Team USA officially benched Caitlin Clark late on Sunday.
The American women squeaked out a victory against Italy on Sunday. Team USA topped Italy, 55-52, in their second game of the tournament. Clark, arguably Team USA’s best guard, had a rough game.
Clark, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft, finished with:
- 1 point
- 1 assist
- 2 turnovers
- 0-6 from the field
- 0-3 from the 3-point line
Late in the game, Clark was not on the court.
Team USA prioritized Jackie Young in the backcourt, while also subbing in Angel Reese for defense and rebounding.
Clark faces heat for ‘rough’ showing
Fans agreed that Clark was not good enough on Sunday.
“Here’s the truth, Clark was the worst player to play from either team. Not gonna sugarcoat it, this is a trend she plays well when the game is easy and doesn’t when it’s a tough game. CC fans dubbed her the face of the league and belittled other players in the W. They gave her impossible expectations and they haven’t been met. Insinuating Aja Wilson the greatest women’s basketball player ever was insecure was the dumbest thing anyone has ever said,” one Clark fan shared.
“Yes, she played poorly. She wasn’t the only one but no excuses. The very things we were concerned about (team defense and shot selection) showed today,” one fan added.
Other fans, meanwhile, disagreed.
“She was good. Didn’t get enough minutes and wasn’t allowed to play her game,” one fan added.
“Coach’s fault. They didn’t put her in the right positions,” one fan added.
It’ll be interesting to see how Team USA handles Clark moving forward, because right now, the team is playing at a level where they could easily be beat by some of the other top teams, like France.
