Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese show unity for Team USA at World Cup amid tense history

Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese had their best game together as teammates on Thursday in the quarterfinal round of the FIBA Women's World Cup against Hungary.

Their connection helped lead a historic 108-56 win for Team USA. It also gave fans another look at the growing partnership between two stars whose careers have been defined by competing against each other.

Clark and Reese repeatedly connected during the victory. Clark finished with 10 points, nine assists, three rebounds and two steals. Reese added nine points, six rebounds, three assists, two steals and a block.

Reese said their long history as opponents has made playing together easier.

"Yeah, I mean, we’ve played against each other so many times. So I’m sure we know each other’s game. Like the back of each other’s hand. So I just easily dished it off to her. She dished it off to me. She knows my slides. I kind of got one to her today or maybe two. So it’s fun. We just continue to build chemistry because we know we’re going to be USA teammates for a while," Reese said in an interview with TNT after the game.

CAITLIN CLARK AND ANGEL REESE MUST NOW WORK TOGETHER AT WOMEN'S WORLD CUP AS WNBA TAKES A HIGH-STAKES BREAK

Caitlin Clark #12 high fives Angel Reese #15 of the USA Basketball Women's National Team during a game against Hungary on Sept. 10, 2026, at Berlin Arena in Berlin, Germany. (NBAE via Getty Images)

Both players came off the bench again Thursday, but their shared minutes gave Team USA a combination it may rely on throughout the rest of the tournament. Clark creates scoring opportunities with her passing and outside shooting. Reese provides rebounding, physical defense and pressure around the basket.

While they were on the bench together, they were seen talking and laughing in a now-viral clip.

Their partnership has developed despite a history that has fueled one of the most intense debates in American sports.

The two stars first became permanently linked during the 2023 NCAA championship game. Reese led LSU to a 102-85 victory over Clark and Iowa before directing a "you can’t see me" gesture at Clark and pointing toward her ring finger late in the game.

The moment sparked a national argument about sportsmanship, race and perceived double standards. Clark had used a similar gesture earlier in the NCAA Tournament, and she later defended Reese against the criticism she received.

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Their rematch in the 2024 Elite Eight became one of the most anticipated games in women’s college basketball history. Clark produced 41 points and 12 assists as Iowa defeated LSU 94–87. Reese finished with 17 points and 20 rebounds before fouling out.

The rivalry followed them into the WNBA after the Indiana Fever selected Clark first overall and the Chicago Sky drafted Reese seventh in 2024.

Clark ultimately won the league’s Rookie of the Year award. Reese led the WNBA in rebounding and joined Clark on the All-Rookie team. The constant comparisons between their performances kept the rivalry at the center of the league’s rapid rise in attention.

Paige Bueckers, Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese look on during practice as part of the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup 2026 on Sept. 5, 2026, in Berlin, Germany. (NBAE via Getty Images)

Their professional matchups also produced tense moments. Reese received a flagrant foul after striking Clark in the head during a 2024 game. In the opening game of the 2025 season, Clark received a flagrant foul for knocking Reese to the floor as Reese attempted to score. Reese quickly confronted Clark before teammates separated them.

Both players said the latter incident was simply a basketball play. They have also repeatedly rejected the suggestion that their competition amounts to a personal feud.

They previously showed they could play together during the 2024 WNBA All-Star Game. Clark assisted Reese on a layup as Team WNBA defeated the U.S. Olympic team. Clark finished with 10 assists, while Reese recorded 12 points and 11 rebounds.

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Their World Cup partnership carries significantly higher stakes.

Neither player made the American roster for the 2024 Paris Olympics. The World Cup represents their first senior international tournament and an opportunity to establish themselves as part of the program’s future before the 2028 Los Angeles Games.

Clark publicly praised Reese before the quarterfinal, calling her a fiery competitor with one of the strongest motors in the WNBA.

Caitlin Clark of USA, Angel Reese of USA during the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup Germany 2026 quarter-final between USA and Hungary at Berlin Arena on September 10, 2026 in Berlin, Germany. (Photo by Christina Pahnke - sampics/Getty Images) (Christina Pahnke - sampics/Getty Images)

"We're both fiery, fiery competitors and we want to win and it's one of the things I really admire about [Reese's] game," Clark told the Associated Press. "She's competitive and she has a tremendous motor, like she has one of the best motors in the league. She works just as hard as anybody on the court. So, it's been fun to be able to play with her."

That competitive energy helped fuel a historic performance Thursday.

The Americans scored 36 points in the opening quarter and took a 59–30 advantage into halftime. Team USA shot 59% from the field and recorded 31 assists on 40 baskets. Its 108 points were the most ever scored in a Women’s World Cup quarterfinal.

The victory extended the United States’ World Cup winning streak to 34 games and moved the team within two victories of a fifth consecutive championship.

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Team USA will face the winner of Australia and Spain in Saturday’s semifinal. Clark and Reese will enter that game with the same goal and, for one of the few times in their careers, the same fans behind them.

Jackson Thompson is a sports reporter for Fox News Digital covering critical political and cultural issues in sports, with an investigative lens. Jackson's reporting has been cited in federal government actions related to the enforcement of Title IX, and in legacy media outlets including The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Associated Press and ESPN.com.