Caitlin Clark Held Without Field Goal Again in USA World Cup Win vs Spain

Caitlin Clark struggled on offense again in Team USA's FIBA World Cup semifinal win against Spain.

Caitlin Clark during a FIBA World Cup game. | IMAGO / NurPhoto

Indiana Fever star guard Caitlin Clark didn't produce much in terms of points during the USA's 76-66 win against Spain in the FIBA World Cup semifinal on Saturday.

Clark finished the game with just one point and didn't record a made field goal in three attempts in 17 minutes played against Spain. She also finished with one rebound, one assist, and one steal.

This marks the second FIBA World Cup game that Clark has gone without a field goal, as she finished 0-for-6 from the field and 0-for-3 from three-point range in the USA's narrow group-stage win against Italy. She also finished with one point in that game, which marked the first time in her college or professional career that she went without a made field goal in a game.

For what it's worth, just because Clark wasn't an offensive juggernaut in the game doesn't mean she had no value. She had a +16 +/- rating, which was the second-highest on Team USA behind only her Fever teammate, Aliyah Boston (who had six points, seven rebounds, and was a +21.

Caitlin Clark prepares to shoot a free throw during a FIBA World Cup game. | IMAGO / STEINSIEK.CH

Does This Scoreless Game Mean Anything For Caitlin Clark Moving Forward?

Low (or no) scoring games like these are sometimes inevitable on a team that's loaded with so many stars. After all, it's not like Clark needs to keep firing shots for her team to produce on offense. And the fact that Clark was still able to contribute to their winning (given her +/-) shows that she knows she can still be of value.

There was some frustration about Clark's playing time in the game, as she didn't match her normal minutes in the semifinal game against Italy. However, head coach Kara Lawson did give her an extended run in the second half after Clark saw limited action in the first half. And Team USA did build a lead during her time on the floor.

The Fever star guard will get a chance to bounce back offensively in the gold medal game against France on Sunday. And there's nothing to suggest that her performance in this game will change how she's deployed by Lawson.

Fever fans know that Clark is never lacking confidence, and this game is surely not going to carry into that championship outing. Plus, Clark has a way of showing up when it matters most, so fans can probably expect to watch her find her offensive footing tomorrow.

Team USA might need her scoring if they're to beat an extremely solid France squad.