Additional Coverage:
- Caitlin Clark finally does the unthinkable as USA narrowly avoids World Cup humbling (themirror.com)
WNBA star Caitlin Clark, known for shattering records and dazzling fans with her scoring and playmaking, faced an unusually tough outing that nearly contributed to a rare stumble for Team USA.
In a tightly contested game at the FIBA Women’s World Cup in Berlin, Clark, who plays for the Indiana Fever, struggled offensively, going 0-for-6 from the field and scoring just one point as the U.S. narrowly edged Italy 55-52. This marked the first time Clark failed to make a field goal in a game at either the collegiate or professional level.
Clark found herself repeatedly trapped in the corner by Italy’s defense, while Team USA’s usual offensive rhythm and spacing faltered. Despite these challenges, Clark’s performance against China, where she scored 14 points and dominated, showed her true form.
Finishing with one point, four rebounds, one assist, one steal, and two turnovers in 19 minutes, Clark missed all three of her three-point attempts and made only one of two free throws. Her struggles reflected a broader offensive slump for Team USA.
Alongside Clark, Kahleah Copper and Breanna Stewart-both among the WNBA’s top scorers this season-combined to shoot just 1-for-19 from the field. Stewart managed five points on 1-for-9 shooting but contributed 11 rebounds, while Copper scored six points solely from the free-throw line, missing all four shots from the field.
Jackie Young led the team with 10 points on 4-for-6 shooting.
Overall, the United States shot a dismal 16-for-56 from the floor and 1-for-12 from three-point range. Italy, though also inefficient at 18-for-58 shooting, kept the game close, preventing the heavily favored Americans from pulling away.
Clark’s one-point output stands out as a rare low in her otherwise prolific scoring career. Her previous WNBA regular-season low was three points in a game against the New York Liberty earlier this year. The Fever guard has faced New York 10 times in her young career, averaging 17.3 points against the reigning WNBA champions.
During her collegiate career at Iowa, Clark never had a scoreless shooting game. Her lowest scoring effort was eight points as a freshman, though she still managed to hit three field goals in that contest.
Over 139 college games, Clark scored more than 15 points in all but two, recording 13 games with 40 or more points. She has also tallied 11 WNBA games with at least 30 points.
Clark remains a legendary figure at Iowa’s Carver-Hawkeye Arena and holds the NCAA Division I all-time scoring record-men’s or women’s-with 3,951 career points. This tough outing at the World Cup is just a rare blip in the career of one of basketball’s brightest stars.