughout the game–and that is where people make (often incorrect) assumptions about your character.

Basketball is a fast paced, intense game, and emotion is something that comes naturally during a sport like this. Talking trash is a part of sports whether you partake in it or not, and there are different styles and ways that people go about it.

Trash talk has been a prevalent part of the men's game since it began, and there are hardly ever circumstances extreme enough to garner the type of media coverage that we have seen this past week on the women's side. In fact, trash talk is almost encouraged on the men's side as it builds excitement in the audience and intensifies the game at hand. It's one of many double standards surrounding men's and women's sports, and it is widely recognized by women at all levels of play. In her interview with SportsCenter Clark said of this dynamic, “Men have always had trash talk. … You should be able to play with that emotion. That's how every girl should continue to play.” Angel Resse also weighed in, saying there was no “beef” with Clark following the controversy.

The perspectives of both Clark and Reese raise the question: Had this happened in the men's championship game between two stars, would we even think twice about it?

Both of these young women have not only made a name for themselves in the basketball world, but for women's sports as a whole. Reese and Clark are both unapologetically themselves in their respective ways, and have emerged as two role models for women and girls all over the country. We need to celebrate young, talented and most importantly confident women, rather than leave it to the media and dissect their every move in an attempt to pick them apart–let the women play and talk trash if they want.

People will remember the historic tournament runs that both of these superstars made, but their most enduring influence is the platform that they have created for themselves and the sport of women's basketball. A little trash talk won't tarnish that legacy.

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Image Credit: Saturday Down South