Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese, long framed as rivals since their college days, are set to play together on the United States roster at the Women's Basketball World Cup in Berlin in September, while the WNBA pauses its 2026 season for a two-week break. The tournament matters both as a test of American dominance, with the US chasing a fifth consecutive title and defending a 30-game win streak, and as a rare moment where the sport's most talked-about individual rivalry becomes a shared national cause.

Clark and Reese's rivalry dates back to the 2023 Iowa-LSU national championship and has continued through the WNBA, but the pair have shown signs of cooperation before, including at the 2024 WNBA All-Star Game and during a 5-0 run at World Cup qualifying in Puerto Rico, where Clark was named MVP and Reese led the team in rebounding. They will be joined in Berlin by established stars A'ja Wilson, Breanna Stewart, Napheesa Collier and Chelsea Gray. The article also notes uncertainty over national anthem protocol, after WNBA teams, including Reese's Atlanta Dream, have varied in whether players take the court during the anthem, a practice not permitted under USA Basketball's stricter code of conduct.