A little further context for those that may have not seen it, or the surrounding events leading up to it.
In Iowa's previous game against South Carolina, Caitlin engaged in some back and forth trash talking or rather imagery (Caitlin rarely talks on the floor) with some SC players regarding her sagging off their perimeter players to clog up the paint in a zone against their bigs. Pretty much every team that has played SC has used a similar strategy. SC players were trying to goad her into coming out and guard them at the 3 point line, she wasn't biting and waved one player off, daring her to shoot....she didn't, the SC player decided to pass the ball. Pretty normal stuff that happens in any game on any playground, high school gym, YMCA, college gym or the NBA every day. Caitlin also pulled out that Cena wave during that game when running down the floor after making a deep 3 pointer. She did not get in anybodies face or direct it towards any specific player...she was racing back down the floor to get back on defense and her back was to the SC team. Playing to the crowd it appeared to me, I doubt anybody from SC even saw it in real time. The whole wave lasted maybe one second. I personally am not a fan of that stuff, but it has become a part of the game over the last several decades....anybody playing ball just has to have a thick skin and accept that.
Later on, in a press conference, Louisiana players were getting all amped up calling it disrespectful, etc and going into major poutrage over it. OK, whatever it takes to get you up for their upcoming game against Iowa. Coaches use stuff like that all the time to try and get their players on edge. Incidentally, in the Final 4 game that Louisiana won to get to the championship, they were pulling the same finger wagging theater long before the game was over, taunting their opponents, this is before they even got into the championship game......apparently its OK for them to show disrespect.
Championship game comes....both teams are playing hard and players on both sides are demonstrating outstanding basketball skills.
Louisiana is shooting lights out and giving Iowa fits. It looks dim for Iowa at half time, yet Iowa fans and the Iowa team are not panicking. They've been there before...I've seen them come back from 17 down with 4 minutes to go before. They have a history of being able to really light it up. Refs, however are clearly not up to the task....that's another story for another day.
Towards the end of the game Reese and Caitlin were standing next to each other on the lane during foul shots and Reese starts doing the whole finger waving and Cena theater in Caitlin's face, trying to get into her head. Fair enough, although a little delusional to think she could get into Caitlin's head. Eventually Louisiana pulls ahead and wins the game. Congratulations to Louisiana....they won and despite the refs mucking up what could have been of the greatest games ever, I am not one to blame it on them. Louisiana shot better, defended better and rebounded better. They deserved the W.
But now we come to after the game behavior of Reese. After the game was over she kept getting in Caitlin's face, wagging her finger and taunting Caitlin. The game was over, the time for trash talking was over...it was all decided. Caitlin was just trying to get over to the rest of her team to join the traditional handshake line-up and Reese kept circling her, taunting. The entire Iowa team walked the line at the scorers table and shook the coaching staffs hands and congratulated them. Reese nor did most of her team mates participate...just the coaches. I'll leave it to you to judge what that says about character of the individuals and their own ability to show respect.
As to Keith's take on it being misogynistic....no way. I see nothing about because it was a woman he said that. Was it over the top criticism of her intelligence. Yes....definitely. A more accurate description of her after game behavior was immature. I can give her a break for that. She is only 20 years old and has never been on a stage like that before and did not handle her emotions well. If she is lucky, over time she will get guidance from coaches, family, friends and just the normal maturation process and be able to handle situations like that with more grace. If not she will just be another dumb jock that people look at as being on over-entitled asshole. The ball is in her court.
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