Caitlin Clark hadn’t appeared in a sanctioned basketball game in almost eight months until the 2026 FIBA Women’s World Cup qualifying tournament.
After a lengthy rehab process, Clark was ready to return to the court and make her senior national team debut for Team USA. Many people kept expectations low for the former Iowa superstar, not knowing what to expect after a long layoff. Clark demolished those expectations and then some.
In five games with Team USA in the qualifying tournament, Clark helped her squad to an undefeated record while playing some incredible basketball in the process. Her performance in those games earned her another accolade: tournament MVP.
Clark averaged 11.6 points, 6.4 assists, 1.6 rebounds, four steals and two blocks across those five games. She shot 52.9% from the field, 40% from beyond the arc and 85.7% from the free-throw line, efficiently leading Team USA’s offense. Even more impressively, she did all of this while primarily coming off the bench for the loaded Team USA squad.
Though Team USA had clinched its spot in the 2026 FIBA World Cup last year, this was a great opportunity for Clark to get back on the court and shake some rust off. There’s no doubt Clark will be ready to go whenever the Indiana Fever take the court again.
It was a difficult second season in the WNBA for Clark, who battled numerous ailments across an injury-riddled campaign. If her play in this tournament is any indication, she’s back to full health, and the rest of the WNBA will be in deep trouble when they play the Fever.
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This article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire: Caitlin Clark named FIBA Women’s World Cup qualifying tournament MVP
Reporting by Zach Hiney, Hawkeyes Wire / Hawkeyes Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
