Caitlin Clark has butterflies ahead of return, U.S. Senior Team debut
After eight months away from game action due to injuries, the Indiana Fever star will make her U.S. Senior National Team debut Wednesday in the World Cup Qualifying Tournament in Puerto Rico.
Caitlin Clark has been waiting a while for this moment.
Not only will Wednesday’s game be her first in almost exactly eight months, but Clark will also be making her U.S. Senior National Team debut.
“First step in this journey,” she said before the team departed for San Juan, where they’ll play five games from March 11–17.
The first game is Wednesday at 5 p.m. ET — and I would expect TruTV to draw massive ratings. TNT Sports, the parent company, gets it. Their tweet promoting the game features one USA player: Clark.
Since Fever training camp last spring, Clark has dealt with at least a half-dozen injuries. She was cleared after the season and is finally back to 100%. She also believes Team USA camp three months ago at Duke University served as a great checkpoint for her.
Physically, she’s in a great spot. Mentally, she’s been through so much over the last 11 months that she’s finally shedding it.
No one but Clark can truly understand how much time, effort and mental energy she put into trying to get back during the last WNBA season. From frequent visits to a hyperbaric chamber to additional physical therapy — and spending more time in the training room than on the basketball court — she’s been through it.
So come 5 p.m. today, Clark can just play basketball.
“No better way than getting tossed into the fire,” she said.
Clark expects it to take her a little time to shake the rust. She also acknowledged feeling butterflies, a rarity for her in basketball. It’s her safe space and what she does best. She doesn’t listen to music before games to hype herself up because she doesn’t need it before playing.
Once her first few minutes pass and she makes a shot, she expects the nerves to disappear.
“Just excited to be out there be surrounded by a lot of really good players and do whatever I can to help us win,” she said.
Joining Elusive Company
Playing for Team USA is another childhood dream realized for the kid from West Des Moines.
She remembers writing down the goal barely out of kindergarten — maybe third grade, she thinks.
While this isn’t Clark’s first time representing Team USA — her first was with the U16 team — it is her debut with the Senior National Team. She headlines the new core that has been elevated to the Senior Team for the World Cup Qualifying Tournament in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
