Caitlin Clark seemingly singled out Angel Reese and left her hanging for a high five during a Team USA substitution before their dominant 11-46 victory over Senegal in World Cup qualifiers
Caitlin Clark appeared to have skipped a high-five from Angel Reese against Senegal(Image: TruTv)
Team USA women’s basketball cruised to a dominant 110-46 win over Senegal in Group A play during the World Cup 2026 Qualifiers, but the internet noted a brief, awkward moment involving WNBA mult-time All-Stars Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese.
The clip came during a substitution change with 4:56 remaining in the second quarter at the Coliseum Jose Miguel Agrelot in Puerto Rico. As Team USA players rotated in and out of the game, Clark greeted several teammates entering the floor. The Indiana Fever star dapped up Jackie Young, Chelsea Gray, and then shook hands with Monique Billings as the group crossed paths near the bench.
Reese also extended her arm toward Clark, looking for a quick slap of hands, but the former WNBA Rookie of the Year turned away and appeared to look in another direction, leaving Reese hanging with her arm still extended.
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Whether Clark actually saw Reese in the moment remained unclear. Seconds later, with Reese’s arm still extended, Rhyne Howard walked over to slap hands with her so she would not be left hanging.
The moment happened just before Clark recorded an assist that pushed the score to 39-15 with 4:40 remaining in the quarter when Kiki Iriafen finished a layup under the basket.
Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy weighed in on the subject while hoping that the ex-Iowa star avoided Reese on purpose.”I don’t think Caitlin saw Angel, but I really really hope she did,” Portnoy wrote.
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The predictable comment prompted reactions online from like-minded fans who have followed the heavily discussed “rivalry” narrative surrounding the two stars. Portnoy’s followers used the moment to criticize Reese, although both Clark and the Chicago Sky forward have repeatedly dismissed the notion of personal heat between them.
Even after LSU defeated Iowa in the 2023 national championship game, Reese and others have said there was no beef between the two players despite the intense competition.
Clark repeated the same idea, said she had “nothing but respect” for Reese, and that the criticism she receives is unwarranted. Both players have continued to stress that the rivalry exists strictly within competition.
Team USA is 2-0 and sits on top of Group A
Clark later explained during a Time interview that the narrative around their supposed feud has often been exaggerated by social media. “We’re not best friends, by any means, but we’re very respectful of one another,” Clark said.
Reese explained their relationship and said, “I don’t think people realize it’s not personal. If I see you walking down the street, it’s like, ‘Hey, girl, what’s up? Let’s hang out.’ I think people just take it like we hate each other.”
The two players have shared the court as teammates during the WNBA All-Star Game and Team USA training camps, where footage showed them working together normally. Team USA’s group phase action continues against Italy on Saturday.