The start of a new chapter in Team USA basketball is imminent in December, and the transition seems deliberate. It is the first full cycle of Sue Bird and Kara Lawson, and they are planning to establish the next generation early. The national team is proceeding with a definite direction and objective as the 2026 FIBA Women’s World Cup and the 2028 Olympics are soon at hand.

That direction became clear after USA Basketball confirmed its latest update: Caitlin Clark will attend the USA Women’s National Team Training Camp, and Indiana Fever head coach Stephanie White will serve as a court coach. The camp will take place from December 12–14 at Duke University, bringing together 18 players across multiple tiers of experience.

The timing isn’t random. The camp is scheduled to take place in the center of their 2025 AmeriCup title match and also the qualifying event in San Juan in March 2026. The U.S. will participate, even though it has already secured a place in the World Cup by excelling in the AmeriCup.

The inclusion of Clark has a few reasons, which are remarkable. In fact, she was invited to Iowa in the Final 4 run in 2024, but she never appeared. Then all the chatter about the Olympic roster took its toll on her rookie year, and as she tore her groin and had to sit out the remainder of the season, it just made it more of a sure thing.

This time, she is walking into a gym full of the biggest faces in the league. The main force of the camp will be veterans such as Brittney Griner, Chelsea Gray, Kelsey Plum, Jackie Young, Kahleah Copper, and Brionna Jones. This team is loaded with legitimate equipment Griner, Gray, Plum, Young, Copper, Jones, and Dearica Hamby are all Olympic or World Cup medalists.

In the meantime, Clark is joining a strong first-year team that consists of Angel Reese, Paige Bueckers, Cameron Brink, Kiki Iriafen, Rickea Jackson, Sonia Citron, Veronica Burton, Lauren Betts, and JuJu Watkins. Watkins will be in the building but not on the court as she is rehabilitating her ACL tear that had ended her USC season short, allowing her to absorb the system of USA Basketball at her own pace, not being in a hurry to get back.

The setting matters too. Because USA Basketball already qualified for the 2026 World Cup, this camp focuses on evaluation and chemistry rather than pressure. Clark fits smoothly into that aim. Her shooting, quick decision-making, and pace-friendly style translate well to international play. Lawson’s teams have leaned into tempo and spacing for years, from guiding the U.S. 3×3 squad to Olympic gold in Tokyo to steering a young roster to the 2025 Women’s AmeriCup title, and now she’s importing that same pace-and-space identity to the senior national program.

Most importantly, this camp finally puts Clark in front of the people who shape the program: Sue Bird, Kara Lawson, and the national-team staff.  That alone creates a new storyline moving into 2026 and beyond.

Bird has an 11-time World Cup/Olympic gold-medal resume behind her, and Lawson now has a four-year mandate to lead the women’s team through Berlin 2026 and LA28, so any player who makes an impression in this gym is doing it in front of the two people who will literally sign off on the next era of rosters.

Stephanie White’s role continues to grow inside Team USA with Clark

White also earned a major nod. She will return as a court coach, reinforcing her growing presence within USA Basketball. She previously served in this role in 2023 and 2024, and now the Bird–Lawson era has brought her back again. That consistency shows trust, especially since Lawson personally selected the court-coaching group for Duke.

White’s résumé supports the decision. She won the 2023 WNBA Coach of the Year award. She helped the Fever win the 2012 WNBA title as an assistant. And she starred at Purdue, winning the 1999 NCAA championship and the Wade Trophy. Through those experiences, she built a reputation for detail, pace, and high-IQ basketball.

In Duke, she’ll work alongside Phoenix Mercury head coach Nate Tibbetts and Golden State Valkyries head coach Natalie Nakase. Together, they’ll help Lawson run drills, guide player evaluation, and set the tone for the next phase of the national team. That level of involvement strengthens White’s long-term profile within the program.

This announcement also creates a unique story for the Indiana Fever. For the first time, the franchise has:

• Caitlin Clark attending the senior team camp

• Aliyah Boston returning as a trusted frontcourt option

• Stephanie White working again as a Team USA court coach

That trio places the Fever directly in the middle of USA Basketball’s future. The overlap also benefits Indiana. Caitlin Clark and Boston will gain experience against Olympic-level talent, and White will absorb Lawson’s system firsthand. As a result, the Fever could carry parts of that identity into the 2026 WNBA season and beyond. The connection also reflects the respect Indiana has earned.

Team USA’s December camp announcement goes far beyond a simple roster update. With Caitlin Clark stepping into her first senior team experience and Stephanie White strengthening her coaching voice within the system. And as camp approaches, more developments are on the way.