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Angel Reese refuses Jill Biden apology but has ‘no beef’ with Caitlin Clark

“I don’t accept the apology,” LSU star Angel Reese said after Jill Biden walked back her White House invitation to runner-up Iowa. (Ron Jenkins/Getty Images)

Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark are good.

On the “I AM ATHLETE” podcast, Reese addressed her relationship with Iowa star Caitlin Clark, at whom she directed a pointed celebration Sunday after LSU’s national championship win.

That moment has resulted in backlash against Reese, even though Clark has said she doesn’t think criticism is warranted.

“I don’t think Angel should be criticized at all,” Clark said. “No matter which way it goes, she should never be criticized for what she did. I’m one that competes, and she competed.”

Reese cleared the air as well during her podcast appearance.

“There is no beef,” she said. “There’s actually no beef.”

Sunday was not the first time the fierce competitors have matched up. They played against one another three times in Reese’s two seasons at Maryland. And Clark herself is no stranger to trash talk and celebrations, having done the same “you can’t see me” gesture earlier in the tournament.

When asked about the response she has received compared to the response Clark received for the same gesture, Reese said she does not see any justification for the harsher judgment placed upon her.

“Honestly there’s no excuse,” she said. “I don’t think there’s an excuse for that. But the thing is, I’ve had a narrative all year where they told me I was too hood, I was too ghetto.

“Anything I do, it goes viral. Every single time, positive or negative. When she did it, everybody was so happy. When I did it, it was an issue just because of what I look like. People are saying she still had 30 [points]. They lost. At the end of the day, they lost and we won and we celebrate how we wanna celebrate.”

Of course, that celebration comes with a White House visit, a traditional invitation extended to NCAA champions. But First Lady Jill Biden threw a wrench into those plans Monday, when she said she would also love to see runners-up Iowa join the party.

While Biden later walked back her comment, Reese is not inclined to accept the apology from the First Lady.

“I’m not going to lie to you, I don’t accept the apology,” she said. “Because, you said what you said. You can’t go back on certain things that you say. You felt like they should’ve came because of ‘sportsmanship,’ right? They can have that spotlight. We’ll go to the Obamas.”

When asked if she would attend a White House visit, Reese did not commit to an answer. And for Reese, the issue runs deeper, as she doesn’t think that the same invite would have been extended had Iowa won and LSU lost.

“I just know if the roles were reversed, there wouldn’t be the same – if we were to lose, we would not be getting invited to the White House,” she said. “And I remember she made a comment about both teams should be invited because it was sportsmanship. And I’m like, are you saying that because of what I did? Like, stuff like that, it bothers me. Because, you are a woman at the end of the day. … You’re supposed to be standing behind us before anything.

“So it’s hard to see things like that and not to comment back on it. But at the same time, I have the platform right now where I can speak out on it.”

Reese isn’t the only one speaking out on the White House invitation. Clark told SportsCenter on Tuesday that she doesn’t think Iowa should be invited.

“That’s for LSU,” Clark said. “… They should enjoy every single second of being the champion. I think that’s theirs to do.

“I don’t think runner-ups usually go to the White House. LSU should enjoy that moment for them. And congratulations, obviously; they deserve to go there. Maybe I could go to the White House [someday] on different terms.”

Iowa coach Lisa Bluder agreed, noting that “a day at the White house should belong solely to the champion.”

Still, it doesn’t make the comments sting any less for Reese.

“To think about it, when you came to the game were you coming to see that one team win? Or were you coming to see everybody win?” the LSU star said. “And it’s hard to see that because we work just as hard as Iowa did. And I just know if the roles were reversed it would not be the same. So it’s hard for me to even imagine, what in your mind even thought for you to process bringing both teams there.

“Last night, San Diego State lost and I didn’t see her say ‘Oh, San Diego State is coming as well.’ That’s weird to me.”

Ottawa Upsets No. 1 Seed Montréal in Game 1 of 2025 PWHL Playoffs

Ottawa's Jocelyne Larocque, Emily Clark, and Alexa Vasko celebrate a 2025 PWHL regular-season win.
The Charge defeated No. 1-seed Montréal 3-2 in Thursday's Game 1. (Michael Chisholm/Getty Images)

Top-seeded Montréal suffered a surprising loss in their first 2025 PWHL Playoffs game on Thursday, falling 3-2 to postseason debutant No. 3-seed Ottawa.

