Two players who were once basketball’s biggest rivals for three seasons just turned around a 14-point deficit together, and there is no stopping the internet from staring at how they reacted.

USA team guard Caitlin Clark hit a last-second three-pointer before the halftime buzzer in the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup gold medal final match against France, and Angel Reese's response to that shot was immediately viral.

A clip posted by X user @_girltalk captured Reese hyping up Clark's shot, with the caption reading, "I love seeing how hype the young and turnt get for each other. Look at how Angel celebrates Caitlin's 3 before the half!!! The future is so bright."

Nicknamed "young and turnt" by her teammate Paige Bueckers in‌ training camp, the nickname has since become synonymous with the chemistry between these players in the tournament, despite their past as rivals from their entry into the league.

The shot by Clark was an assist from Jackie Young after a turnover by Reese in the final minutes of the second quarter, completing the comeback of the Americans from a 14-point lead by France to be just two points behind, 43-45, before halftime.

The context of this incident shows clearly why there was such a great reaction to it. France played like a champion throughout the competition, beating Germany by 22 points in the semi-final match, while Team USA had to struggle to defeat Italy and Spain in their matches.

Such chemistry did not come overnight for Clark and Reese, and their very own words outline how it all came about.

What Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese have to say about playing together

Clark and Reese's on-court relationship stems from years of competing against each other as rivals, which both athletes have admitted to directly when speaking of their current partnership.

"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," Reese told TNT Sports after a win over Hungary.

Clark offered a similar take in a separate interview. "We're both fiery, fiery competitors and we want to win, and it's one of the things I really admire about [Reese's] game," Clark told The Associated Press before the quarterfinals.

Mutual respect has been evident in this tournament, be it during celebrations on the bench after runaway victories or during the intense games like Saturday's semi-final match-up with Spain. 

Clark has averaged 7.1 points and 5.8 assists per game, with Reese contributing 8.0 points and 5.4 rebounds per game, indicating the significance of two bench players in this USA team's run for gold.

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Written by

Utsav Gupta

Edited by

Utsav Gupta