Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark are the latest foes-turned-dynamic duo storyline in sports.
After years as one of the biggest storied heated rivals in women’s basketball, the two are thriving after joining forces on Team USA for the 2026 FIBA World Cup.
The chemistry is something the Atlanta star knows is going to last a long time.
Following Team USA’s 108-56 rout of Hungary that punched their ticket to the FIBA World Cup semifinals, Reese was asked about her budding relationship with the 24-year-old guard as the paired shined during the matchup.
“We’ve played against each other so many times so I’m sure we know each other’s game like the back of each other’s hand, she told TNT Sports. “So, just easily dish it off to her, she dishes it off to me. She knows my spots… So it’s fun. We just continue to build chemistry because we know we’re going to be USA teammates for a while.”
The connection between the two young stars was a major highlight in the game along with Napheesa Collier’s 19 points, while she shot at a 69% clip from the field.
Clark, coming off the bench, had a game-high nine assists — of which several went Reese’s way.
Clark found Reese three times in about five minutes in a succession of buckets that helped build the stars and stripes’ lead in the second quarter.
Reese later paid Clark back, assisting her off of a steal in the second half.
The two also seemed to be having fun on the bench, exchanging laughs.
Clark finished with 10 points, while Reese followed with nine along with six rebounds and three assists.
The pair’s playing days together date back to high school and then emerged as they each made a name for themselves as women’s basketball’s biggest stars in college.
Clark led Iowa to back-to-back NCAA Finals games and lost in 2023 to LSU when Reese had a viral ring finger gesture toward the Hawkeyes star before securing the title.
They later battled it out in the WNBA with the Fever taking Clark with the No. 1 pick in 2024, while Reese went No. 7 to Chicago.
Clark later beat out Reese for the 2024 Rookie of the Year award.
During much of that time, fans painted a rivalry between the two. However, neither Reese nor Clark stated publicly they felt that way.
“I don’t have any hard feelings toward her and she doesn’t have any hard feelings towards me,” Reese said while speaking at ComplexCon in 2024. “It’s just basketball and it gets crazy sometimes.
“I’ve been playing against Caitlin since we were probably in eighth or ninth grade. We were both really competitive. I went to Maryland [before transferring to LSU], she went to Iowa and we competed there, so people don’t know the legacy of us being able to play against each other for a really long time.”
Team USA will face either Australia or Spain in the semifinals on Saturday, Sept. 12 for a spot in the championship game.
