Caitlin Clark Reacts to Making USA's FIBA Women's World Cup 2026 Roster, Eyes 2028 LA Olympics Spot

Ahead of her FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup debut for Team USA, Indiana Fever superstar guard Caitlin Clark provided some insight into her mindset this week.

In an interview Wednesday with FIBA's official website , Clark expressed gratitude for the opportunity to represent her country in a major international competition.

"It's crazy, and I think you know, you get used to it," Clark said. "I think at the same time, I almost think about it another way. Like, how lucky am I? This is pretty special and pretty cool, and there's so many people that would kill to be in this spot and have this type of opportunity.

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"Especially to play for the USA team, let alone play in the WNBA and live out your dream every single day. So I try to look at, look at it the other way and think about how lucky I am and how grateful I am."

When the last FIBA Women's World Cup was held in 2022, Clark was still playing collegiately at Iowa, and she went on to be named the Associated Press College Basketball Player of the Year in both 2023 and 2024 before going first overall to the Fever in the 2024 WNBA draft.

That same year, Clark was considered a strong candidate to be part of the U.S. women's basketball national team at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, but she was not selected.

Clark admitted that the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles are on her radar, and she could solidify her standing with a strong showing in the World Cup.

"Obviously getting to watch the games in Paris, like just thinking about how such a cool opportunity that would be to hopefully one day maybe make the Olympic team," Clark said. "And I feel like obviously, we're at the halfway point of, you know, LA in '28.

"Even getting to play here in the World Cup, that's special within itself, too. Sometimes this is an even harder competition than the Olympics. I think one of the most fun parts is the international game and talent is growing and growing. These competitions are only getting harder to win. I think you just wait your turn, continue to put in the work, and your game kind of evolves as you get older."

Already a three-time WNBA All-Star, Clark will look to help Team USA continue its run of FIBA World Cup dominance.

The Americans have won the World Cup each of the past four times it has been held, and six of the past seven times.

The lone exception during that stretch came in 2006 when Australia won it all and the United States had to settle for a bronze medal.

With Clark, Napheesa Collier, Paige Bueckers, Angel Reese and a host of other big names leading the way, the U.S. is an overwhelming favorite to win its fifth consecutive FIBA World Cup.

The Americans' gold medal defense will get underway Friday when they face China in their Group D opener in Berlin.