Caitlin Clark's Take On 'Clunky' Team USA Win vs Puerto Rico Says It All
The vibes within the women's basketball world were sky high after Team USA's dominant win over Senegal on the FIBA Women's World Cup Qualifying Tournament on March 11.
Not only was this the first time that superstar guard Caitlin Clark returned to the court in 239 days after injuries limited her 2025 WNBA season, but Clark showed no rust, scoring 17 points, dishing out 12 assists, and looking like her vintage self.
Not to mention that Clark was sharing the court with other young stars Angel Reese and Paige Bueckers, which made for several heartwarming moments that had many fans feeling warm and fuzzy inside.
Team USA produced another dominant win against Puerto Rico on March 12, winning by a score of 91-48. However, the sentiment after this win is much different than what it was just one day prior. Team USA wasn't crisp in the win, as only a few players shot the ball well, and the team lacked cohesion on the court.
Caitlin Clark Gets Honest About 'Self-Inflicted' Team USA Mistakes After World Cup Win
Clark finished the game with 8 points on 2 of 6 shooting from the field and 1 of 5 from three-point range. She also added 3 rebounds, 2 assists, and had 2 turnovers in 19 minutes played. She spoke with the media after the win and got honest about what occurred on the court.
"I mean, I thought the game was a little clunky. It felt like we probably didn't play our best. I thought Paige [Bueckers] played really well. But it felt good! I mean, I obviously didn't shoot it as well as I probably would have liked. I think their zone kind of threw us off, and it slowed down our pace a little bit. We didn't get as much in transition," Clark said, per a March 12 article from Chloe Peterson on IndyStar.
When asked whether the mistakes Team USA made were because of Puerto Rico or self-inflicted, Clark said, "I think it was mostly self-inflicted. I thought that we missed on some defensive coverages, and I think especially with how much we fouled, too, that really limits us, especially in transition, when we want to play fast. It's hard to push, especially off of a made free throw."
Two minutes with CC on what she thought of Puerto Rico's physical play and adjusting to different rotations:https://t.co/mtcEuftK7k
— Chloe Peterson (@chloepeterson67) March 13, 2026
The good news is that Clark and Team USA will have a day to reflect on this performance, as their next game isn't until May 14 against Italy.
Grant Young covers Women’s Basketball, the New York Yankees, and the New York Mets for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco (USF), where he also graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing and played on USF’s Division I baseball team for five years. However, he now prefers Angel Reese to Angels in the Outfield.
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