PHOENIX — Caitlin Clark made accurate passes. Angel Reese provided the hustle and rebound.
O two WNBA rookies made life difficult for the US Olympic team on Saturday night. Soon, the duo could be the ones to highlight red, white and blue.
Clark finished with a team-high 10 assists, while Reese added 12 points and 11 rebounds in WNBA All-Stars 117-109 victory about Olympians during All-Star weekend. The US used the game to prepare for the Paris Olympics, which begin next week.
“Hopefully in four years we will be on the other side and able to play with the USA,” Reese said. “I’m just trying to embrace this moment now without thinking too much about the future. But I’m very proud.”
The Clark-Reese rivalry is arguably the biggest story in women’s basketball over the past three years, increasing the sport’s popularity as both stars have moved from college to the professional level. For the first time on the same team, they proved they could share the ball: Clark’s tenth assist of the night came with a nice pass for Reese in the fourth quarter.
Reese said Clark couldn’t help but poke fun at the moment on the bench.
“Do you know how many people are happy right now?” Reese recounted Clark saying.
Reese responded, “Dude, I already know. I will see this video everywhere.”
Reese said she could see the future of the WNBA — and potentially Team USA — during Saturday’s game.
“She’s easy to deal with, I’ve been playing against Caitlin for a long time so you pick up on her tendencies,” Reese said. “I just said, ‘Let’s run a pick-and-roll.’ … She passes the ball really well, so you always have to have your hands ready.”
Clark and Reese – both just 22 – continually played at a blistering pace on offense, catching the U.S. a step behind multiple times. Clark pushed the ball up the court on almost every possession, while Reese’s muscles and athleticism created a force that the national team couldn’t always control.
Clark’s excellent passing made up for a difficult shooting night. She finished 2-of-9 from the field, including 0-of-7 on 3-pointers, to finish with four points.
“I love passing the basketball,” Clark said. “I love pushing the pace, I want to make people run, and honestly sometimes it almost works better when the other team scores. They breathe for a second, but I want to get the ball and go.”
The 6-foot-2 Reese made his presence felt late in the first quarter, hitting hard for an offensive rebound and a putback this gave the WNBA All-Stars a 24-23 lead at the end of the first quarter.
“It’s a surprise?” Reese said. “I feel like I do this every night. The expectations are set and that’s what I’m supposed to do.”
Less than a minute into the second, it was Clark with two big moments in a row, beating the press on the break before finding Aliyah Boston for a bucket. Clark was back on the next possession, burning down the courtroom for Jonquel Jones to another basket at close range.
Clark broke WNBA record with 19 assists in one game at the beginning of the week.
Women’s basketball legend Cheryl Miller coached the WNBA All-Stars. She started Clark while Reese came off the bench, but both players closed out the game after their effectiveness on the court.
This year’s All-Star Game had a similar format to three years ago, when Arike Ogunbowale scored 26 points to earn MVP honors and lead the WNBA All-Stars USA 93-85. Ogunbowale was the star again on Saturday, scoring 34 points to win MVP again.
Clark said he was happy to help the U.S. prepare for Paris. In four years, Clark and Reese could be preparing.
“It actually shows how good this league is,” Clark said. “It shows how much talent there is in the league and how you have to show up and prepare every night.”
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