Stephen A. Smith says Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese drama is a 'white-black issue'

One of the biggest storylines from the 2023 Women’s Basketball Championship has been the drama surrounding LSU forward Angel Reese and Iowa guard Caitlin Clark. In the closing moments of LSU’s championship win over Iowa, Reese taunted Clark with the John Cena ‘you can’t see me celebration’ that Clark had previously used in the tournament in a game versus Louisville.

Many have criticized Reese for the taunting and many have also come in her defense via social media, and ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith gave his perspective on the situation Monday morning on ‘First Take’.

Smith’s opening statement expressed love for Clark, a former guest on the show, saying she may have the potential to be the greatest ever when her career is all said and done. But then he got into the nitty gritty of the national championship incident.

“But here’s the reality of the situation, she (Clark) instigated this kind of stuff, let’s call it what it is. She was waving, she was doing the Cena. How about what she did to Raven Johnson? She didn’t just go into the lane and not guard her against South Carolina in the national semifinal, she waved her off, she didn’t mind being disrespectful. So why is it that we’re hesitant to bring that up?” Smith asked.

.@stephenasmith shares his thoughts on Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark's celebrations: pic.twitter.com/mOAGtTONyt

— First Take (@FirstTake) April 3, 2023

Smith was joined on the show by women’s basketball standout Chiney Ogwumike, who focused on the double standard that exists between male athletes talking trash and taunting each other versus female athletes. But Stephen A spoke on how race has also played a part in the narrative surrounding Reese and Clark.

“See here’s what I’m saying, I’m not trying to dilute your point by any stretch Chiney because I get where you’re coming from, and as a lady you should take that position, along with Molly, about how we all need to grow up and accept that fact that these women are highly competitive, they’re highly gifted and skilled, and we should give them the love, and respect, and deference they deserve,” Smith said. “But I’m going a step further with this, we all know that there’s a white-black issue here. Because the fact of the matter is when Caitlin did it, people were celebrating it and they were talking about nothing but her greatness. But then the second a sister stepped up and threw it back in her face, now you’ve got half the basketball world saying you know what, that’s not the classiest thing to do.”

It’s hard not to feel and see the racial undertones surrounding the Reese and Clark ordeal on social media, as Smith continued to speak on the actions prior to the championship game that led up to the moment that captured everyone’s attention.

“It was the exact same thing. Now you can make an argument that if they’re doing excessive celebration in her face after the game is over, alright, then you can make that argument. But you had people complaining about it when she was doing it during the game. Wait a minute, LSU told you before the game we didn’t like how she was acting towards South Carolina, she ain’t gon’ do that against us,” Smith said. “Correct me if I’m wrong Chiney, that’s exactly what they were saying going into the game. They let the basketball world know y’all think this is going to be some storybook ending for her, y’all must’ve got it twisted, we coming and we gon’ get at her. They told you before the game, then they got in the game, got all up in her and Iowa, was up 17 at the half, and you’re doing the Cena, well I ain’t here, doing all that other stuff and you’re brining up what she did to the competition.”

Stephen A capped off his soliloquy the same way he started it by giving some recognition to Clark. But he also provided some insight on how the discourse regarding the situation could also reflect society, giving us all something to think about.

“I’m so happy that Caitlin Clark handled it the way that she did because of the throws of competition she’s fessing up to listen I ain’t paying attention to that. They were getting the better of me, I was focused on the moment and the fact I was with my teammates, but that’s all she could say because she kind of instigated this. And that fact that hasn’t been brought up tells us a lot about our society as a whole. Yes, Chiney Ogwumike is not taking it there, I’m taking it there. You know exactly what the hell you’re doing as people when you want to bring up how Angel Reese acted but you don’t want to bring up how Caitlin Clark acted, that’s the inconsistency, that’s the story,” Smith concluded.