Caitlin Clark‘s return to basketball in a Team USA setting has become one of the most closely watched storylines of the winter.
After a 2025 WNBA season repeatedly derailed by injuries, the Indiana Fever guard is finally taking part in her first senior national team training camp, and the buzz surrounding her presence speaks to both her oncourt profile and the narrative arc of her young career.
USA Basketball‘s threeday camp, being held in Durham, North Carolina, is Clark‘s first opportunity to practice with the senior U.S. national team. It comes after a season in which Clark played limited games due to recurring leg issues, including a right groin injury that ultimately ended her WNBA campaign early.
She had been progressing through rehabilitation and smaller group work with the Fever but had not been cleared for full fiveonfive play for an extended period.
“The first thing that came to mind, and this comes to the whole Indiana Fever, they did a great job engaging in their season. I thought what was most impressive was the way she stayed engaged. That speaks to her maturity,” Sue Bird, managing director of the U.S. women’s national team, said when asked about Clark‘s journey this year.
Clark may be joining a historically successful program. The United States has won eight consecutive Olympic gold medals and four straight world championships, but this particular camp has a noticeably forwardlooking feel.
Younger stars, including Paige Bueckers and Angel Reese, are also present, forming a youthful core alongside a selection of Olympic veterans like Kahleah Copper, Jackie Young, and Kelsey Plum.
Clark‘s inclusion in the camp marks a symbolic next step. She did not make the U.S. roster for the 2024 Olympics, a decision widely attributed to her lack of senior team experience at the time, but she used that moment as motivation to improve her allaround game.
Clark adds a new dimension to Team USA training
Clark‘s WNBA season was a mixture of dazzling performances and frustrating absences. She posted a memorable 32-point outing in June before her latest injury setback, but was eventually ruled out for the remainder of the year.
Her time on the court was limited compared with her explosive rookie year, during which she reshaped expectations for scoring and playmaking at the professional level.
This camp offers Clark something different from her typical WNBA routine: a chance to fit into an international style of play, absorb coaching under Bird‘s leadership, and earn a clearer sense of how she might contribute in future global competitions, such as World Cup qualifiers and, ultimately, the 2028 Olympics.
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