WNBA rivalries may dominate the conversation during the season, but wearing the Team USA jersey changes the equation. That was evident during the World Cup opener against China, when rival WNBA stars worked together to give Team USA a resounding 94-61 win. Among those moments, Angel Reese’s support for and Indiana Fever player stood out. The Atlanta Dream star was seen from the bench encouraging Caitlin Clark’s teammate during one of the toughest defensive assignments of the night.
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Boston’s challenge came against China’s Zhang Ziyu, whose extraordinary 7-foot-3 height created an obvious mismatch. There was little Boston could do on the particular possession, as Ziyu used her size to score over the 6-foot-5 American center. Yet the play did not change the support Boston was receiving from the sideline, with Reese urging her to stay with it.
“Boston giving up almost a foot in this defensive matchup. Broadcast just captured Angel Reese encouraging her to ‘keep working’ from the bench. Doing what she can in this battle with Ziyu,” WNBA beat writer Tony East reported on X.
Boston’s importance to the American frontcourt was already significant, particularly after A’ja Wilson withdrew from the Team USA roster. With Boston serving as the team’s natural center, the responsibility of dealing with Ziyu naturally fell on her. And although the matchup was anything but easy, Boston still found ways to contribute defensively, recording a steal, a block, and two defensive rebounds.
Angel Reese eventually found herself in the same battle. A clip circulating on X showed the Dream forward taking on Ziyu despite giving up a massive amount of height and still managing to deny the Chinese center a scoring opportunity. However, the attention surrounding the matchup was not solely about whether Boston or Reese could handle Ziyu. For the young Chinese star, this was a chance to show what she could do against elite international competition.
Ziyu’s future has already become a major talking point. She is currently ineligible for the WNBA Draft but is widely expected to become eligible for the 2027 class. With major NCAA prospects like JuJu Watkins, Hannah Hidalgo, and Madison expected to highlight the 2027 WNBA draft, a matchup with Team USA offered Ziyu an intriguing opportunity to show where her game stands.
While her height and size advantage were noticeable on the hardcourt, she didn’t have an easy time fending off Reese and Boston throughout the game. Ziyu ended the contest with 13 points, six rebounds, and two blocks.
Angel Reese and Boston, however, put up some impressive numbers. Aliyah Boston scored 7 points, 3 rebounds, a steal, and a block with just 14:44 minutes on the court. The Atlanta Dream star, meanwhile, scored 5 points, with 9 rebounds and a block in 16:59 minutes.