The standout moment from the previous year’s national championship game is when Angel Reese mocked Caitlin Clark by imitating John Cena’s “You can’t see me” gesture in front of her. A year later, the details of Clark using the same gesture towards Louisville after securing Iowa’s first Final Four appearance in 30 years have become somewhat unclear. Former Louisville star Hailey Van Lith supported both players’ use of the taunt, emphasizing the idea that when you win, you get to decide how to celebrate your victory.
“It’s our personalities,” said Van Lith, now a guard at LSU. “It’s what makes the game fun for us.”
Similar to Reese, Van Lith relishes being on the winning side, likening it to the perspective from the Death Star. She anticipates that the majority of fans will support Iowa on Monday night. However, her only concern arises from the underlying reason why numerous critics, such as a recent LA Times column labeling the Tigers as “evil” and “dirty debutantes,” consistently target the champions.
“Unfortunately, bias still exists today, particularly against black women, and we have a lot of them on our team,” Van Lith stated on Sunday. “Many of the people making these derogatory comments are displaying racism towards my teammates. I’m in a unique position; when I talk trash, the reaction differs from when Angel does. The language used in that article was disheartening and upsetting, and I didn’t want us to read it before the Sweet 16 because such comments have no place in sports. Referring to us as ‘dirty debutantes’ has nothing to do with our athletic abilities.”
“I wish we hadn’t read that article because it can really affect your spirit to hear such things from people who don’t even know us. I know for a fact that people perceive us differently because we have many black women on our team who are outspoken and enjoy trash-talking, and some people have a problem with that. But I stand by them because they refuse to let that change who they are.”
“Most of the LSU team can joke about the last encounter they had with Clark.”
Van Lith, who guided Louisville to the 2022 Final Four, vividly recalls Caitlin’s rise to stardom after her remarkable 41-point triple-double in the Elite Eight.
“I distinctly remember Caitlin dominating me on the court,” Van Lith admitted.
Just a week later, Van Lith found herself among the 9.9 million viewers captivated by the national title game.
Afterward, she emerged as the most sought-after player in the transfer portal, attracted to the team that triumphed over Clark.
“I vividly recall the excitement of that game and the emotions it evoked, even through the TV screen. It felt like a monumental moment for women’s basketball,” Van Lith reminisced. “The emotions I experienced during that moment definitely influenced my decision on who to reach out to when I entered the portal. I thought, ‘I want to be part of that team.’ The intensity of the game, the trash-talking, and Coach Kim Mulkey’s passionate coaching style—all of these factors resonated with me. It felt like a perfect fit.”
