Caitlin Clark hasn’t played since her 2025 season ended just 13 games in, but that changes on Friday as she returns for Team USA training camp. And before she even gets back on court, she’s already earning plenty of respect.

According to Geoff Magliocchetti on X, just hours before the first day of the camp kicks off at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, the managing director of the U.S. women’s national basketball team, Sue Bird, praised Clark’s maturity and engagement throughout her injury-shortened season.

“The first thing that came to mind, and this comes to the whole Indiana Fever, they did a great job engaging in their season…I thought what was most impressive was the way she stayed engaged…that speaks to her maturity,” she said.

Since Caitlin Clark played her last game on July 15, where she was averaging 16.5 points, 5 rebounds, and 8.8 assists per game, her main priority has been to recover. However, the 6-foot athlete never missed a chance to actively engage with her team.

“Being there for my teammates, being a voice for them, because that’s what I am when I’m playing, so you gotta still be that consistent voice when you’re sitting on the bench,” Clark said earlier in the season. “That’s been my focus, and I think that can kind of distract you from not actually playing when you just focus on your teammates and how I can serve them and help them.”

Fans even started calling her “Coach Clark,” and honestly, she leaned right into the role. At one road game, she showed up in a white top and black leather pants, accidentally matching the staff’s white quarter-zips and black joggers. And even while injured, she never stopped pushing her teammates to attack more.

During the All-Star Game, a mic’d-up clip caught her telling Team Clark’s Sabrina Ionescu that she’d be pulling up from half-court if she were healthy. So, fair to say that Clark was even more animated off the floor than she usually is on it.

And yes, viewers definitely caught her sneaking snacks from her hoodie pockets more than once.

In L.A., teammates actually had to calm her down so she wouldn’t pick up a tech, which felt like a throwback to the ‘keep Caitlin out of trouble’ squad from 2024. She also loved getting involved in the action: calling out a timeout for Minnesota after an Indiana run, chatting with opponents who wandered near the Fever bench, and giving the refs an earful whenever she thought they missed something, especially a travel.

But underneath all the antics, she was locked in. Clark showed up for her team every night, keeping their energy up, building their confidence, and offering whatever reads she could from the sideline. And while many assumed the team would crumble without their star player, the Fever reached the semifinals, where their loss to the Las Vegas Aces ultimately ended their run.

Also, besides the WNBA, Clark has been vocal about her dream to represent her country and has actively worked towards it in the off-season after being left off the 2024 Olympic team. So, for Clark and her fans, the timing couldn’t be better. As the Fever star has spent the past several months recovering and rehabbing, she gets the chance to fulfill her goals, while all fans want is to see her in action.

The All-Star point guard is one of 18 players set to participate, a group that blends established veterans with some of the most electrifying young talent in the sport. The full training camp roster includes:

• Lauren Betts
• Aliyah Boston
• Cameron Brink
• Paige Bueckers
• Veronica Burton
• Sonia Citron
• Caitlin Clark
• Kahleah Copper
• Chelsea Gray
• Brittney Griner
• Dearica Hamby
• Kiki Iriafen
• Rickea Jackson
• Brionna Jones
• Kelsey Plum
• Angel Reese
• JuJu Watkins
• Jackie Young

The team will be led by Kara Lawson, the 2025–28 USA Basketball head coach, who’s hosting the camp on her home floor. She’ll be joined by a staff that features some of the most respected names in the pro game, including Indiana Fever head coach Stephanie White, Golden State Valkyries coach Natalie Nakase, and Phoenix Mercury coach Nate Tibbetts.

With Clark finally all set to get back on the floor, the spotlight now shifts to how her return could give us another run of the most promising young duos in women’s basketball.

Caitlin Clark’s reunion with the Fever teammates adds another layer to her return

Aliyah Boston, who carried Indiana through Clark’s injury stretch and re-established herself as an interior force in the league, now finds herself back alongside the guard who elevates her game the most. Their pick-and-roll rhythm, spacing, and playmaking connection transformed the Fever from a project into a problem last season.

Now, Clark’s just as hyped as the fans to be back out there with her.

Top Stories

Forced to Leave FOX, Cowboys Legend Troy Aikman Says ESPN Is Like ‘U.S. Government’ & Clearly Distinguishes the Two Networks

Who Is Paige Shiver? All About Michigan Football Staffer & Daughter of Veteran Bears Scout Jeff Shiver

FOX Issues Strict Ban on Terry Bradshaw But NFL Legend Defies It to Join Popular Morning Show

Michael Jordan Brings NASCAR to Its Knees as Jim France’s Courtroom Collapse Triggers Settlement

LIV Golf to Cut Ties With Veteran Pro After His PGA Tour Return Intentions Became Public

What Happened to T.J. Watt? Why Is He Hospitalized? Steelers Announce Latest News on LB Before Dolphins Game

Boston recently celebrated her 24th birthday, and using this opportunity to wish her teammate and express her excitement at the same time, Caitlin Clark took to her Instagram stories, where she shared two photos with Boston and captioned them with, “Excited to be back out there with w ya💞.”

With Clark healthy, Boston humming, and a coaching staff tailored for growth, Team USA suddenly feels less like a camp experiment and more like a preview of what the next era of American basketball could look like.