Caitlin Clark made her first start for Team USA in Sunday’s 101-46 rout of New Zealand at the 2026 FIBA Women’s World Cup Qualifying Tournament.
The Indiana Fever guard made the most of the opportunity, posting 14 points on 6-of-11 shooting while knocking down 2-of-7 from three. She also shot a perfect 4-of-4 from the free-throw line.
Beyond her scoring, Clark’s court vision and unselfishness stood out. She dished out a team-high six assists in 23 minutes of action.
Team USA improved to 4-0 and enters its final game against Spain on Tuesday. Not everyone, however, was pleased with Clark’s promotion to the starting lineup.
Indiana Fever: Caitlin Clark’s first Team USA start sparks debate online
Prior to tip-off against New Zealand, Team USA posted a graphic revealing its starting lineup. It featured Clark in the starting five for the first time, alongside Chelsea Gray, Kelsey Plum, Monique Billings and Dearica Hamby. The post generated significant buzz in the comment section, drawing both praise and pushback.
Clark fans are now facing backlash on social media after supposedly forcing Team USA’s hand.
One commenter took aim at Clark’s supporters, suggesting the online pressure had paid off. “The crying y’all did finally work Clark is starting,” the user wrote.
Others echoed the sentiment. “Goodness I’m so glad this woman got a start so some of y’all can finally be satisfied,” one noted.
Another added: “I’m sure this will calm the savages a little.”
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Clark’s supporters fired back. “She leads team in combined points and assists so……makes sense to start her,” one commenter argued.
Another urged fans to keep perspective: “Everyone gets a chance to start if you haven’t noticed 🤣😭 yall doing too much in the comments. Just enjoy basketball!!!”
A third weighed in on her style of play: “Caitlin is the only pass first player. They all have court vision. Interesting statistics performance.”
The back-and-forth reflects the broader reality of Team USA’s approach under interim coach Nate Tibbetts. The squad has been rotating lineups throughout the tournament, testing different combinations to find the most effective unit ahead of the World Cup in Berlin.
Whether Clark holds her spot in the starting lineup against Spain on Tuesday remains to be seen.
Caitlin Clark turns heads after FIBA’s announcement
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