Team USA's young stars stay hot in march to FIBA World Cup semis

Perhaps even more impressive is the growing connection between former college rivals Clark and Atlanta Dream forward Angel Reese.

The duo capped a 36-12 first quarter with Reese freeing up Clark on a pick, then rolling to the basket and turning a bounce pass into a layup.

They also shined in transition. Early in the second quarter, Reese deflected a pass that bounced to Clark, and Team USA turned the proceeding fast break opportunity into two points when Clark threw an overhead pass to Reese, who finished with nine points on 4-of-5 shooting.

Reese returned the favor a quarter later after recording a steal, finding a trailing Clark on another fast break possession for a layup and 86-41 lead.

Reese's overall activity was remarkable. She tied for a team-high six rebounds, including four offensive, while adding three assists, two steals and a block. Late in the third quarter, she saved a ball going out of bounds with a pass to Dream teammate Rhyne Howard, who drilled a three.

She then closed a 34-17 third quarter with a layup at the buzzer, continuing an impressive showing in Berlin. Through four games, Reese is averaging 8.8 points and six rebounds per game on 63.2 percent shooting.

The U.S. women's national basketball team has won four consecutive FIBA World Cups and eight of the last 10 dating back to 1986. After surviving a scare against Italy in the group stage, the team appears poised to make it five straight following wins in its past two games by a combined score of 213-120.

Team USA's veteran stars on this year's roster, including Collier, Breanna Stewart and Jackie Young, are the undoubted leaders and have shown no signs of slowing down, but the next generation is increasingly proving capable of holding its own.

If the 2026 FIBA World Cup is an accurate representation of where the U.S.'s women's basketball team is headed, the best may still be yet to come.