NEW ORLEANS — Women's basketball stars Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark were named 2023 The Sporting News Athletes of the Year.
Last season, Reese's LSU Tigers topped Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes 102-85 in the NCAA women's basketball championship.
Reese taunting Clark late in the contest led to a heated debate on social media. Clark defended Reese'sactions and said she did not take offense from the gesture.
The record-breaking game was the most viewed NCAA women's basketball game ever.
Since that game, Reese has appeared in Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue, commercials with NBA players, videos with rap stars, and won an ESPY award winner.
Reese won the Best Breakthrough Athlete ESPY over Clark. In her first season at LSU, Reese averaged 23 points and 15 rebounds and was named the NCAA tournament's Most Outstanding Player.
LSU and Iowa are 11-1 this season and ranked in the top 10.
Lionel Messi and Shohei Ohtani are the last two Sporting News Athletes of the Year.
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