After falling behind by as many as 14 points, 31-17, in the first half of the gold medal game of the 2026 FIBA World Cup, Team USA used a blistering second half attack to pull away and win handily, 97-79. But it was the tail end of the second quarter when Team USA began to rally back, energized by a huge defensive stop from Atlanta Dream star Angel Reese, that ultimately set the tone for the gold medal win in the FIBA World Cup.

Immediately following Team USA’s FIBA World Cup win, the program’s social media page posted a video of Angel Reese seemingly before the game letting the world know that she wouldn’t be satisfied if a gold medal wasn’t secured.

“I came here for something and I’m not leaving without it, okay,” Reese stated. “Alright.”

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With Team USA trailing by five points near the end of the second quarter, Reese defended New York Liberty guard and France star Pauline Astier brilliantly, coming up with a steal and kicking the ball ahead to Caitlin Clark who buried a 3-point shot before the halftime buzzer.

That stop and steal was just a microcosm of the defensive impact that Reese had throughout the entire tournament. She came off the bench for Team USA, and provided her unique brand of energy and toughness each time she was in the game. Reese also displayed strong chemistry with Clark, who is sure to be her Team USA teammate for years to come.

In the gold medal game, the three-time All-Star finished with three points, three rebounds, one steal and one blocked shot in nine minutes of play. Across the full six games of the tournament, she averaged 7.2 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.2 steals while shooting 59.1 percent from the field.