Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese have spent years watching their names linked together as their rivalry has grown. Whether it’s college battles for the national championship or the WNBA, every interaction between the two has carried scrutiny. Now, as the pair represented the US as teammates internationally, Clark has drawn a firm line when a reporter tried to bring that relationship into question.

After Team USA beat France 97-79 in the FIBA Women’s World Cup for America’s fifth consecutive Gold medal, Caitlin Clark was asked about her relationship with Angel Reese by a reporter in the press conference. When the reporter asked if she was now friends with Reese, Clark’s response was blunt. The interaction was posted to X by @BrickCenter_.

“We’ve always been friends,” she said via X, clearly frustrated by the question. “Don’t try to do that.”

Later, when Clark was going around thanking reporters, she came across the same reporter and told him off again.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” she asked.

This World Cup has been a show of camaraderie among everyone on Team USA, especially considering the already present WNBA rivalries that have been put on hold. Clark’s response to questions about her relationship with Reese is particularly notable given how, throughout the World Cup, the chemistry between the two has been one of the many storylines following the American squad.

After the quarterfinal game against Hungary, which Team USA won, 108-56, Reese spoke about how the team had been able to “rely on each other,” and that they could “go through these learning process together,” with this being several players’ first senior international event. Clark publicly backed her up in her own postgame conference.

“No matter what, there’s always going to be people that create those narratives and say whatever they want to say,” Clark said. “There’s definitely no stopping that and they’re always going to be there. I think for ourselves, like I said, it’s easy for us to just come in here and compete.”

Against the French team, their resilience and belief in each other came through. The Americans came back from being down 14 to win their fifth straight gold medal at the FIBA World Cup, with Clark being the primary bench scoring option for the team. She finished with 12 points on 4-of-5 shooting, as well as three assists.

Apart from Clark, Reese contributed on the defensive end, logging three points, three rebounds, along with a steal and a block.

Clark has expressed confidence in the 2026 FIBA Team USA previously in the tournament as well. Clark was part of a media interaction session after Team USA’s win over China. After Clark’s team-high 14 points and 11 assists in the 94-61 win over China, the Indiana Fever guard was full of praise for her team.

“Anybody I pass the ball to,” Clark said. “It feels like they’re never gonna miss a shot. That’s one of my goals when I come into the game,” she said. “Facilitate, play fast, set up my teammates, get into the paint, get some penetration, especially with their zone. That’s one of my focus points coming into the game… Allow my teammates to get open looks.”

Now, with Clark and Reese set to step back into opposite sides of the court, Clark has made it clear that the relationship between the two is solid and will hopefully remain that way.