Bigger Than A Game: A Look Into Caitlin Clark's Time With USA Basketball
Before USA basketball’s 2019 U-19 gold medal game against Australia, head coach Jeff Walz pulled Caitlin Clark aside.
“Coach Walz came to her and said, ‘If there’s an injury situation and we need to have someone come in to shoot free throws, you’re going to be the pick, so be ready,’” USA basketball assistant coach Cori Close said.
And that’s exactly what happened.
In the final minute of regulation, an Australian player elbowed USA’s Rhyne Howard in the face. Unable to shoot free throws, Clark entered, and the then-17-year-old knocked down a clutch shot at the stripe, cutting the deficit to just two points.
“That’s the confidence,” USA assistant coach Natasha Adair said. “She’s going to be in those moments time after time. It’s just her work ethic and her skillset. We didn’t think anything. It was just, ‘Okay Caitlin, go knock it down.’ No hesitation. Winners do that.”
Seconds after Clark’s free throw, USA tied the game on a last-second shot, sending the contest to overtime. USA took down Australia 74-70 to earn gold.
USA Basketball's U-19 team celebrates a gold medal victory over Australia in the 2019 FIBA World Cup.
Brent Clark
Clark averaged 5.2 points, 1.6 assists, 1.3 rebounds, and 1.1 steals in her 14.7 minutes per game with USA’s U-19 squad. Clark stood as one of the younger members of Team USA’s 2019 gold medal run, but you wouldn’t have known that from her energy on and off the court.
“She was the one who kept the energy going,” Adair said. “There was no role that was beneath her. She’s a combo; she can do whatever we need her to do. She’s always ready, on the edge of her seat. She was the one in the huddle giving everybody high fives.”
USA Basketball selection process
For the U-19 team, there are between 32-26 players invited by USA Basketball to the camp.
“It was awesome,” Clark said. “You’re gone for like a month and it’s really hard training, hard games, hard practices, but it’s definitely all worth it. It’s really fun.”
From there, the numbers dwindle as the intensity increases; 12 players and two alternates are selected for the roster.
“The first time we were there at tryouts, (Clark) was really quiet, reserved,” Walz said. “I told her it was okay to smile. I told her it would help if she talked, and that I think broke the ice for her. It’s a stressful situation for everyone trying out. There’s 30-something really, really talented basketball players trying out for a 12-person roster. You’re really competing hard.”
Seeking advice from collegiate veterans
It didn’t take long for Clark to open up, and from there she blossomed into the vocal leader Adair described.
In turn, Clark was able to learn from some of the best players in the country in her age bracket.
One of her teammates, Rhyne Howard, was the 2019-20 SEC Player of the Year at Kentucky months after competing with Team USA.
Competing alongside teammates at such a high level, Clark gained insight into the physicality of the next level, but also found the opportunity to pick their brains about college ball.
“Talking to them and seeing what their college experience is like gets you a step ahead, knowing what you need to expect and bring to the next level,” she said.
Bigger than just a sport with USA Basketball
In competing alongside not only some of the best basketball players in the country but in other parts of the world, Clark gained a competitive experience few can claim.
That experience stretched far beyond the court, though.
With USA Basketball’s U-16 squad, Clark traveled to Argentina. In 2019, she and her teammates scrimmaged in Tokyo before competing in Bangkok, Thailand.
“Basketball affords so many opportunities,” according to Adair, and in turn, playing for Team USA broadens everyone’s worldviews and strengthening the team’s sense of pride.
“To put on that jersey, to jump on that plane and represent your country, there’s no other feeling like that,” Adair said. “This is for the United States. This isn’t just for your hometown, your AAU team. There’s a sense of pride that you have. When you step up on the podium and the national anthem sounds and they’re putting gold medals around you, that is a feeling and an experience that you will never forget.”
And with that pride comes a boost in confidence — the same confidence Clark channeled when knocking down a clutch free throw in the gold medal game against Australia.
“When you wear ‘USA’ on your chest, it’s a whole different level of pressure and excitement and pride,” Iowa coach Lisa Bluder said. “She’s been able to experience that twice and win gold medals. I think that’s something you always have in your back pocket when you’re a USA basketball player. You’re competing against the best in the world and you’re competing with the best in our country, which is the best in the world. It’s valuable experience. It breeds more confidence.”
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