What was Angel Reese's hand gesture to Caitlin Clark? Debunking Bayou Barbie's viral moment with Iowa star

Angel Reese helped LSU win the NCAA championship in 2023. The Tigers beat the Iowa Hawkeyes 102-85 in the final. After the victory, controversy followed.

Although LSU grabbed the win, the spotlight later shifted to Reese for a hand gesture that she made toward Iowa's Caitlin Clark toward the end of the game.

What did Angel Reese gesture toward Caitlin Clark in 2023 NCAA championship game?

LSU Tigers star Angel Reese

Angel Reese was involved in one of the most talked about moments in the 2023 NCAA Championship game. The Tigers star waved her hand in front of Caitlin Clarke's face after LSU took the lead in the fourth quarter of the contest. She also stared down her Iowa counterpart and then pointed at her ring finger.

Reese's initial hand gesture was later compared to the popular "you can't see me" catchphrase, originated from WWE legend John Cena. When the Tigers star pointed to her ring finger, she seemingly indicated that her team was coasting toward victory to get the all-important championship ring.

Reese's actions in the final quarter of the championship game caused a bit of a stir on social media. Fans also described her actions as classless and unsportsmanlike.

However, in an interview, Reese stood by her actions and insisted that people were simply looking to complain about her. She also pointed out that Clarke had made a similar gesture during Iowa's Elite Eight victory over Louisville.

"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, and y'all don't say nothing.

"So this is for the girls that look like me, that's gonna 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.

"And Twitter is going to go into a rage every time. And I'm happy. I feel like I've helped grow women's basketball this year. I'm looking forward to celebrating and the next season."

Angel Reese also won the NCAA Tournament's Most Outstanding Player award last season. She will now be looking to help the Tigers defend their NCAA championship crown this season.

However, Reese has been absent from LSU's last four games amid a reported rift with Tigers head coach Kim Mulkey.