Despite a tense back-and-forth battle, Ottawa forward Shiann Darkangelo broke through with a third-period game-winning goal, pushing the Charge to an early lead in the best-of-five semifinal series.

The Victoire, who notably used their No. 1-seed advantage to handpick the Charge as their semis opponent, have yet to log a playoff win, adding Thursday's defeat to last season's first-round sweep by Boston.

Even so, Montréal is already viewing the loss as fuel to even the score this weekend.

"We outshot them, we had a lot of great opportunities. We were right there," said Victoire forward Laura Stacey. "If we can put that game together for a whole 60 minutes, it'll look scary I think."

Toronto's Julia Gosling celebrates a goal with the Sceptres' bench during a 2025 PWHL regular-season game.
Toronto rookie Julia Gosling's brace secured the Game 1 win for the Sceptres. (Rich Graessle/Getty Images)

Toronto takes Game 1 from defending champs Minnesota

In the PWHL's other semifinal matchup, No. 2-seed Toronto claimed a one-win advantage over No. 4-seed Minnesota on Wednesday, halting the defending champion Frost's late-season surge with a 3-2 Sceptres victory.

Captain Blayre Turnbull opened scoring in the first period, giving Toronto a lead that they never relinquished, while rookie Julia Gosling netted a second-period brace to secure the Sceptres' win.

Minnesota, acknowledging the tough road they face to return to the championship ice, has already set their eyes on Game 2.

"It's going to be a hard-fought series," said Frost head coach Ken Klee after the Frost's Game 1 loss. "We didn't get one tonight…[so now] we're looking forward to Friday."

How to watch the 2025 PWHL Playoffs this weekend

Toronto and Minnesota are back in action for Game 2 of their series at 7 PM ET on Friday, before traveling to St. Paul for Game 3 at 6 PM ET on Sunday.

Sunday will also see Montréal’s attempt to even their series with Ottawa, with the puck dropping on their Game 2 matchup at 2 PM ET.

All games will stream live on the PWHL YouTube channel.

Chelsea Chases History as 2024/25 WSL Season Ends

Chelsea's Lucy Bronze celebrates a 2024/25 WSL goal with her teammates.
2024/25 WSL champions Chelsea aims to finish the season undefeated on Saturday. (Molly Darlington - The FA/The FA via Getty Images)

The 2024/25 Women's Super League (WSL) season officially wraps on Saturday, with Chelsea preparing to claim even more history on the heels of their sixth-straight league title.

The still-undefeated Blues will face sixth-place Liverpool in their final outing, with Chelsea on the cusp of becoming the fourth-ever team to finish a WSL season unbeaten.

Should they do so, Chelsea will join 2012's Arsenal, 2016's Manchester City, and their own 2018 squad in achieving perfection — those this year's Blues would be the first to accomplish the feat in the expanded 22-match campaign.

While the team only needs a draw to remain undefeated, a win would secure Chelsea another record, becoming the first club to tally 60 points in a single campaign — two more than the current mark the Blues claimed in 2022/23.

Despite their astounding WSL record, the Blues have fought hard for their dominance this season, with first-year head coach Sonia Bompastor strategically using her entire roster to maintain the winning legacy left by now-USWNT boss Emma Hayes.

"Don't think it's easy. It's never easy," said Bompastor after Chelsea's 2024/25 title win. "It's a great achievement and a lot of work every day — I don't let my players breathe."

Arsenal's Alessia Russo and Manchester United's Millie Turner battle for the ball during a 2024/25 WSL match.
Arsenal and Manchester United will play for second-place in the WSL on Saturday. (Nick Potts/PA Images via Getty Images)

Battle for second-place continues on final WSL matchday

While Chelsea chases records, other top WSL clubs are still jockeying for positions on the league's final 2024/25 table.

Along with the Blues, Arsenal and Manchester United are locked into Champions League qualifying positions for next season — but United could leapfrog Arsenal for a second-place WSL finish on Saturday.

