Playing for the first since July 15 after recovering from two injuries, Indiana Fever superstar Caitlin Clark impressed in her Team USA debut on Wednesday, finishing with a 17 points and 12 assists in a 110-64 victory over Senegal in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Sidelined last summer by a right groin ailment followed by a left ankle bone bruise, Clark hit four of her five shots — all 3-point attempts — over 19 minutes of action in the opener of the FIBA World Cup qualifying event.
“I thought I was going to be anxious, but I was just excited,” Clark told reporters. “I’ve been preparing for this for a really long time. … There’s nothing like getting to run around out there and having fun, especially with a group of people as talented as this. It came to me pretty quick, especially when I got that first 3 to roll around.”
Having not played since July 15 and finally shut down by the Fever in September, Clark mainly rehabbed away from Indiana. In December while at Team USA’s camp, she said she felt 100% but could not put a timeframe on when she would feel like herself on the court.
It did not take long for her to feel comfortable, checking in halfway through the opening quarter and picking up assists on three offensive plays in a row.
“She brings this dynamic play to the offensive end,” USA head coach Kara Lawson said. “As much as she is a dynamic scorer, she’s one of the most dynamic playmakers in the world as well. So we talked about her utilizing all the talent (around her). This is the most talented team she’s played on. … I thought she toggled between playmaking and scoring really well.”
Along with Clark, Angel Reese and Paige Bueckers made their national team debuts against Senegal. In 18 minutes, Reese collected six points and eight rebounds in a starting role, while Bueckers contributed nine points, four rebounds and three assists in 14 minutes off the bench.
Team USA has already qualified for the FIBA World Cup, which will be held in Germany in September, but has four more games scheduled during the qualifiers.
–Field Level Media
