Thanks to (Caitlin Clark),' 'The Angel Reese Effect' -- Basketball World Debates Who Fueled Massive 158% Viewership Spike for World Cup Final

Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese helped Team USA win gold at the 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup in Berlin, beating France 97-79 to capture the title for the fifth straight time despite A’ja Wilson withdrawing shortly before the tournament. The bigger talking point after the final was audience reach: TNT reported the championship averaged 1.2 million views, up 158% from four years ago. That spike sparked an online debate over who deserved the most credit—Clark, Reese, Paige Bueckers, or broader roster popularity. Fans also noted the game started at 2 p.m. ET during the NFL season opener weekend.