PHOENIX (AP) — Caitlin Clark delivered the pinpoint passes. Angel Reese supplied the hustle and rebounding.
The two WNBA rookies made life difficult for the U.S. Olympic team on Saturday night. Someday soon, the duo might be the ones providing the highlights for the red, white and blue.
Clark finished with a team-high 10 assists while Reese added 12 points and 11 rebounds in the WNBA All-Stars’ 117-109 victory over the Americans during All-Star weekend. The U.S. used the game as a tune-up for the Paris Olympics, which begin next week.
The Clark-Reese rivalry is arguably the biggest story in women’s basketball over the past three years, boosting the sport’s popularity as the two stars moved from college to the professional ranks. On the same team for the first time, they proved the could share the ball: Clark’s 10th assist of the evening came on a nifty bounce back to Reese in the fourth quarter.
Clark and Reese — both just 22 years old — continually played at a breakneck pace on offense, catching the U.S. a step slow multiple times. Clark pushed the ball up the court on nearly every possession while Reese’s muscle and athleticism created a force that the national team couldn’t always handle.
Clark’s excellent passing offset a tough shooting night. She finished 2 of 9 from the field, including 0 of 7 on 3-pointers, to finish with four points.
The 6-foot-3 Reese made her presence felt late in the first quarter, crashing hard for an offensive rebound and a putback that gave the WNBA All-Stars a 24-23 lead at the end of the first quarter.
Less than a minute into the second, it was Clark with two big moments in a row, beating the press on the fast break before finding Aliyah Boston for a bucket. Clark was back at it on the next possession, firing up the court to Jonquel Jones for another close-range basket.
Clark broke the WNBA record with 19 assists in a game earlier in the week.
Women’s hoops legend Cheryl Miller coached the WNBA All-Stars. She started Clark while Reese came off the bench, but both players closed the game after their effectiveness on the court
This year’s All-Star Game was in a similar format to three years ago, when Arike Ogunbowale scored 26 points to earn MVP honors and lead the WNBA All-Stars over the U.S. 93-85. Ogunbowale was the star again on Saturday, scoring 34 to earn MVP honors once again.
