Caitlin Clark vs Angel Reese: one wins in playmaking, the other rules the boards, Who was the best at the World Cup?
Both were champions and have been compared for years since their college showdown in 2023. Now, as United States teammates, the World Cup makes it possible to measure their performance on the same team for the first time
"C aitlin Clark and Angel Reese finished their World Cup debut with a gold medal and, this time, sharing a locker room although with different roles within the United States team.
The 97-79 victory over France made the U.S. women's team champions for the fifth consecutive time, and both Caitlin and Angel had to adapt to a secondary role and as support players since they shared the team with great veterans and renowned players.
A rivalry that was born in the NCAA and continues in the WNBA
Both made it to the United States national team after a rivalry that began in the NCAA and continued in the WNBA, but the Berlin championship offered a different setting: to measure what each contributed to the same team.
point guard for the United States, with 5.8 assists per game, while Reese finished as the team's second-best rebounder, with 5.4 boards, and added 0.8 blocks and 1.2 steals per game. They did not contribute the same things, but the numbers make it possible to identify where each one's advantage lay.
Clark won the creation duel
Averaging 5.8 assists, Caitlin led the United States in that statistic . In the quarterfinals against Hungary, she delivered one of her best games of the tournament: 10 points and nine assists in the 108-56 victory.
Atlanta Dream star Angel Reese finished the FIBA World Cup averaging 7.2 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.2 steals, and 0.8 blocks (the team's best mark) in six games played.
She also played a key role in the comeback in the final. France led by 14 points during the second quarter, but Clark closed the first half with a three-pointer that left the United States just two points behind. She finished the game with 12 points, although she also lost four balls and received a technical.
Reese, more weight in rebounding and defense
In the quarterfinals against Hungary, Reese finished with 9 points and six rebounds, while Clark recorded 10 points and nine assists.
Reese's best performance came in the group stage against the Czech Republic , in which she scored 13 points, grabbed six rebounds, and stole three balls, contributing to the United States' emphatic 105-64 victory.
However, although Reese proved at the World Cup to be one of the best defensive players in women’s basketball today, she did not win the award for Best Defensive Player of the tournament . Instead, the honor went to the French point guard and Golden State Valkyries All-Star, Gabby Williams .
If the comparison focuses on the statistical weight within the construction of the offense, the advantage goes to Clark . Her 5.8 assists per game were a standout figure within the United States team, and her ability to create shots for her teammates was especially valuable on a team with numerous scorers. Reese, on the other hand, had a greater impact on rebounding and defensive statistics.
If you have to choose between the two taking their statistical impact at the World Cup as a reference, Clark comes out slightly ahead because of her playmaking ability. Reese posted better numbers in rebounds, steals, and blocks, but the point guard's contribution carried greater weight in the champion's offensive creation.
