“We’ve always been friends.” That was Caitlin Clark’s response when she was asked if she and Angel Reese were now friends after their 2026 FIBA World Cup run. While her answer raised eyebrows among fans, OutKick reporter Jackson Thompson also faced backlash for asking her the question, as many felt he was trying to bring the Clark-Reese rivalry back into the conversation.

For Thompson, however, there was no such intention. He elaborated on his stance in a clip of an exclusive interview with NFL insider Dan Dakich.

“I thought maybe she would talk a little bit more about it; I don’t know why she reacted the way she did… I’m sure this topic is a sensitive topic for both her and Angel Reese over the years. Like I said, there’s been a lot of agendas. And if we’re being honest, these two players are used in arguments to discuss things other than basketball, quite frankly. And it’s beyond their power. It’s beyond their power.”

“Folks who participate in those arguments, this week they came together to root for both players. To root for both players, to root for Team USA, and they watched them play together. They wanted them to start together. Some folks did. Some folks were okay with the bench role they had, and it was a good opportunity, I believe, for that friendship to be revealed so that people knew about them,” he further added.

For years, Caitlin Clark and Reese have been linked through one of the WNBA’s most talked-about rivalries. Neither player has publicly embraced the idea that they genuinely dislike one another, but the competitive dynamic surrounding them has nevertheless become a major part of the attention around their matchups.

That made their pairing with Team USA an intriguing storyline before the World Cup even began. Given everything that had followed them since their college days, seeing the two stars play together could have easily become another source of tension. But they ended up doing the unexpected.

Clark ran the offense with her playmaking, while Reese established herself in the paint with her rebounding and interior presence. Their contrasting skill sets complemented each other as Team USA marched toward its fifth consecutive gold medal.

One of the best examples of their partnership came against Hungary in the quarterfinal during the 2026 FIBA World Cup.

Caitlin Clark finished that game with nine assists, with three of those passes finding Reese. The two repeatedly connected on the court, giving fans a glimpse of what their games could look like when they were working toward the same objective rather than competing against one another. And that chemistry also gave Clark an opportunity to address the narratives that have followed them.

“No matter what, there’s always going to be people that create those narratives and say whatever they want to say,” she said in an interview with ESPN on September 10. “There’s definitely no stopping that, and they’re always going to be there.”

So when Thompson asked Clark about her relationship with Reese after Team USA defeated France in the final, many viewed the question as an attempt to bring back the rivalry narrative that has long followed the two stars. Thompson also clarified in the interview that he was simply curious.

There were also claims online that FIBA had revoked Thompson’s credentials because of the question. However, there have been no verified reports that the OutKick reporter faced any repercussions.

So while Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese’s competitive history will likely continue to follow them in their careers, their time together with Team USA offered a reminder that competition and friendship do not have to be mutually exclusive.

With the Fever and Dream now heading into the playoffs, Clark and Reese could soon find themselves on opposite sides again, but this time, there will be a little more context behind the relationship that has kept fans talking for years.