Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese must now work together at Women's World Cup as WNBA takes a high-stakes break

The U.S. is headed to a battle in Berlin.

Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese will have to work together to uphold American dominance in the Women's Basketball World Cup in September. At home, the WNBA will take a two-week break from hosting the chaos of the 2026 season.

So Americans will have to root together for their biggest stars on the world stage. The U.S. has won four consecutive World Cups in a row and this year's team will also have to protect an active 30-game win streak.

What happens in Berlin could very well shape the climate of the league that the players return to when the WNBA season resumes.

Clark and Reese have spent more than three years framed as adversaries.

The last time they were on a basketball court, Clark was seen laughing as she walked by Reese, who had just missed the game-winning layup.

Their rivalry fueled the 2023 national championship game between Iowa and LSU. It followed them into a rematch in the 2024 NCAA Tournament, then into the WNBA as the top two contenders for Rookie of the Year. Every matchup, foul and postgame comment became another invitation for fans to choose a side.

But at times, they've also shown glimpses of what that can look like when playing together.

Reese first said, "one day, hopefully, we can be teammates," while discussing Clark in an October 2024 Wall Street Journal article.

They first became teammates at the 2024 WNBA All-Star Game, when Clark recorded 10 assists and Reese finished with 12 points and 11 rebounds in Team WNBAs victory over the U.S. Olympic team.

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In March, Clark and Reese helped the U.S. go 5-0 at the World Cup qualifying tournament in Puerto Rico.

There was an awkward moment when Clark appeared to ignore a high five invitation from Reese during one of the games.

Clark earned tournament MVP honors after averaging 11.6 points and a tournament-leading 6.4 assists. Reese averaged a team-high eight rebounds while shooting 52.2% from the field.

"Team chemistry is everything," Reese said during the qualifying tournament. "Some of us have played with each other on our respective teams, but we have to come together and find your role. Everybodys not going to be able to do everything that they do on their respective team."

Clark and Reese will play alongside established champions Aja Wilson, Breanna Stewart, Napheesa Collier and Chelsea Gray in Berlin.

The available rules and national-team precedent point to the entire U.S. team standing on the court for "The Star-Spangled Banner" in Berlin. Whether every player places her hand over her heart or sings along is a separate question that neither USA Basketball nor FIBA rules answer.

The issue has drawn new attention during the 2026 WNBA season because teams have followed different routines.

Several WNBA teams historically and routinely remain in the locker room or clear the floor during the playing of the national anthem as part of pregame routines.