With 5:27 remaining in the first quarter of Team USA’s 110-46 win over Senegal in the 2026 FIBA Women’s World Cup Qualifying Tournament in San Juan on Wednesday, Caitlin Clark stepped on the floor for her senior national team debut and first competitive action in 239 days.
She didn’t wait long to make an impact.
On her first offensive possession in a Team USA jersey, Clark ran a pick-and-roll with Monique Billings and threw a perfect pocket pass to give the veteran big an easy layup. Within three minutes, Clark had racked up four assists and never looked back.
Clark records double-double in 20 minutes
Clark knocked down four 3-pointers and finished with 17 points and 12 assists in a brilliant 20 minutes of action. She personally accounted for 38 points — nearly as many as Senegal’s total as a team — and set up seven different players: Billings (x4), Rhyne Howard (x3), Kelsey Plum, Kiki Iriafen, Paige Bueckers, Angel Reese and Kahleah Copper.
The outcome of the game didn’t matter for the Americans, who have already qualified for this fall’s World Cup in Germany, and Senegal was completely overmatched. Even so, this was a perfect return for Clark, who showed that she’s fully healthy ahead of the 2026 WNBA season.
Clark feeling healthy after rough WNBA season
Clark was limited to 13 games in her sophomore WNBA campaign due to an array of lower body injuries, and rarely looked like herself when she was on the floor. She last played on July 15, when she strained her groin in a win over the Connecticut Sun, and had to miss All-Star Weekend in Indianapolis and the Fever’s run to the semifinals of the playoffs.
“I feel like I’ve put myself in the best possible shape I could be in at this point,” Clark said Monday in regards to her health. “The first game is the hardest, but once you get in kind of a flow of things, you figure things out.”
It didn’t take Clark long to figure things out in San Juan. She was at her playmaking best, creating easy looks for her teammates at will in transition and the halfcourt. And, her 3-point shot was falling, which was a very encouraging sign for her and the Fever.
As she tried to fight through injuries last summer, Clark’s outside shot deserted her. She had three games without a make from behind the arc for the first time since 2022, when she was a sophomore at Iowa, and shot 27.9%. That she comfortably knocked down multiple deep 3s on Wednesday, both off the bounce and the catch, was the clearest sign that her legs are back under her.
When to watch Clark and Team USA again
Clark and Team USA will be back on the floor Thursday against the hosts, Puerto Rico. Tip off is set for 8 p.m. ET, and the game can be seen on truTV and HBO Max.
Puerto Rico is 13th in FIBA rankings, and should provide more of a challenge than Senegal, but the Americans will once again be massive favorites.
Where to watch Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese and Paige Bueckers make Team USA debuts at FIBA World Cup qualifiers
Jack Maloney
“It’s similar to the WNBA when you have back-to-backs, you have one day in between,” Clark said about the tournament format. “But [this is] also international competition. That’s what I’ve dealt with in the past, and looking forward — hopefully, at the World Cup, if I’m lucky enough to make the team — it will be the exact same scenario.
“Getting to [play] at this level for my first time back, there’s no better way to get tossed into the fire.”
Add Comment