Separated by just one point, the Red Devils and the Gunners will face off against each other in the season's final blockbuster matchup.

Arsenal has extra incentive for a good showing, as the Gunners try to snap their two-game WSL losing streak and gain momentum before battling Barcelona in the May 24th Champions League final.

Chelsea also has a shot at another trophy looming, with the Blues chasing a second domestic treble — winning the league, FA Cup, and League Cup.

However, a tough Manchester United stands in the way of Chelsea's third and final treble title, with the pair facing off in the FA Cup's May 18th championship match.

How to watch WSL matches this weekend

All 12 WSL teams will kick off their season's last matches at 7:30 AM ET on Saturday.

Both Chelsea's game against Liverpool and Manchester United's visit to Arsenal will stream live on ESPN+.

Naomi Osaka Continues Comeback Tour at the 2025 Italian Open

Naomi Osaka serves the ball at the 2025 Italian Open.
Naomi Osaka advanced to the Round of 32 at the 2025 Italian Open. (Robert Prange/Getty Images)

As tune-up tournaments like this week's 2025 Italian Open dominate tennis ahead of the 2025 French Open, one familiar name is back in the headlines, with world No. 48 Naomi Osaka making significant strides on the clay court.

Coming off her first tournament win since 2021 at L'Open 35 de Saint-Malo — a WTA 125 event — last weekend, Osaka immediately advanced to the Italian Open's third round this week.

The four-time Grand Slam winner has shown glimpses of brilliance after returning from her 2023 pregnancy, with Osaka now aiming to keep up momentum on her historically weakest surface.

"Kinda ironic to win my first trophy back on the surface that I thought was my worst," Osaka posted after her May 4th victory. "That's one of my favorite things about life though, there's always room to grow and evolve."

Osaka isn't the only tennis star cooking in Europe, as heavy-hitters like world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, No. 2 Iga Świątek, and No. 3 Coco Gauff also moved ahead in Rome as they look to hone their Roland-Garros form.

Not usually a clay court specialist, Sabalenka has looked particularly formidable, defeating Gauff to take the 2025 Madrid Open title just last week.

How to watch the 2025 Italian Open

The 2025 Italian Open's Round of 32 kicks off early Saturday morning, with continuing coverage on The Tennis Channel.

Short-Staffed WNBA Champs NY Liberty Tip Off Preseason Play

The New York Liberty huddle during a 2024 WNBA Finals game.
Defending champ New York enters the 2025 season short-handed due to injuries. (David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images)

Fresh off winning their first-ever WNBA title, the New York Liberty will kick off their 2025 preseason slate with in a Friday night clash against the Connecticut Sun — despite the reigning champs looking a little worse for wear.

Two-time WNBA MVP Breanna Stewart has been slowly recovering from offseason knee surgery, with the 30-year-old watching from the bench on Friday in an effort to return to full fitness for next week's season opener.

Similarly, star guard Betnijah Laney-Hamilton is likely out for the entirety of the 2025 WNBA season with a knee injury of her own, exiting the offseason 3×3 league Unrivaled with a meniscus injury in early March.

Meanwhile, starting sharpshooter Leonie Fiebich has yet to join the Liberty in training camp as the European standout finishes her overseas season with Spain's Valencia Basket.

Liberty additions to make New York debut on Friday

That said, New York did manage to make a few savvy pick-ups ahead of the 2025 campaign, with the newly configured team eyeing a strong Friday showing to avoid rumors of a slow season start.

The Liberty traded for point guard Natasha Cloud and signed forward Izzy Harrison over the offseason, while also welcoming back guards Marine Johannes and Rebekah Gardner.

Given New York's lengthy availability report, Liberty head coach Sandy Brondello noted that the team's markedly late preseason start was not strategic, but merely a scheduling solution.

"Sometimes it's just out of our hands," Brondello told reporters. "This is the first home game that we've had because we've never been able to get the arena availability, so that's it. Ideally, we would have liked to play the game by now, but it is what it is."

How to watch the New York Liberty in the 2025 WNBA preseason

New York will tip off against Connecticut at 7 PM ET on Friday, with live coverage on WNBA League Pass.

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