Chicago Sky rookie and former LSU star Angel Reese wants the USA women’s basketball team to bask in its glory of winning gold at the Olympics — and doesn’t want to be tossed in the middle of the celebratory spirits. Reese reacted to the USA’s gold medal victory over the weekend, responding to an ESPN social media post pondering the question — will Reese and Caitlin Clark be members of the 2028 Olympic Team in Los Angeles?
“Let’s just congratulate these women & let them enjoy this moment! Leave me out of this until my time comes,” Reese wrote, humbly.
The USA women survived a hard-fought battle from France to win their eighth straight gold medal, winning for the 61st consecutive time at the Olympics behind an MVP performance from A’ja Wilson.
Reese and Clark, the WNBA’s two most-decorated first-year players, are competing for the league’s rookie of the year honor this summer. The pair recently starred together in the WNBA All-Star Game. One of Clark’s game-high 10 assists last month during the WNBA All-Star Game went to Reese on a no-look feed that brought the crowd to its feet.
“It’s so cool, I know when she gets the ball I’m running looking for the ball because I know she’s gonna throw it,” Reese said, via Yahoo Sports. “So, she’s been great to play with. I mean, the future — we’re going to be playing with each other a lot. Hopefully, in 4 years we’ll be Olympians together.”
Every time Reese and Clark face-off with one another, it results in a ratings bonanza. Earlier this summer, Clark backhanded the national discourse, saying she’s had enough of the supposed animosity narrative between the two.
“I’m pretty sure the only people that view this as a rivalry is all of you,” Clark succinctly told a reporter before a game against Reese. “Like, to us it’s just a game of basketball.”
Reese shared similar thoughts recently, saying the rivalry is merely a creation and suggests the ferocity shown between the two players is simply due to competition.
“For me, I don’t think people realize it’s not personal,” Reese said. “I think people just take it like we hate each other. Me and Caitlin Clark don’t hate each other. I want everybody to understand that. It’s just a super competitive game. I just wish people would realize that. Once I get between those lines, there’s no friends. … We’re not buddies. I’m going to talk trash to you. I’m going to do whatever it takes to get in your head the whole entire game, but after the game we can kick it. I don’t think people really realize that.”
Get football and recruiting scoop on your favorite college team for $1 for first month.
Clark previously said she regrets how her on-court battles with Reese became a distraction during consecutive deep runs to the national championship game, and how it took away from stellar seasons for Lisa Bluder’s teams the past couple of years prior to both players becoming first-round WNBA Draft picks. There’s no doubt Clark and Reese will have spots on the 2028 Olympics team if their respective careers continue in a positive direction.
