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It is not uncommon for fans to put most of their attention on young superstars when they take the international stage, especially when they want to see them lead their country to a title. That was certainly the case as Team USA pursued its fifth consecutive FIBA World Cup championship.
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With the four-time MVP A’ja Wilson and Kelsey Plum sidelined, plenty of attention was on Caitlin Clark and whether the Indiana Fever guard can help lead the team in her first major senior event, particularly after she dropped 14 points, 11 assists and zero turnovers in the opening contest against China.
However, after CC had multiple subpar performances and saw her playing time reduced, Jason Whitlock argued that she needed to learn to adjust her game alongside other stars to reach her ceiling. Until then, Whitlock believes, Clark hurts her own team with her “solo acts.”
Whitlock was critical of Clark
Team USA’s second group-stage contest against Italy became particularly challenging for Caitlin.
With physicality rising and refs refusing to call favorable fouls on every contact, Clark failed to get to the free-throw line. As a result, she logged merely a point on 0-of-6 shooting from the field.
Similarly, in the semifinals against Spain, Team USA faced significant pressure for the first time in the tournament as they had to be at their best to win. And while the latter searched for inspiration, Clark was consistently struggling to find her rhythm. Despite nearly playing for 17 minutes, CC recorded one point and one assist against her name.
Those performances convinced Whitlock that Clark needs to learn to adapt her game and benefit the team by using other aspects of it.
“CC can be an all-time great. However, her decision-making has to improve. They don’t trust her decision-making. It’s not racism. She did not learn to play with other great players at Iowa,” Whitlock wrote. “It hampers her in the W and international stage. Solo act.”
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Caitlin delivered in the end
The gold-medal contest against France was another opportunity for Clark to prove she could help her team dominate without needing the ball in her hands. When Team USA fell behind by double digits in the second quarter, pressure was clearly mounting on the defending champions.
This time, however, Clark made the small plays that helped swing the momentum. Her biggest contribution came at the end of the first half, when Caitlin knocked down a buzzer-beating three-pointer to cut France’s lead to just two points.
CAITLIN CLARK 3 TO END THE HALF FOR TEAM USA pic.twitter.com/7Jbn9OOSEs
— Clark Report (@CClarkReport) September 13, 2026
CC continued to make an impact even in the second half, when she knocked down another buzzer-beating shot to end the third quarter, and a highlight-reel-worthy fadeaway three-pointer in the fourth quarter.
CAITLIN CLARK FADEAWAY 3 SHE’S LOCKED IN pic.twitter.com/dVLSfzBkiE
— Clark Report (@CClarkReport) September 13, 2026
Caitlin eventually finished with 12 points in 13 minutes, shooting 4-of-5 from the field along with dishing three assists.
Even though the box score may never tell the whole story, had it not been for her inspirational plays at key moments, Team USA might not have won its fifth consecutive FIBA World Cup title with such dominant ease.
Related: “She has conducted herself admirably” – Jason Whitlock says the FIBA version of Caitlin Clark has been easy to root for
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This story was originally published September 14, 2026 at 1:22 AM.