Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese, longtime rivals dating back to their college days in the Big Ten, have become teammates this month with Team USA in Berlin and are both playing big roles as the Americans try to win a fifth consecutive gold medal at the World Cup.
Clark's 6.3 assists per game lead Team USA and are good for third in the tournament, while Reese leads the team in offensive rebounds with nine and is second in both steals (four) and blocks (three). Together, they've helped Team USA go 3-0 in the group stage and qualify for the quarterfinals against Hungary on Thursday.
For Clark, playing with Reese has come naturally. The two had a highlight-reel connection against Czechia and have helped lead the "Young and Turnt" group along with Paige Bueckers.
"We're both fiery, fiery competitors and we want to win and it's one of the things I really admire about [Reese's] game," Clark told the Associated Press. "She's competitive and she has a tremendous motor, like she has one of the best motors in the league. She works just as hard as anybody on the court. So, it's been fun to be able to play with her."
The Caitlin Clark x Angel Reese connection is legit 🤝 #FIBAWWC pic.twitter.com/fh1VBUmeT5
— FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup (@FIBAWWC) September 7, 2026
Clark and Reese are two of seven Team USA players making their World Cup debuts, and the new generation does not want to tarnish the Americans' legacy on the international stage. Team USA has won every gold medal at the Olympics and the World Cup since a bronze-medal finish at the 2006 World Cup.
Along the way, Team USA has won 69 consecutive games at major international tournaments. That streak almost came to an end in the group stage against Italy, but Team USA escaped with a three-point win to secure its spot in the quarterfinals.
"You don't want to be the team that everybody talks about because you didn't win," Clark said. "You want to do what's expected and that's to win a gold medal."
With a win over Hungary in the quarterfinals, Team USA would play the winner of the Australia vs. Spain matchup in the semifinals before a potential rematch with France in the final. Team USA -- notably without Clark -- beat France by just one point in the gold medal game of the 2024 Olympics in Paris.
While the job in Berlin is far from finished, Clark is already looking ahead toward the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028. In what should come as no surprise, she hopes to make her Olympic debut on home soil, hopefully with a World Cup gold medal already on her resume.
"I think it would certainly help and hopefully it's just a step in the direction of where I want to keep building and hopefully the goals that I want to achieve of hopefully playing in the Olympics in '28," Clark said.
