INDIANAPOLIS, IN - JULY 18: Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark 22 reaches out to her team mates in the second half of play during a WNBA, Basketball Damen, USA game between the New York Liberty and the Indiana Fever on July 18, 2026 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, IN. Photo by Jeffrey Brown/Icon Sportswire WNBA: JUL 18 New York Liberty at Indiana Fever EDITORIAL USE ONLY Icon071826035
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - JULY 18: Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark 22 reaches out to her team mates in the second half of play during a WNBA, Basketball Damen, USA game between the New York Liberty and the Indiana Fever on July 18, 2026 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, IN. Photo by Jeffrey Brown/Icon Sportswire WNBA: JUL 18 New York Liberty at Indiana Fever EDITORIAL USE ONLY Icon071826035
While Caitlin Clark is all set to swap her Indiana Fever jersey with Team USA’s for the next couple of days, HC Kara Lawson explained how the CC effect will remain the same, if not more.
“She's somebody that can change games with her ability to create pace, her ability to score, and playmake,” she told USA Today on September 1, 2026. “So, that’s something that is gonna be a great fit for the personnel that we have on this team.”
Although Clark isn’t starting against China, she returned as the MVP from March’s qualifiers in Puerto Rico. The 24-year-old posted 11.6 PPG (ranked fourth) and 6.4 assists (ranked first), helping Team USA earn a ticket to Berlin with a 5-0 streak.
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - AUGUST 11: Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark 22 throws a pass against the New York Liberty on August 11, 2026, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana. Photo by Brian Spurlock/Icon Sportswire WNBA, Basketball Damen, USA AUG 11 New York Liberty at Indiana Fever EDITORIAL USE ONLY Icon26081143
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - AUGUST 11: Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark 22 throws a pass against the New York Liberty on August 11, 2026, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana. Photo by Brian Spurlock/Icon Sportswire WNBA, Basketball Damen, USA AUG 11 New York Liberty at Indiana Fever EDITORIAL USE ONLY Icon26081143
Moreover, she’s having by far the best WNBA season in her 3-year tenure, averaging 22.5 points (third in the league) and 8.4 assists (first in the league). In her last two games before the midseason break, Clark recorded back-to-back 30+ points and 10+ assists.
So, Lawson wondered if it’d be any different on the international stage.
“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,” she added in the same interview with USA Today. “We'll have to see … how people defend her.”
Either way, Clark is ready to make an impact, and Lawson couldn’t be happier to get her on board.
Kara Lawson is confident in Caitlin Clark’s readiness
As one of the seven new faces of Team USA’s senior national team, she lacks experience on such big stages. But this is the same player who has revolutionized the W. If anything, Lawson knows the Fever guard is ready to hit the paint.
“Caitlin's focused,” she said, per the same USA Today post. “She's had a great campaign with Indiana… She's locked in and ready to go … We're excited about having her on the team, and expecting her to make an impact for us each game."
It’d be intriguing to see how she transcends the FIBA hardwood as she has done in the W.
What’s your prediction for the Team USA vs. China game? Let us know in the comments.
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Written by
Deblina Roy