The last question of Caitlin Clark's night in the Berlin Arena mixed zone was whether she and Angel Reese were friends now that the two had spent a tournament as teammates. The United States just beat France 97-79 on Sunday for a fifth consecutive FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup title.
"We've always been friends. Don't try to do that. Don't try to do that," Clark said.
Clark wagged her finger and walked toward the locker room. Emmet Ryan filmed the exchange for BallinEurope and posted it with two other clips. Minutes later, as Chelsea Gray answered questions, Clark pointed out the reporter, and a USA Basketball representative spoke with him at length.
Six Games Off the Bench
Clark and Reese were two of seven Americans in Berlin debuting as a member of a Team USA global championship team, and both came off the bench in all six matches.
Throughout the tournament, Clark averaged 7.8 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 5.3 assists in 19.3 minutes per game. She led the U.S. team with a total of 32 assists. Her shooting included 14 of 39 from the field and 7 of 25 from 3-point range, ending the six games with a plus-121 rating. In the opening game against China, she scored 14 points, collected 3 rebounds, and provided 11 assists in 25 minutes.
Reese averaged 7.2 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 0.7 assists over 15.0 minutes per game. She made 13 of 22 field goals and 17 of 31 free throws. She led the team with 5 blocks and grabbed 9 rebounds in the game against China. In her 90 minutes, the United States outscored its opponents by 57 points.
In the final, Clark played 13 minutes and scored 12 points on 4-of-5 shooting with 1 rebound and 3 assists. Reese played 9 minutes and finished with 3 points, 3 rebounds, 1 steal, and 1 block.
The Hungary Quarterfinal
Three days before the final, the United States beat Hungary 108-56 and recorded 31 assists, a World Cup quarterfinal record. Clark had 9 assists in that game, three of them to Reese. Reese had 9 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists, one of them to Clark.
"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," Reese told TNT Sports. "So just easily dishing off to her, she dishes off to me. She knows my spots, I kind of got one to her today, or maybe two. So it's fun. We just continue to build chemistry because we know we're going to be USA teammates for a while."
Framed as Rivals Since 2023
LSU beat Iowa for the 2023 NCAA championship, and Reese pointed at her ring finger in Clark's direction in the closing seconds and the two players have been connected in the eyes of media and fans ever since. The Indiana Fever took Clark first overall in the 2024 WNBA Draft and the Chicago Sky took Reese seventh. Reese joined the Atlanta Dream ahead of the 2026 season.
Time named Clark its Athlete of the Year in December 2024. She said then that she and Reese were "very respectful of one another" without being best friends, and called the controversy around them "fabricated and made up."
The two competed together in March during the World Cup qualifying tournament in San Juan, Puerto Rico, where the Americans went 5-0. Clark was named MVP of the tournament, averaging 11.6 points and 6.4 assists, while Reese contributed an average of 6.8 points and led the team with 8.0 rebounds.
Perfect duo? 👀
— FIBA Basketball (@FIBA) September 10, 2026
Caitlin Clark & Angel Reese connection is simply immaculate 💯#FIBAWWC | @FIBAWWC pic.twitter.com/uzZTjdilUn
The Final
France led by as many as 14 in the second quarter, shooting 8-of-14 from 3 in the first half. The third quarter ended 30-12 for the United States.
Breanna Stewart scored 22 points, collected 10 rebounds, and dished out 4 assists in the final, earning her a second tournament MVP award, her first being in 2018. This marks her fourth World Cup gold medal, tying her with Sue Bird for the most in history.
The United States has won 36 straight World Cup games. Its last defeat came against Russia in the 2006 semifinals.
It's highly likely we'll Reese and Clark once again pair up as teammates on a USA Basketball senior national team. The 2028 Olympics is the next big stage for Team USA.
Indiana and Atlanta were both 26-14 when the WNBA paused for FIBA play.
