The careers of Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark and Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese will forever be intertwined. It all began in college.
Reese’s LSU Tigers defeated Clark’s Iowa Hawkeyes in the 2023 NCAA Championship game. She taunted Clark late in the contest and ignited a national firestorm that transcended basketball.
That storyline followed both stars into the pros. Clark went No. 1 overall to the Fever in the 2024 WNBA Draft while Reese landed at No. 7 with the Sky.
Now the two share the same uniform for Team USA at the 2026 FIBA Women’s World Cup Qualifying Tournament in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The jersey may be the same. The rivalry, however, continues to reach new heights.
WNBA: Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese both in the running for FIBA qualifying MVP
FIBA recently named standout players from each participating nation as candidates for the tournament’s Most Valuable Player Award. The winner will be announced following Team USA’s final group game against Spain on Tuesday.
FIBA shared the nominees on its official Instagram account with a fitting caption: “Insane level of talent here. Who’s been your San Juan MVP?”
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As of writing, the top five vote-getters in the online poll all represent Team USA. Paige Bueckers leads the way, with Clark and Reese sitting close behind in second and third, respectively. Rhyne Howard and Jackie Young round out the top five.
It is no surprise that both Clark and Reese have drawn significant support. Clark has averaged 12.8 points and 6.3 assists across four games. Reese has contributed 7.5 points and a tournament-high 8.0 rebounds per game. Together, they have been key contributors to Team USA’s perfect 4-0 record.
Their rivalry, however, has not stayed dormant. Reese drew criticism for twice choosing not to pass to Clark on defensive rebounds during the Puerto Rico game. Clark, meanwhile, was caught on camera appearing to ignore Reese’s high-five attempt during the Senegal contest, drawing its own wave of fan reaction.
The MVP race adds yet another layer to the ongoing story between two of the WNBA’s most polarizing figures.
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