Angel Reese FIBA World Cup Stats Show Team USA Impact
Atlanta Dream star Angel Reese made the most of her minutes in the FIBA World Cup for Team USA.
The U.S. captured gold by defeating France on Sunday, and Reese was part of a key sequence at the end of the first half that helped spur Team USA to victory. Coach Kara Lawson subbed Reese in late for defense and she quickly got a steal. On the other end of the floor, Caitlin Clark hit a momentum-shifting three as the two teams headed into the locker room.
That is just one example of the type of winning effort Reese made in the tournament, and her stats back up the eye test as well.
Reese led Team USA in field goal percentage, making 59.1% of her shots. She also was tied for second on the team in rebounds per game at 5. She was first in blocks averaging 0.8 and second in steals with 1.2 per game. Reese finished the World Cup scoring 7.2 points per game over all six contests.
And all that came while coming off the bench in a reserve role. Reese played 15 minutes per game on average across the tournament. Team USA was +57 in her 90 minutes.
Reese and Clark Connection Shines
One aspect of the FIBA World Cup that stood out for Team USA was the connection between Clark and Reese. Of course, Reese and the Indiana Fever star are mostly known as rivals in competition, but their synergy on the floor was noteworthy.
What stood out specifically for Reese was her finishing. That has been the biggest flaw in her game during her WNBA career, but she converted efficiently for Team USA—often as the recipient of pinpoint passes from Clark.
Perhaps she and her Dream teammates can take a look at some of the film from the FIBA World Cup and apply it to their upcoming playoff run. Atlanta has four games remaining on the schedule, starting with the Connecticut Sun on Thursday. They are currently slotted to match up with Clark and the Fever in the first round if the playoffs began today.
Reese's positive energy and enthusiasm were a difference-maker for Team USA throughout the World Cup. Those qualities will surely translate right back to her role with the Dream, where she will continue to anchor Atlanta defensively and on the boards—in a bigger role than she played in Berlin, Germany.
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Robin Lundberg is a media veteran and hoops head who has spent the bulk of his career with iconic brands like Sports Illustrated and ESPN. His insights have also been featured on platforms such as Fox and CNN and he can currently be heard hosting shows for Sirius XM and on his burgeoning YouTube show. And now he brings his basketball expertise to Women's Fastbreak on SI!
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