“Young kids and young fans that were super excited”: Caitlin Clark reveals best thing about international games during her FIBA run with Team USA

Caitlin Clark came back from Berlin with a gold medal and a new idea about where the WNBA should play. In a candid chat, Clark shared it on Friday, after the Fever beat the Toronto Tempo.The Indiana Fever superstar has a clear favorite memory from the trip, and it has nothing to do with the trophy. It is about the people who came out to watch Team USA play in Europe. The league, meanwhile, has been thinking along the same lines, with international games planned as soon as the 2027 regular season.What Caitlin Clark took away from the FIBA World Cup in BerlinFreshly back from Berlin, Caitlin Clark spoke to reporters on Friday after the Fever beat the Toronto Tempo. Team USA had won its sixth straight FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup gold there, and Clark helped get the team over the line. The talk, though, went well past the medal.One of the biggest takeaways for Clark was the pride. Players from other countries, especially those who play in the WNBA and return to suit up for home, take the job seriously. “So it was really fun for myself to play international basketball and I think one of the biggest things I took away is how much pride those girls play with,” Clark shared. It means a great deal to them. Clark called it really cool and pointed to how much those players have done to grow the game in their own countries.Europe added a memory of its own. Playing there felt amazing, and the crowds made it better. Clark said the number of "young kids and young fans that were super excited" to see Team USA stood out.The sport has only scratched the surface of its reach around the world, and a WNBA game overseas next year would not surprise Clark. As for playing in one, Clark is all in. Helping the league expand sounds good, and Clark is looking forward to it.Caitlin Clark's wish and the WNBA's plan for games abroadThe wish may not stay a wish for long. Outgoing WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert has said the league plans to bring in international games as soon as the 2027 regular season. Engelbert will not be around beyond this season, but whoever takes the job is expected to carry the plan forward.The WNBA has little history abroad to build on. Before the Toronto Tempo joined as an expansion team in 2026, the league had played only one regular season game outside the United States. The Atlanta Dream and Seattle Storm played it last season in Vancouver, British Columbia, on Aug. 15, 2025.Get the latest Sports News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.