Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese ‘bury the hatchet’ with telling gesture at FIBA World Cup

It lasted only a few seconds, but it said plenty about the changing relationship between Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese as they chase a gold medal together with Team USA.

As Reese spoke with a reporter on camera, Clark accidentally walked through the interview shot, passing between Reese and the journalist and briefly blocking the camera. Clark immediately said “sorry.” Reese showed no annoyance. Instead, she subtly extended her hand, and Clark answered with a quick, friendly high five.

Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese have been battling since before anyone was watching

Their history began long before the sold-out WNBA arenas and national television debates. Clark and Reese competed against each other on the AAU circuit, including the 2019 Nike EYBL championship game, when Reese recorded 18 points and 11 rebounds to help Team Takeover defeat Clark’s All Iowa Attack. Clark finished with 22 points and seven assists.

They later met in college when Reese played for Maryland and Clark represented Iowa , but the rivalry became a national obsession during the 2023 NCAA championship game. LSU defeated Iowa 102-85, and Reese followed Clark near the final buzzer while making the “you can’t see me” gesture and pointing toward her ring finger.

The image traveled everywhere. Reese was cast as the villain, Clark became the rival she had taunted and a competitive exchange between two young women turned into an emotionally charged national argument. Clark, however, immediately defended Reese.

“I don’t think Angel should be criticized at all,” she said after the championship. Clark reminded everyone that she had used the same gesture earlier in the tournament and argued that trash talk was part of what made basketball entertaining.

One year later, they met again in the 2024 Elite Eight. This time, Clark delivered 41 points and 12 assists as Iowa eliminated LSU 94-87. Reese finished with 17 points and 20 rebounds, leaving their college rivalry with one unforgettable victory apiece on the sport’s biggest stage.

Their battles followed them into the WNBA after Clark was selected first overall by the Indiana Fever and Reese went seventh in the 2024 draft. Their games became appointment viewing, with every foul, stare and reaction examined as possible evidence that they genuinely disliked each other.

During their second professional meeting, Reese struck Clark in the head while attempting to block a shot and received a flagrant foul. Clark refused to turn it into something larger, calling it “just part of basketball.” Reese also described it as a basketball play, even while correctly predicting that the replay would be shown repeatedly.

Then came the first glimpse of what they could accomplish together.

Clark and Reese became teammates at the 2024 WNBA All-Star Game and helped Team WNBA defeat the U.S. Olympic squad 117-109. Clark finished with 10 assists, while Reese became the first rookie to record a double-double in an All-Star Game with 12 points and 11 rebounds. One of Clark’s passes found Reese for a layup, followed by a celebratory high five.

The peace did not last on the court. In the opening game of the 2025 WNBA season, Clark committed a hard foul on Reese that was upgraded to a flagrant 1. Reese quickly confronted her before Aliyah Boston stepped between them. Once again, the footage exploded online. Once again, both players tried to calm the reaction. Clark said there was nothing malicious about the play, while Reese offered two words: “Basketball play.”

That has always been the contradiction at the heart of their relationship. They compete as if they cannot stand each other, while repeatedly explaining that the rivalry is not personal. Reese once said she loved that they could battle and “still be cool after.” Clark has acknowledged that they are not best friends but emphasized that they respect one another.

Their arrival together on the senior national team has allowed that respect to become visible. During the World Cup qualifying tournament in Puerto Rico, Clark delivered an assist to Reese at the basket as the former rivals began learning how their completely different strengths could fit together.

At the World Cup in Berlin, those strengths have helped keep Team USA undefeated. Clark opened the tournament with 14 points and 11 assists against China, while Reese battled a much larger frontcourt and collected nine rebounds. Against Czechia, Reese scored 13 points and Clark added nine points and seven assists during a 105-64 victory.