Who would have thought we would see Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese become ideal teammates.  Yes, the same two people that have almost been at each other’s throats for the better part of the last three years. From the Reese’s “You Can’t See Me” moment to Clark’s flagrant at the beginning of the 2025 season, it has been quite the rivalry. However, when they put on that Team USA jersey, everything was brushed under the table. 

Right from day 1, the chemistry started to build. In the first game against Senegal, Clark rocketed a dime to Reese in the paint, who laid it in. Clark also began catching her cuts to the basket and finding Reese at almost perfect times. Clark is a high-volume three-point shooter. So there were instances where her shot missed and it was Reese who grabbed the offensive board and maintained possession. That is not all, as Reese has been often  setting ball screens for Clark to get open and then find her pass or the shot. So, in their last game of the tournament against Spain, the duo delivered in the clutch. 

Clark and Reese had a highlight play early in their game against Spain. In the final seconds of the first quarter, Clark tried a contested layup and was fouled to the ground instead. Reese gave her point guard a hand. The Indiana Fever star was inbounding the ball and looking for a final play. Reese cut through the traffic under the basket and Clark found the perfect pass. Reese hooked it in over the defender, giving Team USA a 21-16 lead.

Team USA officially went on to be  undefeated in the FIBA World Cup qualifiers, beating Spain 84–70.  Clark ended up scoring seven points on 2 of 7 shooting with 7 assists and finished the tournament as the undisputed Team USA assists leader and the most efficient player. She averaged 11.4 points and 6.4 assists. Reese, on the other hand, had 4 points and 8 rebounds on the day. 

Expectedly, She had the most rebounds on this Team USA side with 8 per game, and she added 6.8 points as well. Both have put themselves in a good position to be picked for the World Cup in September. However, there is still much growth to go. Veteran Kelsey Plum sent a clear message regarding the development of Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese.

Kelsey Plum Wants Caitlin Clark And Co. To Improve On One Thing Before The World Cup

There is no doubt that this squad is filled with new and exciting talent. Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese and Paige Bueckers are three of the best players in the WNBA already. At the Team USA Qualifiers, they did not skip a beat, standing out among the veterans as well. But the World Cup is a completely different dynamic. The pressure will be high and every team will be arriving with the poise to win. After the final game of the qualifiers, Plum had praise for the Team USA debutants, but there is one thing they will need to improve. 

“The talent is incredible,” She said in the post-game press conference. “Technically, they’re young. But they’ve played in a lot of big games and big stages before so they’re not afraid of this moment… Everyone did an incredible job of picking their spots… incredible talents from guards and post positions. We just have to continue to grow our chemistry, which is going to be a big factor for the World Cup.”

Top Stories

Patrick Mahomes Loses Key Piece of Chiefs Offense as Eagles Make $6.5 Million Decision

Tony Romo CBS’s NFL Broadcasting Future in Question Amid Roger Goodell’s $3B Demand

Caitlin Clark Slips Behind Angel Reese, Paige Bueckers in FIBA MVP Voting Race

Denny Hamlin Left Gasping as Daughter’s Terrifying Victory Lane Moment Quietly Surfaces After Emotional Vegas Win

FOX Broadcaster Pens Emotional Farewell Message as He Gets Axed From NASCAR Job

Daniel Suarez’s Wife Julia Dragged Into Verbal Spat With Dale Jr. Camp Over Heated Post-Race Fight

Chemistry is the key word here because there will be a lot of changes to this squad at the World Cup. The likes of A’ja Wilson, Breanna Stewart,Napheesa Collier and Sabrina Ionescu will likely return to the roster along with Kara Lawson as the coach. This shuffling might cause the team to start again and gel back together. The positions and roles will change. Finding the proper tuning with these veterans will be important for the newcomers, as they haven’t played together yet.  However, as we have seen in these past 5 games, the group is more than capable of hitting the ground running.