Caitlin Clark cut off a reporter who asked whether she and Angel Reese were “friends now,” wagging her finger and repeating that the two have always been friends after the United States beat France 97-79 on Sunday to win a fifth straight FIBA Women’s World Cup title.
The exchange, captured on video and widely circulated Sunday night, came at the end of a postgame media scrum. Jackson Thompson of FOX Sports asked Clark about her relationship with Reese after the two spent the tournament as Team USA teammates and frequent bench partners.
“We’ve always been friends. Don’t try to do that. Don’t try to do that,” Clark said, pointing and wagging her index finger at the reporter before walking away. Video clips showed her returning moments later to address him again as she thanked other members of the media.
The finger wag immediately drew comparisons to Hall of Famer Dikembe Mutombo’s signature rejection gesture — a sideways wave meant to say, in basketball shorthand, that the attempt was not going to work.
Clark, who came off the bench and scored 12 points with three assists, had just helped the Americans erase a 14-point first-half deficit. Breanna Stewart led the United States with 22 points and 10 rebounds and was named tournament MVP. Jackie Young added 18 points. Reese finished with three points and three rebounds in the final after stronger earlier games.
The United States improved to 36 consecutive World Cup wins and captured its 12th title overall before 12,233 fans at Berlin Arena.
In a 2024 Time interview after being named Athlete of the Year, she said the controversy around the 2023 celebration was “really fabricated and made up.”
“We’re not best friends, by any means, but we’re very respectful of one another,” Clark said then. “Yes, we have had tremendous battles. But when have I ever guarded her? And when has she guarded me?”
Reese has said similar things. After the 2023 title game she called Clark a great player and person and said she hoped they could be teammates someday. During this World Cup she said their long history as opponents made the transition easier.
“We’ve played against each other so many times so I’m sure we know each other’s game like the back of each other’s hand,” Reese said after a quarterfinal win over Hungary. “So, just easily dish it off to her, she dishes it off to me. She knows my spots. … It’s fun. We just continue to build chemistry because we know we’re going to be USA teammates for a while.”
Clark told The Associated Press during the tournament that she admired Reese’s competitiveness and motor. “It’s been fun to be able to play with her,” she said.
