It might have taken longer than expected, but former Hawkeye superstar Caitlin Clark finally got her call to the senior team, and made the most of it.
Clark was one of multiple players making their USA senior team debut as the U.S. headed overseas for the 2026 FIBA Women's World Cup in Berlin. After having a near-perfect debut against China, Clark became an integral part for Team USA off the bench, helping to guide them to glory. Clark and Team USA continued their dominance, with all eyes focused on the Indiana Fever superstar.
Clark, Team USA win gold in Berlin during the 2026 FIBA Women's World Cup
Clarked notched a 14-point, 11-assist double-double in 25 minutes during her first game against China, and even though she didn't shoot well from distance in the tournament (28 percent), she made 2/3 in the gold medal game against France. She was also a key distributor and defender throughout the tournament, as Team USA rolled once again.
Caitlin Clark is a World Champion.#FIBAWWC pic.twitter.com/F9gnxleKdo
— FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup (@FIBAWWC) September 13, 2026
It isn't surprising that Clark helped lead Team USA to a gold medal in her first action with the senior team, but what was surprising was how she did it. Everyone was skeptical about using Clark as a reserve instead of as a starter, but that didn't affect her impact on the game. She didn't drop a lot of points like we have become accustomed to, but instead, affected the game with her passing and defense. Clark led the team in overall assists for the tournament, but her biggest underrated contribution was her defense. She stepped up time and time again on the defensive end, forcing turnovers and coming up with steals, and hopefully, she can bring that defense back with her.
Her defense was a key for the squad, and she did whatever she could to positively impact the game when she was on the floor. Managing a team full of superstars is never easy, but head coach Kara Lawson deserves a lot of credit for doing an excellent job managing minutes throughout the tournament. The U.S. winning a gold medal was never really in doubt, even though France had been rolling opponents heading into the gold medal game. France outscored their opponents by an average of 36.5 points in the five games leading up to the championship game, and even led the game by 14. Team USA used a dominant 30-12 third quarter to put the game out of reach, and the rest is history.
The USA has now won the past five Women's World Cups, and its 12th overall title. Clark and the rest of the young Team USA core gained invaluable experience in Berlin, and if Clark unlocked a new element to her game on defense, Indiana might be next to reach the top of the mountain.
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