For the first time in months, Caitlin Clark is injury-free.
Over the past month, the former Iowa women’s basketball star has made stops in Durham, North Carolina, for the USA Basketball Senior National Team’s training camp. Clark is one of 10 newcomers to the team with the intention to play in the 2026 Women’s Basketball World Cup.
Here’s what went down with Clark during the Team USA training camp
Caitlin Clark injury report
Clark is back to 100%, she told reporters on Dec. 12, after being limited to just 13 games in the 2025 season because of various injuries. The final setback was a severe ankle injury while doing an individual workout on Aug. 7, which ultimately ended her season.
“I think the challenge for myself was just, it was one, and then it’s like a little better, but then it continued to compound and get worse, and other things pop up,” she told IndyStar. “And then I had the ankle injury. So it feels nice to finally be back at 100%.”
Clark acknowledged her impressive streak of remaining injury-free, having not missed a single game during her entire college career or WNBA Rookie of the Year campaign.
“The fact is, when you’re a professional athlete, [injuries] are going to come at some point,” she told USA TODAY. “That’s just how it goes. I think it’s honestly taught me more than I’ve probably ever learned through the course of my career of how to take care of your body, how to get right, how to stay healthy, and then just taking time for yourself.”
Clark’s inclusion on Team USA was a full-circle moment for Clark, who was notably left off the team ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympics. While she ultimately did not make the 2024 Olympic team, attending these camps now points to her securing a spot on the 2026 World Cup and 2028 Olympic rosters.
“This is the biggest honor you could possibly have, playing basketball for our country, wearing USA across your chest,” she said. “I’m just excited to be here.”
When will Caitlin Clark play again?
The next possible time to see Clark play for Team USA comes in early March, as the qualifying tournament for the 2026 FIBA World Cup runs from March 11-17, 2026.
Although the U.S. qualified as one of the top 6 teams at the Americup tournament, the team announced its intention to still play in the qualifiers. The 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup runs from Sept. 4-13, 2026, and is played in Berlin.
Cooper Worth is a service/trending reporter for the Des Moines Register. Reach him at cworth@gannett.com or follow him on X @CooperAWorth.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Caitlin Clark says she is back to ‘100%’ at Team USA training camp
Reporting by Cooper Worth, Des Moines Register / Des Moines Register
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
