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Caitlin Clark looked to be back on top of her game after missing most of the 2025 season with injuries.
Clark played for Team USA in the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup qualifying tournament this month, and on Tuesday she was named MVP.
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Caitlin Clark of the United States prepares to take a free throw during the Women’s World Cup 2026 Qualifier between Puerto Rico and the United States at the Coliseo de Puerto Rico José Miguel Agrelot on March 12, 2026 in San Juan, Puerto Rico. (Alexa Alejandro/FIBA via Getty Images)
The Indiana Fever star, who made his debut with the senior team, averaged 11.6 points and 6.4 assists per game. game as the Americans went a perfect 5-0. The team won matches against Senegal, Puerto Rico, Italy, New Zealand and Spain to finish the tournament.
It is the second MVP award for Clark on the world stage. She received the honor when she was part of the 2021 FIBA U19 Women’s Basketball World Cup.
Clark has taken a long journey back to the basketball court as she played in just 13 games for the Fever in the 2025 season. She averaged 16.5 points, 8.8 assists and 5 rebounds per game, but an injury just before the All-Star break threw her off course.
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Caitlin Clark (17) brings the ball up the court during a training camp for the U.S. women’s national basketball team, Friday, Dec. 12, 2025, in Durham, North Carolina. (AP Photo/Matt Kelley, File)
The sharpshooting guard suffered a groin strain and then a bone bruise on her ankle. The fever closely monitored her recovery and eventually ruled her out for the remainder of the regular season.
“I’ve always been someone who just wants to trust my work. I feel like it’s definitely made me work harder,” the 2024 WNBA Rookie of the Year said earlier this month, referring to her injury setback.
“But that’s probably also the part that stinks about it is that I felt like I spent so much time and so much energy going into last season and then obviously only appeared in about 13 games.”
Despite concerns about being rusty, Clark scored 17 points in his first game against Senegal. She hit four 3-pointers and that set the stage for how the rest of the tournament would play out.
Indiana Fever’s Caitlin Clark (22) gestures to the crowd during the first half of a WNBA basketball game against the Connecticut Sun, Tuesday, July 15, 2025, in Boston. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)
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The FIBA Women’s World Championship starts on September 4th and runs until September 13th.
