Clark and Reese turn old rivalry into World Cup chemistry as U.S. rolls past Hungary

BERLIN — The long-running Caitlin Clark–Angel Reese rivalry is taking on a new dimension at the 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup, where the two stars are now sharing the floor — and the basketball — for Team USA.

The clearest example came in Thursday’s quarterfinal against Hungary. After a Warner Bros. Discovery TNT broadcast captured the moment, viewers saw Clark fire a halfcourt pass over three defenders to Reese for a second-quarter layup that stretched the American lead to 47-18. By halftime, three of Clark’s four assists had gone to Reese, and the pair finished with four connections in a dominant 108-56 U.S. win.

Their history is well documented. Clark and Reese first met as freshmen — Clark at Iowa, Reese at Maryland — before the rivalry exploded in 2023, when Reese’s LSU squad beat Clark’s Hawkeyes 102-85 for the national title, a game remembered for Reese waving her hand over her face in a nod to Clark’s earlier “you can’t see me” taunt. In the years since, fans and media have often framed the two as opposites, asking audiences to pick a side.

At the World Cup, the framing has shifted. Reese told TNT after the win that the two know each other’s games intimately from years of matchups. U.S. coach Kara Lawson praised the group’s ball movement, saying the coaching staff loves when players share the ball at a high level and calling the performance unselfish and balanced.

The storyline carries commercial weight as well. Clark’s signature line with Nike has made her one of the most marketable figures in women’s basketball, and joint international appearances tend to amplify demand for player merchandise. Nike shares closed at $36.71, down 1.68% on the day, valuing the footwear and apparel giant at roughly $56.5 billion. Warner Bros. Discovery, which owns the U.S. broadcast rights showing these games to American audiences, traded at $28.10, up 0.55%, with a market capitalization near $70.5 billion.

For now, both players appear focused on the task in Berlin: turning years of competition into a championship partnership.

What to watch

• Team USA’s remaining World Cup knockout-round games and whether the Clark-Reese connection continues to produce highlights.
• Upcoming quarterly results from Nike and Warner Bros. Discovery, which may touch on women’s basketball viewership and merchandise demand.
• Return of the players to their WNBA teams, where they will again be rivals, ahead of the next season.

Source: original release