In the final seconds of the 2023 NCAA women's basketball national championship game, Angel approached Caitlin Clark and moved her open hand in front of her face — a gesture popularized by WWE star John Cena to mean "you can’t see me."
Although the Iowa point guard made the exact same gesture to another player earlier in the tournament, Angel's actions have sparked much debate on social media. Some have criticized Angel, while others have defended her and highlighted how there was no public outrage in response to Caitlin's gesture.
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In a post-game press conference, Angel spoke about the difference in reaction she received compared to Caitlin: "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," she said via CNN.
"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," Angel continued. "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."
