Team USA will be in action, preparing for the World Cup qualifier games. Interesting thing about their participation is that the side has already qualified for the World Cup competition in September, yet opted to play qualifiers to give young players like Paige Bueckers, Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese senior-level experience and practice before the actual tournament.
This provides WNBA Rookies with a perfect opportunity to test themselves against four national teams and to play together in a competitive environment. Many players expressed happiness and pride while wearing the Team USA jersey. Clark even prepared herself for the USA duty and spoke about it in her exit interview.
Caitlin Clark Eyes Success For National Team
While representing the national side is one of the dreams of a young star, her ultimate goal is to bring multiple titles and gold medals for the country, and the first stop would be the 2026 World Cup and 2028 LA Olympics.
Recalling her memory of watching players’ jerseys hung on the wall in honor of their duty for the country, the 2024 WNBA Rookie said, “My eyes were just so wide. I thought it was the coolest thing in the world. We’re 15 or 16 years old and dreaming about doing that one day.”
I asked Caitlin Clark who her favorite Olympic basketball players were growing up: "My favorite Olympians growing up definitely Maya Moore, Sue Bird, Diana Taurasi." 🎥 : @usabasketball pic.twitter.com/eK8nZ58dWT
— LoJo Media (@LoJoMedia) March 7, 2026
Clark revealed her favourite three Olympians, but added that the list could be even bigger and could even add ‘heroes’ from the Men’s side too. Interestingly, the 2028 Olympics will be in LA, handing Team USA a major confidence booster to perform better in front of the home crowd.
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For the upcoming tournament, though, the player will be back from a long injury break and needs to take care ahead of the 2026 WNBA season.
Caitlin Clark Provides Positive Update On Recovery
Return of the Fever playmaker has been one of the highlights of the competition, as she will take the floor after July 2025. She missed WNBA All-Star games in Indiana, the Commissioner Cup Final, and even the postseason due to an injury that kept her away from the court. But before taking the court for the national team, she provided a positive update.
Providing positive update on her injury, she said, “I know how much work and how much time I put it in to make sure my body’s as healthy as it can be, and to get back, not only to a point where I feel like I’m myself, but I feel like I’m even better than where I was at the beginning of last season. I started off the season really well before I was hurt, and tried to play through being hurt. So more than anything, I’m just excited to be out there, be surrounded by a lot of really good players, and doing whatever I can to help us win.”
Caitlin Clark on her return: “I know how much work and how much time I put it in to make sure my body's as healthy as it can be, and to get back, not only to a point where I feel like I'm myself, but I feel like I'm even better than where I was at the beginning of last season. I…
— Geoff Magliocchetti (@GeoffJMags) March 7, 2026
Playing against top competitors alongside top players will be a perfect mixture for the star to test herself before the start of the 2026 WNBA season.