WNBA superstar Caitlin Clark makes her debut in the 2026 FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup on Friday, Sept. 4, and the world will be watching.
Many people will likely wonder how the Indiana Fever guard will fare on the international stage in Berlin, Germany, but Team USA coach Kara Lawson is confident. On Tuesday, Lawson spoke to the media ahead of the competition, addressing multiple topics, including what Clark brings to the team and how she will be guarded."Caitlin's focused. She's had a great campaign with Indiana. I've gotten to watch her a lot in person this summer. So she's locked in and ready to go," Lawson said. "She's somebody that can change games with her ability to create pace, her ability to score, playmake, and so that's something
that is gonna be a great fit for the personnel that we have on this team.
"Her ability to get going and get hot, and to stretch the floor, the spacing that she provides, the attention that she generally draws in the WNBA ― we'll see if that's the same. ... We'll have to see, since (it's) her first time here, is how people defend her. Is it similar to what we see in the (United) States, or is it a little bit different?"
Clark is one of seven players who are new to Team USA's senior national team, topping a list that includes Angel Reese, Paige Bueckers, Aliyah Boston, Kiki Iriafen, Sonia Citron and Rhyne Howard.
Those names are also part of a larger group of nine total players, including Napheesa Collier and Jackie Young, who have never played in a World Cup. Collier and Young have played in other international competitions, including the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. With so much young talent on the roster, Lawson made sure to share a special message to players.
"Be yourself. Your play and your confidence (are) what brought you here, and so the expectation is that you're gonna compete and impact the game for us like you do for your team," Lawson said.
"In terms of their mindset, their confidence, their belief in who they are and what they can do, I want that to stay intact ... There's a lot of things that go into this, and everyone has to stay prepared and locked in and confident and then has to be able to produce when their number's called, and so that's what we ask of all of our players every compeition and so those are the things that we'll need from the young players."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Team USA coach Kara Lawson curious how World Cup teams will guard Caitlin Clark
