BERLIN — Caitlin Clark is embracing the growing global enthusiasm for women’s basketball as she competes in the FIBA Women’s World Cup in Berlin. Speaking ahead of the U.S. team’s quest for a fifth consecutive World Cup title, Clark highlighted the international passion surrounding the tournament and reflected on her role within a star-studded roster.
Clark, a standout for the Indiana Fever and known for leading Iowa to back-to-back NCAA championship games, noted the distinct excitement she has encountered during her first experience playing in Europe. “This is my first time playing in Europe and getting to see how excited and passionate people are about the game here and where it can continue to go is really, really cool,” she said.
The 22-year-old expressed that the tournament serves as a welcome break from the intensity of the WNBA season, though she remains accustomed to the pressures of being a prominent figure in women’s basketball. “I certainly do feel the pressure that there’s still so many people screaming my name. I look at it as we get to help advance the game globally,” Clark said. “It’s maybe nice to get a little break of the craziness of the WNBA season, but at the same time, I would never change anything, and I’m pretty used to it.”
Clark also spoke about her relationship with Angel Reese, her formidable college rival from the NCAA championship matchup, who is now her teammate on the national squad. She praised Reese’s competitiveness and work ethic and expressed admiration for the intensity they share on the court. “We’re both fiery, fiery competitors and we want to win and it’s one of the things I really admire about her game,” Clark said. “She’s competitive and she has a tremendous motor, like she has one of the best motors in the league.”
Highlighting the tournament’s reach, Clark recounted meeting a fan who traveled from Australia to watch her play and noted the presence of supporters from nearby European countries attending games and seeking autographs or photos. “People are spending so much time and money, and people in surrounding European countries are coming here to be able to watch us, or get our signature or wear our jersey or try to get a photo,” she said. “Sometimes you feel like that’s just the United States, but you’re coming to understand the game is really continuing to grow.”
To prepare for her role with the U.S. national team, Clark studied leadership styles, including videos of Mike Krzyzewski, the former USA men’s basketball coach, to develop a team-first mindset and adapt to playing alongside multiple elite talents.
Looking ahead, Clark sees the World Cup as a critical step toward her long-term goal of competing in the 2028 Olympics. However, she emphasized the pressure to uphold the U.S. team’s winning tradition. “You don’t want to be the team that everybody talks about because you didn’t win. You want to do what’s expected and that’s to win a gold medal,” she said. “I think it would certainly help and hopefully it’s just a step in the direction of where I want to keep building and hopefully the goals that I want to achieve of hopefully playing in the Olympics in ’28.”