Clark wins FIBA qualifying MVP in return as Team USA goes 5-0
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- Team USA went 5-0 at the FIBA Women's World Cup Qualifying Tournament in San Juan, beating Spain 84-70 in the finale and finishing first with a 95.8 points-per-game average and an average margin of victory of 42 points.
- Caitlin Clark made her senior national team debut 239 days after her last competitive game (a July 15 groin strain), opening with 17 points and 12 assists in 19 minutes against Senegal and earning tournament MVP with averages of 11.6 points and 6.4 assists on 52.9% shooting (40% from three).
- Paige Bueckers and Angel Reese also debuted for the senior national team, with both landing in the eight-player rotation used against Spain — Bueckers posting nine points, two rebounds and two assists, and Reese adding four points and eight rebounds while controlling the glass.
- Awa Fam, a top 2026 WNBA Draft prospect, responded to early criticism with 10 points on 5-of-8 shooting, five rebounds and zero turnovers in 19 minutes against Team USA — performing in front of Dallas Wings GM Curt Miller and head coach Jose Fernandez and showing a Nowitzki-style fadeaway over Dearica Hamby.
- Iyana Martín boosted her draft stock by averaging 11 points, 3.8 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 2.5 steals on 50% three-point shooting for the tournament, ranking second in steals and third in assists across all players.
- USA Basketball confirmed the team will head to Berlin for the 2026 FIBA Women's World Cup, scheduled for September 4-13.
Why it matters: Clark's efficient MVP performance after eight months off is the clearest signal yet that the Indiana Fever star is back to form heading into the 2026 WNBA season, while the eight-player rotation Kara Lawson's staff shrunk to against Spain offers an early blueprint for the World Cup roster — and the strong showings by Fam and Martín give Dallas a clearer top-of-draft read.
