Fever news: Fans are fed up with Caitlin Clark's lack of Team USA playing time

Team USA defeated Team Spain 76-66 in their FIBA World Cup game on Saturday. Once again, Caitlin Clark , a 2026 WNBA MVP candidate, did not start the game. Clark's playing time has been a subject of discussion throughout the tournament. Many fans and even some media members were especially fed up after Clark saw just under 17 minutes of playing time on Saturday.

"Team USA's 10-point win over Spain was closer than it needed to be. That's because Caitlin Clark , the WNBA's best player, should start, orchestrate and be featured more," Skip Bayless wrote on X, formerly Twitter. "But of course, Kara Lawson can't risk a mutiny of veterans. This is all so petty, so dumb, so hard to watch."

"Today's game is clear evidence that there's an agenda being pushed with Caitlin Clark," a fan added . "Why the h*ll is she barely playing? She's been one of the best players on this team. At this point, it feels like they're doing everything they can to limit her impact and make her look bad."

Watch sports LIVE with fuboTV (free trial)

BricksCenter, an account on X, called out Clark's Team USA teammates for "icing" her out.

One fan specifically called out Jackie Young .

"I legit think Jackie Young would rather throw the ball to a fan in the crowd than Caitlin Clark… She just looked her off wide open to throw a spinning no look to Stewie that only wasn't a turnover because Stewie has a 7 foot wingspan," the post reads .

Clark has not played especially well while on the floor during the FIBA World Cup. She went 0-3 from the field on Saturday and recorded only one point via a free throw. She is averaging 7.0 points per outing on 29.4 percent shooting from the field and 22.7 percent shooting from beyond the arc for the tournament. Her playing time has been up and down, as Clark is averaging 20 overall minutes per contest.

Clark's +110 plus-minus leads Team USA's roster, however. She is clearly still making an impact despite her underwhelming scoring numbers. Clark has been able to find her teammates while on the floor, averaging 5.8 assists per game.

Clark Report also shared an intriguing statistic about Clark and Aliyah Boston .

In all reality, Caitlin Clark could be starting and it would help Team USA. However, the team seems to be relying on its veterans. Still, Clark's impact has been significant while on the floor.