Grace Smith/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Angel Reese Suffers Loss to Caitlin Clark on Tuesday

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Paolo Songco | Last updated Mar 17, 2026 10:57 PM ET

Team USA’s incredible run in the FIBA Women’s World Cup Qualifying Tournament in San Juan, Puerto Rico, is officially over. Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese and the rest of the United States contingent will now head back to home soil after accomplishing their mission in the qualifiers.

Team USA won Group A after going undefeated in five games. Their final matchup was on Tuesday against Spain. It proved to be the Americans’ toughest challenge in the tournament. However, Team USA still secured an 84-70 win to close out the tournament.

Clark helped lead her team to victory with seven points, seven assists, two rebounds, a steal, one block and one three-pointer in 22 minutes of action. Reese chipped in with four points and a team-high eight rebounds in 18 minutes off the bench.

Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) walks by Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese (5)Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

While both Clark and Reese were pivotal for Team USA throughout the tournament, it was the Indiana Fever star who stood out. Clark was named the tournament MVP after averaging 11.6 points on 52.9% shooting, a tournament-best 6.4 assists and 1.6 rebounds in five games. The two-time All-Star also knocked down 2.0 threes per contest on a 40.0% clip.

While some fans claim that Clark does not deserve the MVP title, most supporters are celebrating the 23-year-old’s latest career milestone.

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It is important to note that Reese was one of the finalists for the MVP title. The Chicago Sky forward also had an impressive run, averaging 6.8 points, a tournament-best 8.0 rebounds and 1.0 steals in 16.7 minutes per contest.

FIBA asked fans to vote for the tournament MVP, and Reese was one of the frontrunners. In fact, at one point on Tuesday night, the 6-foot-3 forward was running away with the votes. She was up to 3.0 million fan votes, taking the top spot on the leaderboard. At that point, Clark had 1.1 million votes.

FIBA has since taken down the vote page. Moreover, no details of the final vote count have been provided, at least as of writing.

Apart from Clark and Reese, three other members of Team USA were named finalists for the MVP title. Paige Bueckers, Rhyne Howard and Jackie Young were also listed as candidates for the award.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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