Caitlin Clark’s Team USA Practice Group Offers Intriguing FIBA World Cup Lineup Clue

Team USA practice footage might suggest a Caitlin Clark-led lineup will be featured at the FIBA World Cup.

Caitlin Clark is seen during practice of the United States national team. | IMAGO / NurPhoto

With Team USA's 2026 FIBA World Cup debut arriving on Friday, there's a lot of intrigue about what the USA squad's starting lineup will be and whether it will include Indiana Fever stars Caitlin Clark and Aliyah Boston.

Fever fans will have to wait until Friday morning to see whether Clark and Boston start. However, clips of Thursday's Team USA practice have surfaced on social media, and some believe that the jerseys the players were wearing could hint at who will be starting (or at least playing together).

Clark, Boston, New York Liberty forward Breanna Stewart, Las Vegas Aces guard Jackie Young, Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier, and Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers were all wearing red jerseys, while the other six players were wearing light grey jerseys.

Get up & down with the 🇺🇸 #USABWNT! pic.twitter.com/lFEbSoDOgc

— USA Basketball (@usabasketball) September 3, 2026

Granted, this might not be overly significant, and these the jerseys colors might not indicate anything about who will start for Team USA against China. But given that the game is tomorrow, it would make sense for head coach Kara Lawson to construct practice in this way and test out the best lineup combinations.

And it makes even more sense when one considers how ideal this red-jersey Team USA lineup might be.

Why Caitlin Clark and Aliyah Boston-Led USA Lineup Could Be Perfect For FIBA World Cup

A lineup that includes five of Clark, Boston, Stewart, Collier, Young, and Bueckers makes almost too much sense. Starting in the frontcourt, Aliyah Boston's size, physicality, and being the only true center on Team USA's roster (plus her ability to shoot three-pointers) make her a somewhat obvious choice to start.

Stewart and/or Collier both have length and versatility while also spacing the floor, so either or both of them would make sense at the two forward positions.

Then there's the off-guard. Bueckers provides a bit more offensive upside and is a better playmaker and facilitator than Young, while Young is the better defender. These two complement each other well and could be used to spell each other depending on the time of the game.

Of course, Fever fans don't need to be told why Caitlin Clark is the ideal point guard for Team USA. She can create her own offense while also creating for her teammates.

It's worth reiterating that these players wearing the same practice jersey doesn't mean they'll be playing together when the FIBA World Cup kicks off. But one would imagine that Kara Lawson had a plan on mind when pairing them all on Thursday. And the practice footage that has surfaced on social media suggests the pairing paid off.