Team USA just snatched that 2026 FIBA Women’s World Cup gold medal, and while Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese are now official World Champions, their final box score stats from the tournament are way more complex than just a couple of superstar names. These two have been making waves since the 2024 WNBA draft, but their path to gold wasn’t about leading the scoring charge.
The Numbers Don’t Lie, But They Don’t Tell the Whole Story Either
Seriously, you gotta look at these per-game averages for Clark and Reese throughout the gold-medal run. Clark clocked 19.3 minutes a game, dropping 7.8 points, grabbing 2.2 rebounds, dishing out a team-leading 5.3 assists, and snatching 0.7 steals. No blocks from her. Then there’s Reese, playing 15.0 minutes, with 7.2 points, 5.0 boards, 0.7 assists, 1.2 steals, and leading the squad with 0.8 blocks per game. What do these numbers tell you? That neither of them was the go-to offensive option for the Americans. They impressed for stretches, absolutely, but the offense ran through someone else.
Breanna Stewart Put the Squad on Her Back
Yeah, it was Breanna Stewart who absolutely balled out as the best player for the Red, White and Blue. She led the team in scoring, averaging a clutch 12.8 points, and also dominated the glass with 7.3 rebounds per game. You wanna talk about putting a team on her back? She did it on Sunday in the 97-79 gold-medal victory over France. France actually jumped out to a double-digit lead in the second quarter. That’s when Stewart said, “Nah, not today.” She went off for a monster double-double with 22 points, 10 rebounds, and four assists. Every time Team USA needed a crucial bucket, they were looking her way. She was just a complete matchup nightmare for France.
Gold Medal Chemistry and What Comes Next
Now, don’t get it twisted, Clark and Reese were still super important for this team. Clark came off the bench in the gold-medal game and gave them a huge spark, dropping 12 points. She was the driver for that second unit offense, leading the whole team in assists per game. Reese, on the other hand, was an absolute beast on interior defense, leading the team in blocks per game. She was out there during key stretches when the Americans took control, throwing down some serious defense when it mattered most. These two were primary reasons that second unit absolutely thrived at times. Reese even spilled the beans on their vibe: “We’ve played against each other so many times. I’m sure we know each other’s game like the back of each other’s hand. So just easily dishing it off to her. She dishes off to me. She knows my spots. I kinda got one to her today, maybe two. So it’s fun. We just continue to build chemistry because we know we’re gonna be USA teammates for a while.”
So yeah, they are now World Cup gold medalists together, and it sounds like this is just the beginning for these two. With that kind of chemistry already brewing on the international stage, who knows what future tournaments will bring for this dynamic duo.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Bleacher Report.
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