It has been an up-and-down journey for Indiana Fever superstar Caitlin Clark in her Team USA senior debut at the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup.
Clark made history in her first game, helping lead Team USA to a dominant 94-61 win over China on Friday. She finished with 14 points and 11 assists, the most by an American in their World Cup debut.
However, Clark came crashing back down to earth in their next game. She finished with just one point and without a single field goal on Sunday as Team USA eked out an unimpressive 55-52 win against Italy.
On Monday against Czechia, the Fever guard had nine points and seven assists. She helped lead the U.S. to a 105-64 victory to complete a 3-0 sweep of the group phase.
In a recent interview with USA Basketball, Clark sent a strong message about the honor of representing her country at one of the world’s most prestigious international tournaments.
“At the end of the day, you love to play basketball,” she said. “More than anything, you bring your winning mentality to the team. That’s what it is for me.”
The Fever shared their superstar’s comments on social media, along with their reaction.
“CC state of mind 🧠” the team posted on Instagram.
Clark has been integral to Team USA’s success so far, and it is clear she is taking advantage of the opportunity to showcase her talents on the global stage. In three group phase games, the three-time WNBA All-Star is averaging 8.0 points, 2.7 rebounds, a team-high 6.3 assists and 1.3 triples in 21.9 minutes per contest.
Team USA will need Clark to be at her best on Thursday when they return to action in the quarterfinals. It will be a win-or-go-home matchup against Hungary, with tipoff scheduled for 5:30 a.m. ET.
