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Caitlin Clark Makes Health Announcement After Team USA Debut

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Chris Phelps | Last updated Mar 11, 2026 8:54 PM ET

Caitlin Clark saw her first action since her last game with the Indiana Fever on July 15, making her debut for the United States women's basketball team on Wednesday. And Team USA couldn't have asked for a better start to the 2026 FIBA World Cup Qualifying Tournament, taking down Senegal 110-46.

Clark dealt with numerous injuries during the 2025 WNBA season, forcing her to miss most of the regular season and all of the playoffs. But the former Iowa Hawkeyes guard didn't miss a beat against Senegal, recording 17 points on 4-of-5 shooting and a game-high 12 assists. Atlanta Dream guard Rhyne Howard was the USA's top scorer, adding 21 points off the bench.

Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) reacts before a WNBA game.Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

Now, Clark and Team USA will look to improve to 2-0 in Group A of the FIBA World Cup, facing the hosting Puerto Rico on Thursday night. And following the USA's win over Senegal, the Fever star shared an update on her health, revealing that her body has been feeling good amid the international tournament.

"My body's been feeling really good," Clark said. "So just having confidence in that and, you know, I think don't worry about the body. I think that was kind of the mental battle is like trying to get over that aspect. Like don't think about it. Don't worry about it. Like you've put in all the time that you can... I feel great.

"My mentality coming in was just play really, really hard. I think this is such a different scenario coming. Rather than the WNBA season, it's like a lot is kind of on my shoulders to create and do a lot of things... My focus right now is to play really fast, play up-tempo. I know that's what I'm really good at and what I can bring to this team."

Caitlin Clark talks about her health and her role as a playmaker on Team USA pic.twitter.com/PEfjkcIjwC
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