Until recently, fans had only heard that Caitlin Clark was back training. But they finally saw it, too, when she returned to the court for her senior Team USA camp debut. However, even though Clark claims to be back to 100%, a Fever insider who saw the practice in real-time notes a gaping hole in her gameplay that still remains. 

“I think defensively, anyone who watches Caitlin knows that’s an area that needs to improve,” Annie Costabile said on IndyStar’s Fever Insider show. “Watching her against Kelsey Plum was funny just because this is something we know. Anybody who watches basketball knows that’s a part of Caitlin’s game that stands to improve. So yeah, watching her go up against Kelsey while still knowing that she has this rust to shake off was a bit telling.”

Clips from practice also captured moments where she was beaten off the dribble by another elite guard in Paige Bueckers, such as giving up space on the perimeter and allowing a side-step 3-pointer during a drill, further showing defensive footwork and reaction time as areas that have lagged behind her offensive return.

Now, Clark did have a defensive bright moment in one of the Team USA-released videos, clamping down on a practice player, which led to a turnover. However, returning to the same consistency will take some time.

Clark has spent the offseason rehabbing. She even participated in the Annika Pro-Am golf exhibition last month. As she returned to the basketball court after almost half a year against players who know her game, there were bound to be a few chinks in her armour, especially going up against Plum. Because, well, she is not the best defensive guard.

As a rookie, she had the 67th-best defensive rating of 106.6 (among guards), and in the 13 games last season, she was even better at 99.5. However, that improvement was only on paper and likely due to a much smaller sample size. The 2024 ROTY hasn’t really had much time to improve on that aspect of her game, as the priority has been to get back to full fitness. 

Going up against Plum, who had a stellar season averaging 19.5 points and 5.7 assists (her best numbers since 2022), Clark was always playing catch-up.

On the positive side, Clark’s offensive fundamentals and shooting mechanics looked remarkably intact in her first full USA Basketball practice. Practicing in a national team setting for the first time since her season-ending injuries, she repeatedly hit deep jumpers and step-back threes that mirrored the pull-up shots she’s known for, with several clips showing her finishing plays with confidence and balance directly off the dribble.

Additionally, she comfortably ran standard USA Basketball offensive sequences, crossing half court, attacking closeouts, and delivering effective passes that led to open looks for teammates, which suggests that her vision, basketball feel, and on-court instincts remain sharp despite limited live game action since mid-July.

While the Fever star’s fitness issues will be taken into consideration, if her defense still falls short by the time the FIBA World Cup rolls around, it could go against her.

The competition is stiff, with Paige Bueckers and Veronica Burton also vying for a spot on the roster.

Costabile, however, maintained that Clark’s offense was still very sharp.

“That shot of hers that we’re also familiar with is still there,” the reporter said. “Her speed was coming back, which I thought stood out. Obviously, her timing on passing was still impressive.”

From the clips on social media, fans saw the Fever star take that trademark transition three with ease, soothing their soul.

We also saw the Aliyah Boston-Caitlin Clark connection.

“She’s a terrific player, really locked in and focused,” head coach Kara Lawson said of Clark. “I thought she looked good on both ends.” 

While some parts of her game need a boost, they will get better as Clark returns to basketball. Fans could see Clark make her competitive return at the World Cup Qualifying Tournament in March, but will Bueckers be an obstacle…?

Caitlin Clark and Paige Bueckers can play together at the 2026 World Cup

Six point guards were called up in the 18-woman roster for the December camp. It included veterans Chelsea Gray, Jackie Young, and Plum, along with the youth of Clark, Bueckers, and Burton. In the final 12-woman roster for the World Cup in September 2026, Team USA will likely select four of the six names. 

The veterans are a lock unless managing director Sue Bird decides to overhaul the team’s direction. Historically, experience has been valued. At the 2024 Paris Olympics, Clark’s exclusion was justified by the lack of top-level experience.

But while Bueckers, Clark, and Burton seem to be fighting for one spot, it’s not quite the case.

The Dallas Wings star is a very different point guard from Clark. She is a score-first guard and can play in tandem with another primary initiator, like Clark. There is a possibility there could be 5 point guards on the Team USA roster, but Bueckers wouldn’t play as the traditional PG then.

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“Seeing her (Caitlin Clark) and Paige on each other,” Costabile said, “I don’t think it’s a matter of one versus the other. You’re watching, kind of evaluating how these two players are going to operate together one day.”

This may not happen in the immediate future. But Bird has already started planning for the 2028 World Cup, when Gray and Young might not make the cut, not because they’d have retired, but because of the outrageous ‘experienced’ talent Team USA will have at its fingertips by then.

If Lawson and the management figure out how to play Bueckers and Clark together, the team will have a cheat code.

Team USA can genuinely have Aliyah Boston, Rickea Jackson, Caitlin Clark, Paige Bueckers, and Angel Reese, with Kiki Iriafen and Sonia Citron also in the mix.