Add The New York Post on Google Caitlin Clark repeatedly told a reporter to stop trying to pit her and Angel Reese against each other after the pair helped lead U.S. women’s basketball to a 97-79 victory over France in the FIBA World Cup final on Sunday.
The Indiana Fever point guard, with her gold medal around her neck, took questions after the game and walked off after exchanging words with the reporter.
“Are you and [Angel Reese] friends now?” the reporter asked of the college rivals.
“We’ve always been friends. Don’t try to do that,” Clark, who finished with 12 points, said repeatedly.
Clark, the first overall pick in the 2024 WNBA draft, and Reese, the No. 7 pick in that draft, garnered a spotlight during their on-court battles in college — when Reese and LSU beat Clark and Iowa in the 2023 national title game.
Reese famously waved her hand in front of Clark’s face — the “you can’t see me” gesture — when LSU took down Iowa, 102-85 in the national championship.
Clark and the Hawkeyes beat Reese and the Lady Tigers in the Elite Eight to advance to the Final Four the next year.
Clark previously said that the two weren’t best friends, but their was no animosity. She also defended Reese when she received backlash for her hand gesture she made in the title game.
The narrative that they don’t like each other only intensified when they got to the league — despite both saying their relationship is a competitive one on the court and that nothing is personal.
Clark and Reese made waves online for their on-court chemistry during the FIBA World Cup tournament.
The U.S. overcame an early 14-point deficit to defeat France to win a fifth consecutive World Cup.
Captain Breanna Stewart led her team in scoring with 22 points and grabbed 10 rebounds en route to earning World Cup MVP honors.
