Caitlin Clark didn’t need long to make her presence felt on the international stage. While the superstar guard spent most of the evening in Berlin rewriting a Team USA record, cameras also caught a small moment involving Angel Reese that has fans smiling.
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In a clip posted to X by @justskulk, Reese and Clark are seen sitting on the sideline when a timeout is called. Reese, who was in a conversation with head coach Kara Lawson, saw Clark get up and walk towards the court before the buzzer sounded and told her to wait for the buzzer. The two then checked into the game together.
The two are among the young stars chosen to lead Team USA into a new era, and small moments like this one signify the harmony that the FIBA World Cup brings, despite how opposed they have been to each other throughout their career. Any WNBA fan knows that, stretching back to college, Reese and Clark have been bitter rivals, originating with Reese and Louisiana State University beating the Clark-led Iowa team for the 2023 national championship.
That rivalry has carried into their professional careers, but the World Cup brings about a different team dynamic. Right now, the pair are among the 12 players selected to represent the United States at the FIBA World Cup, and that means putting aside personal differences to push for international victory. And against China, they did just that.
Team USA beat China 94-61, and Caitlin Clark was particularly impressive. Making her senior World Cup debut, the guard came off the bench to score a team-high 14 points and a game-leading 11 assists, including four dimes in her first four minutes, as well as zero turnovers. She also added three rebounds and a game-high +30 plus/minus over her 25 minutes.
Her playmaking made the news because, with her 11 assists, Clark became the first American player to log a double-digit assist game in the Women’s Basketball World Cup since 1998, ending a 28-year-long wait. The last woman to do so was Dawn Staley, who finished the win against Russia with 12 assists, adding one turnover.
For her outstanding play, Clark was named the TCL Player of the Game, becoming the eighth player to record 11 or more assists during a World Cup matchup.
Fittingly, the 10th assist Caitlin Clark made to reach the milestone was to Angel Reese. Late in the fourth, Clark used a series of dribble moves to create space, then slinged a one-handed dart right to Reese under the basket, finishing despite contact from Chinese defenders.
Reese also played well tonight, coming off the bench with Clark while logging five points and a team-high nine rebounds in 17 minutes. Importantly, the 6’4″ Reese matched up multiple times with Chinese center Zhang Ziyu, who stands at 7’3″. The height mismatch was astounding, but Reese still held her ground, creating second-chance opportunities and closing China’s offensive possessions despite Ziyu’s best efforts.
Clark spoke after the game about how she had plenty of choice when it came to finding her teammates, while explaining how she picked apart China’s defense with her accurate passes.
“Being surrounded by five people who have won gold medals before at the highest level, I try to follow their lead and take every bit of wisdom they try to give me.” Clark said, per FIBA.
“Playing around so many talented players… anybody I pass the ball to, it feels like they are never gonna miss a shot… That’s one of my goals when I come to a game; facilitate and play fast, set up my teammates, get in the paint and get some penetration, especially with their zone, that was one of my focus points coming into the game.”
With the win, the US is now tied with Italy at the top of Group D, with each side logging 2 points for their wins. Team USA will face them next on September 6.
Meanwhile, the moment shows just how locked in each player, not just Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese, is on this World Cup. Domestic differences can wait until they’re back home, especially considering that for the time being, they’re on the same team.