Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark will play in her first game in eight months on Wednesday, March 11.
But don’t expect Clark to play big minutes as part of Team USA’s FIBA World Cup Qualifying roster, playing in Puerto Rico from March 11-17. USA Basketball coach Kara Lawson and her staff will figure out what lineups work best and two other points guard ― veteran Chelsea Gray and fellow newbie Paige Bueckers ― are also on the roster.
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“This is a different stage,” Clark said. “You’re not going to come out here and be the star player. That’s not how it’s going to be for USA Basketball. You’re going to find a way to help the team win. You’re going to find a way to compete to the best of your ability.”
Team USA plays Senegal on Wednesday (5 p.m. ET, TNT/HBO Max), marking Clark’s first game since July 15, when she strained her right groin in Boston against the Connecticut Sun. That strain, her fourth muscle strain of the season, knocked her out of the WNBA All-Star Game. An ankle injury in early August forced her to miss the remainder of the WNBA season as the Fever advanced to the semifinals.
After extensive rehab and practice to get back to 100%, Clark is ready to go. It will be her debut on the USA Basketball Senior National team. She admits some butterflies.
“Maybe nerves, to a certain extent, but probably almost like butterflies,” Clark said. “Like, this is a super cool opportunity. And if you didn’t feel that way, you probably don’t really care enough about it. Like, certainly that’s how I feel about it.
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“I haven’t played basketball in eight months, so getting to do it at this level for my first time back, like there’s no better way than to get tossed out into the fire and figure it out. … I’m going to be hyped up and probably a little anxious, but in a good way.”
USA Basketball has already qualified for the World Cup, which is set for Sept. 4-13 in Berlin, but the organization is playing in the qualifying tournament to get reps for younger players and try out lineups and rotations.
How to watch Team USA: Schedule
All times Eastern
|
March 11 |
USA vs. Senegal |
5 p.m. |
truTV, DIRECTV, HBO Max |
|
March 12 |
Puerto Rico vs. USA |
8 p.m. |
truTV, DIRECTV, HBO Max |
|
March 14 |
USA vs. Italy |
5 p.m. |
truTV, DIRECTV, HBO Max |
|
March 15 |
New Zealand vs. USA |
2 p.m. |
truTV, DIRECTV, HBO Max |
|
March 17 |
Spain vs. USA |
5 p.m. |
TNT, DIRECTV, HBO Max |
Team USA Women’s World Cup Qualifying 2026 – Team Roster
Below are the players selected to represent the U.S. at the upcoming FIBA Women’s World Cup qualifying tournament in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: How much will Caitlin Clark play for USA in FIBA World Cup Qualifying?
