Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese spent years being framed as rivals, but on Friday, they teamed up for one of the most electric highlights of Team USA’s FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup opener. Late in the fourth quarter of the Americans’ dominant 94-61 victory over China, Clark put on a clinic. She hit a ridiculous between-the-legs crossover to ditch her defender, then threaded a precise one-handed pass to Reese right under the basket. Reese snagged it and finished through contact with 1:04 left, pushing Team USA’s lead to a wild 92-59. That play, man, it was more than another basket in a game that had already been decided.
Rivals No More: A Scary New Partnership Emerges
Forget the old rivalry narrative. This connection was a true “you gotta see it” moment, giving fans a glimpse of what these two women’s basketball superstars can do when they’re on the same squad. It also locked in a spectacular double-double for Clark in her World Cup debut: 14 points, 11 assists, and three rebounds in just 25 minutes of play. And Reese? She chipped in five points and a team-high nine rebounds in 17 minutes off the bench. We’ve watched them go head-to-head in two unforgettable Iowa-LSU NCAA Tournament games, then enter the WNBA together, always being compared. But Friday? That was different. Team USA is giving them a chance to turn that familiar competition into something way more compelling. Clark’s insane vision and Reese’s knack for creating position under the hoop are a natural fit, right? Clark can drop dimes into the tightest windows, and Reese consistently gets extra possessions and scoring chances with her movement and rebounding. This highlight showed that chemistry clicking in a game that actually mattered. Clark messed with the defense, then zinged the pass with her right hand. Reese saw the opening, slipped into position, and finished without a pause. It looked less like an experiment with new teammates and more like they’d been playing together for an entire season. Talk about scary good.
Team USA’s Bench Is Plain Unfair
That Clark-to-Reese connection also highlighted a massive problem for anyone else facing Team USA. Think about this: both Clark and Reese came off the bench against China. And guess who else was chilling on the sideline waiting their turn? Aliyah Boston, Kelsey Plum, and Sabrina Ionescu. Seriously? The Americans can swap out one group of WNBA stars for another without even blinking, losing zero creativity, rebounding, or scoring punch. Every single one of the 12 players scored on Friday. Clark, Paige Bueckers, and Rhyne Howard all shared the team lead with 14 points each. Clark didn’t rack up stats; she was named Team USA’s Player of the Game, getting the most assists by an American in a Women’s World Cup debut. FIBA even reported she’s the first player in tournament history to finish with at least 10 assists and zero turnovers. She’s built different.
This is the start for Team USA. With Clark and Reese showing that kind of instant connection, plus a bench that could probably win gold on its own, who’s going to stop them? Get ready, because this squad is locked in and ready to roll.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by The Sporting News.
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