Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark discuss trash language and the animosity between Iowa and LSU before their rematch in the NCAA Tournament.

The Iowa-LSU rivalry is about to enter a new phase.

On Monday, two of the biggest names in women’s collegiate basketball square off in the 2024 NCAA Tournament Elite Eight. When LSU star Angel Reese and Iowa sensation Caitlin Clark faced off in the national championship game a year ago, their rivalry grew more intense in the lead-up to their next meeting.

Reese gestured to Clark that “you can’t see me” at the end of the unforgettable March Madness game, then pointed to her ring finger as the Tigers won their first national championship ever. The two legendary women’s basketball players opened up about their connection despite being well-known for their aggressive demeanors and trash language on the court.

“For me, I don’t think people realize it’s not personal,” Reese stated. “People just take it like we despise one other, in my opinion. Caitlin Clark and I are not at odds with one another. I want everyone to be aware of that. It’s simply an extremely competitive game. All I want is for people to understand that. There are no friends once I cross those lines. We are not friends. I’m going to speak negatively to you. We may get wild after the game, but I’ll do whatever it takes to stay in your brain the entire time. People may not truly be aware of that.

Reese went on to say that if playing the “villain role” is necessary to advance women’s basketball, she is fine with it.

Regarding her friendship with Reese, Clark had similar feelings and played down the rivalry that preceded the rematch. Clark and Reese, who attended Maryland for the first two seasons of her undergraduate career, have met four times.

“I would say me and Angel have always been great competitors,” Clark stated. “She obviously started her career playing in the Big Ten, and that’s what makes women’s basketball so exciting—we’ve had fantastic competition all year long. I believe Angel would concur, stating that women’s basketball is about more than simply us. Our game is so amazing because it’s competitive in more ways than one. That’s not where it stands right now. To be truly excellent, we need more than one person.”

The Naismith Trophy winner, Clark, is once again a finalist for the national player of the year award following a season filled with record-breaking efforts. She defeated No. 5 seed Colorado 89-68 on Saturday in the Sweet 16 thanks to a game-high 29 points, 15 assists, and 59.1% shooting from the field.