Team USA Crowns Angel Reese As Squad’s ‘Biggest Trash Talker’
Aug 22, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Atlanta Dream forward Angel Reese (5) reacts in the fourth quarter against the Phoenix Mercury at Mortgage Matchup Center. Mandatory Credit: Allan Henry-Imagn Images
Any sports lover would know “trash talk” is pretty much part of the game. In fact, some believe one has to master the art so as to add intensity and rivalry to the game. As Team USA continues its 2026 FIBA World Cup campaign in Berlin, Germany, they have already found their “trash-talking queen” in the squad.
Fans are already loving the fun little content they get to watch every day while Team USA tries to defend their title at the FIBA World Cup. These moments show a very different camaraderie among the players than what fans are used to seeing when these same players represent their respective WNBA sides.
While filming fun media content for the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup, Team USA was asked who the “biggest trash talker” on their squad is. Unironically, many fingers pointed to one individual: Angel Reese.
Reese was overwhelmingly voted number one by her teammates for her constant in-game chatter, including Chelsea Gray, Jackie Young, Aliyah Boston, and Paige Bueckers.
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If fans can recall, Reese made headlines after the 2023 NCAA Championship game when she taunted Clark by pointing to her ring finger as the LSU Tigers closed in on the championship. Reese, who rarely stays silent on court, has made a reputation for trash-talking her rivals.
Even before Team USA was asked this question, Bueckers had already picked Reese for her answer.
In the WNBA, Bueckers and Reese have now squared off several times. During one of those encounters, things got a little heated between the two. In a funny jab at Reese, Bueckers recalled the incident and called the Dream player one of the league’s top trash-talkers.
When asked the question, Bueckers jokingly said, “Angel Reese, Angel Reese, Angel Reese.”
However, when Reese accused Bueckers of doing the same thing, the Dallas Wings guard said, “I retaliate. I do it out of self-defense. Like that one time, you tried to post me up, and I stood my ground. I said, ‘I’m right here.’”
When the Dream forward pointed out that the play was ruled a foul, Bueckers swiftly said, “Cuz you got a special whistle.”
Nevertheless, it looks like Reese isn’t the only guilty party here. The next player on the trash talk ranking is Kahleah Cooper, who thought it was “crazy” that she was next in line after Reese.
Kiki Iriafen was torn between Cooper and Bueckers as she said, “Definitely Kah (Kahleah Cooper). Kah or Paige. I think both of them do a great job with trash talking.”
Similarly, Sonia Citron and Breanna Stewart felt the Phoenix Mercury guard deserved the title more than Reese.
When it was Cooper’s turn, she was shocked to hear so many of her teammates take her name.
“What? She said, me?”
In a feeble attempt to defend herself, Cooper said, “No, it’s not me. Oh wow, I can’t believe she even said, me. That’s crazy. I’m gonna say, Paige. Every time I watch her play, somebody shoot a shot, she be like ‘Hell no!’”
While Gray and Reese named each other as the biggest trash talker on the team, Caitlin Clark ranked Stewart very high on that list.
Meanwhile, with all the collective effort in trash talk and dominant play on court, Team USA has officially concluded group play at this year’s FIBA World Cup. After a scare in a victory against Italy, the United States had already clinched Group D by defeating Czechia handsomely on September 7, 2026, pushing their record to 3-0.
Team USA will play the winner of the Japan-Hungary match on September 8, 2026, at 11:45 a.m. ET, when the tournament shifts to single-elimination. On September 10, 2026, they will play the winner in the quarterfinals.
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