The 2026 FIBA World Cup not only ended with a fifth straight gold medal for Team USA, but it also gave fans an unexpected partnership between two of the biggest WNBA stars who have been painted as archrivals since their college days. But after Caitlin Clark’s interaction with a reporter went viral, one Fox analyst believes that very chemistry could pose a problem for the league.
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Craig Carton, in an episode of The Craig Carlton Show, argued that the WNBA has relied heavily on the narratives surrounding Clark and Angel Reese, and if the two stars are genuinely getting along, one of the league’s biggest sources of attention could disappear.
“It looked like Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese were getting along great, like good buddies hanging out together, spraying champagne together,” he said. “So the reporter said to Caitlin Clark, after we won the gold, ‘Are you and Angel Reese friends now?’ Legitimate question, right? We know they hate each other. Every chance, prior to this, when you’ve asked them whether it’s the ring thing, the look at me thing, the I hate you thing, which is the easiest thing to go to when it comes to whether or not they like each other.”
“But if they are now actually friends, they’re not. Well, then it’s like the Hatfields and McCoys getting together. There’s nothing left. There’s nothing left to care about. If you got rid of the Commissioner, if the trans thing is now dead, and if the biggest squabble in WNBA history is now put to sleep. We go back to not caring about women’s basketball.”
His comments came after a moment that showed just how differently Caitlin Clark and Reese’s relationship looked during their time with Team USA. Following the Americans’ 97-79 win over France in the World Cup final, Clark immediately pushed back when a reporter asked her if she and Reese were now friends.
“We’ve always been friends. Don’t try to do that,” she responded.
It was a small exchange, but it quickly went viral because it challenged one of the most persistent narratives surrounding the two stars. Since their college days, Clark and Reese have been positioned as rivals, with their 2023 NCAA championship meeting becoming the foundation for a storyline that has followed them into the WNBA. Yet their time together in Berlin painted a very different picture.
Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese were teammates trying to figure each other out on the biggest international stage, and the two made several highlight plays together and leaned on one another throughout the tournament.
One of the best examples of their partnership was the quarterfinals game against Hungary. In that game, Clark made nine total assists, three of which went to Reese. Caitlin Clark has also been vocal about the narratives that people have created around the pair.
“No matter what, there’s always going to be people that create those narratives and say whatever they want to say,” Clark said on September 10 via ESPN. “There’s definitely no stopping that, and they’re always going to be there. I think for ourselves, like I said, it’s easy for us to just come in here and compete.”
Reese appeared to embrace the experience as well.
“We can kind of rely on each other, lean on each other,” Reese said. “This is our first big national event, so being able to play with each other, learn each other, and go through these learning process together, it’s fun.”
But now that does raise a question – if the rivalry is what has helped turn Caitlin Clark-Angel Reese matchups into must-watch events, could their growing friendship actually take some of that attention away?
WNBA meetings between them have continued to generate enormous interest. Their Aug. 16 matchup is the clearest example yet. Indiana Fever defeated Atlanta Dream 95-91 in an overtime thriller, with the game averaging 2.6 million viewers and peaking at 4 million, making it the most-watched WNBA game ever on cable, according to ESPN.
The audience was not simply watching two talented players. They were watching two names that have been connected by one of the sport’s biggest rivalries for years.
But still, it may be premature to suggest that Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese getting along would hurt the WNBA. The narrative around them might have been a massive part of the attention surrounding their matchups, but neither player needs personal animosity for those games to matter. Both are fierce competitors, and the stakes alone can create the kind of tension fans tune in for. Clark is one of the best scorers, averaging 22.5 PPG, while Reese has been the lead rebounder this season, averaging 12.4 rebounds per game.
Clark and Reese do not have another regular-season meeting remaining, but both the Fever and Dream have secured playoff berths. That means the two could still meet when everything matters even more. If that happens, the friendly relationship they built in Berlin will be put aside for the duration of the game.