Throughout the past few years, fans and many in the media have pitted women's basketball superstars Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese against each other.
It all started in the 2023 NCAA Championship Game and has continued in the WNBA, where many believe the two are meant to battle each other.
There is no doubt that their competitive fire has fueled that rivalry, whether knowingly or unknowingly, but the two have also stated that they found it weird to be labeled as such.
Even after they played well together in the 2024 All-Star game, their fans continued to fuel the narratives, and it all went off the charts after their clash in the season-opener last year.
Now, the two are back as teammates for USA Basketball, and their goal is to build chemistry so that they can function well when they face actual competition in September.
Here, too, fans noticed that the two were not on the same page, and Angel Reese, particularly, was facing heat for ignoring Caitlin Clark in their second game.
But when they faced Spain in their last game before heading back home, the teamwork between them was evident. After the Indiana Fever star went down after an attempt, the Chicago Sky forward was there to help her get off the floor.
A couple of possessions later, Clark in-bounded the ball to Reese, who battled through contact to score the first-quarter buzzer-beating layup.
Even though these moments may not be to the liking of most of the narrative builders, most fans were excited to watch Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese bond over national duty.
They felt that such instances prove that they truly do not have any bad blood against each other, as some claim they do. Rather, it was further evidence that their competitive nature is what makes them battle hard against each other whenever needed. Check out examples of those reactions below:
Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark are part of the new generation of women's basketball stars who will eventually become the core of USA Basketball's expeditions in the future.
Along with the likes of Paige Bueckers, the trio of young and turnt, as the Wings guard labeled themselves, ended up being the most important athletes in this FIBA regional qualifiers.
The two young superstars may not have connected on enough opportunities to completely put to bed those rivalry narratives. But they did showcase their talent at these FIBA regional qualifiers.
But the Iowa native stood tall amongst all her national teammates after the governing body named her the tournament's MVP. Clark finished the tournament with averages of 11.6 points, 1.6 rebounds, 6.4 assists, and a 14.6 efficiency rating.
The point guard's performances saw her named to the San Juan All-Star Five alongside fellow USA Basketball teammate, Kelsey Plum, Spain center Megan Gustafson, Italy guard Cecilia Zandalasini, and Puerto Rico's Imani McGee-Stafford.
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