Caitlin Clark didn’t hold back when a reporter questioned her relationship with perceived rival Angel Reese, quickly shutting down the interview and scolding the man.
After Clark and Reese helped the U.S. team win gold at the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup by defeating France 97-79 in Berlin, the Indiana Fever superstar was asked about her relationship with the Atlanta Dream forward and if they were now friends.
“We’ve always been friends,” Clark fired back at the reporter in the mixed zone.
“Don’t try to do that,” she added while wagging her finger at the man. “Don’t try to do that.”
But that wasn’t the end of it, either. After the interview session ended and Clark walked away, she came back through the area and again pointed at the reporter while appearing to say “don’t do that.”
What did Angel Reese say about Caitlin Clark?
While Clark and Reese have often butted heads on the court as opponents over their hoops careers, the pair played well together during the tournament.
Reese had been asked about her relationship and chemistry with the Indiana Fever star earlier in the week after a blowout win over Hungary, saying that their familiarity with each other goes a long way.
“Yeah, I mean, 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,” she said.
“So just easily dishing it off to her, she dishes it off to me. She knows my slides, so I kind of got one to her today, or maybe two. So, it’s fun.
“We just continue to build chemistry because we know we’re going to be USA teammates for a while.’
Did Clark laugh at Reese?
During a game between the Fever and Dream in August, Clark appeared to smiling and laughing after Reese missed a potential game-winning shot.
With the game tied 81-81 and with a few seconds left on the clock, Atlanta’s Rhyne Howard put up a three-pointer that was too short.
Reese corralled the errant attempt underneath the basket and quickly put up a shot of her own off the glass — which missed off the rim. Naz Hillmon grabbed the offensive rebound but her shot also missed as the buzzer sounded and sent the game to overtime.
Clark had been positioned on the opposite of the basket from Reese, who was being defended by Aliyah Boston during the play.
While Clark didn’t have an impact on the last-second play, she was caught on camera smiling and appearing to laugh while walking behind Reese, who obviously was dejected over her team’s failure to convert in the clutch.
Clark and Reese have been on-court rivals since their college days, when they represented Iowa and LSU, respectively.
During the NCAA tournament final in 2023, Reese went viral for taunting Clark. The Tigers forward first pointed at her ring finger while her team was on the verge of winning the NCAA national championship and also mimicked professional wrestler John Cena’s “You Can’t See Me” taunt.