Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese Partner for U.S. World Cup Bid Amidst WNBA Break

The United States national women's basketball team is preparing for a significant challenge in Berlin, where it will compete in the Women's Basketball World Cup in September. This tournament will see highly publicized athletes Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese collaborating on the court, aiming to extend American supremacy in international play. The event coincides with a two-week break in the WNBA's 2026 season, allowing fans to focus their support on these prominent figures on the global stage. The U.S. team enters the World Cup defending an impressive record of four consecutive titles and an active 30-game winning streak.

The outcomes in Berlin could profoundly influence the landscape of the WNBA as players return for the resumption of the domestic season.

From Rivals to Teammates: Clark and Reese Unite

For more than three years, Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese have been portrayed as adversaries. Their most recent interaction on a basketball court captured Clark smiling as she walked past Reese, who had just missed a crucial game-winning layup.

Their intense rivalry significantly fueled the 2023 national championship game between Iowa and LSU, a narrative that continued into their rematch in the 2024 NCAA Tournament. This competitive dynamic then transitioned into the WNBA, where both were top contenders for Rookie of the Year. Every encounter, foul, and postgame remark served to intensify the debate among fans about which player to support.

Despite this storied rivalry, there have been instances where the two have demonstrated their potential to excel together. Reese first expressed a desire to be teammates with Clark in an October 2024 interview, stating, “one day, hopefully, we can be teammates.”

Their first collaboration as teammates occurred during the 2024 WNBA All-Star Game, where Clark contributed 10 assists and Reese recorded 12 points and 11 rebounds, helping Team WNBA secure a victory over the U.S. Olympic team. In March, both players were instrumental in the U.S. team's undefeated 5-0 run at the World Cup qualifying tournament held in Puerto Rico. During one of these games, an awkward moment arose when Clark appeared to disregard an attempt by Reese to high-five her.

Clark earned MVP honors for the qualifying tournament, averaging 11.6 points and a tournament-best 6.4 assists. Reese showcased her impact by averaging a team-high eight rebounds and shooting 52.2% from the field.

“Team chemistry is everything,” Reese commented 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. Everybody’s not going to be able to do everything that they do on their respective team.”

In Berlin, Clark and Reese will join a formidable roster that includes established champions such as A’ja Wilson, Breanna Stewart, Napheesa Collier, and Chelsea Gray.

Navigating National Anthem Protocols

The U.S. team is expected to stand on the court for “The Star-Spangled Banner” in Berlin, in accordance with applicable rules and national team precedents. However, whether each player will place their hand over their heart or sing along remains an individual choice, as neither USA Basketball nor FIBA regulations explicitly mandate these actions.

This issue has garnered renewed attention during the 2026 WNBA season, as teams have adopted varying practices regarding the national anthem. Historically, several WNBA teams routinely remain in their locker rooms or clear the court during the anthem as part of their pregame routines.

For instance, the Atlanta Dream remained in their locker room while the anthem played before their August 16 game against the Indiana Fever. This meant Reese and Rhyne Howard, both members of the World Cup roster, were not on the court, while Clark, Aliyah Boston, and the rest of the Fever stood along the sideline. Clark stood facing the flag with her hands behind her back, while Sophie Cunningham placed her right hand over her heart. This difference sparked online criticism directed at Clark, despite the WNBA rulebook not requiring players to sing or place a hand over their heart.

However, the regulations change when players transition from their WNBA teams to the national program. USA Basketball’s code of conduct stipulates that participants must adhere to FIBA and USA Basketball rules, attend all designated team functions, and “demonstrate proper respect during the playing of the national anthem.” While the code does not explicitly define “proper respect,” it grants USA Basketball the authority to investigate alleged violations and impose disciplinary measures.

FIBA also oversees the ceremonies at the World Cup in Berlin. Its 2026 regulations specify that only anthems and flags of countries or national federations recognized by FIBA may be used. The specifics of World Cup ceremonies are detailed in the tournament’s hosting documents, which do not publicly prescribe whether a player must sing, place a hand over her heart, or adopt any other particular posture. Furthermore, FIBA’s code of conduct prohibits players and other “basketball parties” from using gestures, words, or objects to convey political or ideological messages deemed inappropriate for a sporting event. This rule does not explicitly identify kneeling, remaining silent, or declining to place a hand over the heart as violations. Nonetheless, it grants FIBA greater authority over demonstrations than the WNBA has exercised during its domestic season.

Past U.S. teams have approached international competitions differently than WNBA games. American players who typically remained off the court during WNBA anthems stood united for them at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. Sue Bird, who was then the team’s captain and is now the managing director responsible for selecting the 2026 roster, noted that wearing a USA uniform altered the context.

“You are wearing USA jerseys and it does change the conversation a little bit and what you’re representing,” Bird stated at the time. “With that, I don’t feel like a hypocrite in any way. Everyone knows where we stand. I don’t think it contradicts anything since we’re actually doing the work.”

The U.S. players stood with their arms linked throughout that Olympic campaign. There were also no reported anthem protests during the United States’ five-game World Cup qualifying run in Puerto Rico in March, a team that included Clark, Reese, Howard, Paige Bueckers, and Kahleah Copper.

As of August 30, no member of the World Cup roster has publicly announced intentions to kneel, leave the floor, or conduct any other form of demonstration during the anthem in Berlin.

Geopolitical Backdrop: U.S. vs. China Opener

The Americans will commence their World Cup campaign against China on September 4, a highly anticipated rematch of the 2022 World Cup final. This opening game carries significant weight, as it will highlight women's basketball supremacy over one of America's primary geopolitical rivals.

Historically, the U.S. has maintained a perfect record against China in World Cup and Olympic matchups, winning all 15 previous encounters. Two of these victories occurred at the 2022 World Cup, where the U.S. defeated China 77-63 in group play before securing an 83-61 win in the final, clinching their fourth consecutive world championship.

Despite the loss, China considered its silver medal a substantial national achievement, especially since the championship game took place on October 1, China’s National Day. Following the tournament, China’s General Administration of Sport commended the team for competing “with the motherland in mind,” describing the silver medal as “a perfect birthday gift to the country,” according to reports from China Daily.

The pre-game national anthem ceremonies will also present a potential point of contrast during the match against China. Since 2017, China has enforced a national anthem law that specifically designates major sporting events as occasions for the anthem, requiring attendees to stand solemnly and behave respectfully. Under Chinese law, deliberately insulting the anthem in public can lead to detention or criminal prosecution.

While this law will not govern the actions of American players in Berlin, it underscores the divergent approaches the two countries have toward displays of patriotism at sporting events. In the U.S., anthem protests have become a focal point of political discourse surrounding professional sports, with players facing praise, criticism, and intense scrutiny based on whether they stand, kneel, leave the court, or place a hand over their heart. In China, however, disrespecting the anthem can escalate into a legal matter.

The World Cup opener arrives amidst a sensitive period in U.S.-China relations. The two nations continue to be at odds over issues such as trade, tariffs, human rights, and China’s relationship with Taiwan, even as officials work towards another meeting between their respective presidents. While these geopolitical tensions will not dictate the outcome on the court, they will undoubtedly influence how the game—particularly the moments preceding it—is interpreted in both countries.