Superstar guard Caitlin Clark detailed what she has in store this upcoming offseason when speaking to the media during her October 2 exit interview after the Indiana Fever 2025 season ended.
“There’s some USA basketball stuff I need to get ready for,” Clark said. “And I need to be able to find some runs, and ways to play five-on-five, just so I can kind of get that feel back. But more than anything, I think my main focus is really just getting my body healthy. And once we get back to five-on-five, just being able to test my body and making sure it’s in a good spot, where I know it’s gonna be able to hold up with everything that we think we’ve corrected to be able to know I’m in a really good spot there.”
She later added, “Like I said, there’s some USA Basketball stuff that is probably my top priority right now, that I need to prepare for. And I think that will help me prepare for next season, too.”
Sep 7, 2025; Baltimore, MD, USA; Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) looks on from the bench against the Washington Mystics during the first quarter at CFG Bank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rafael Suanes-Imagn Images | Rafael Suanes-Imagn Images
This comes after Clark only played in 13 games during the Fever’s 2025 season because of injuries. While she’s clearly prioritizing a full recovery (which has caused her to turn down playing in the 2026 Unrivaled season that starts in January) this offseason, Clark’s mentioning USA Basketball several times is turning heads.
Fans will be clamoring for any chance to see Clark compete. Therefore, given that No. 22 didn’t specify which USA Basketball events she was alluding to, there has been interest in what exactly it is.
USA Basketball Event Caitlin Clark Was (Probably) Referring To
There are currently no set dates for any Team USA women’s basketball five-on-five events or other competitions before the next WNBA season begins. But several reporters (along with past timelines) have indicated that there is going to be a USA Basketball training camp in early March 2026.
While the women’s team has already qualified for the 2026 FIBA World Cup (which goes from September 4 to September 13, 2026), the Team USA women’s squad will likely still compete in the qualifying tournament from March 11 to 17. This is because it presents an opportunity for the Team USA senior national squad to get together for the first time since the Paris 2024 Olympics, and will also give the team’s head coach, Kara Lawson, an initial glimpse at how her roster for the 2028 Olympics might shape up.
“It’s an enormous responsibility to be the leader of the most successful team in Olympic history.”
The last 27 years of @karalawson20‘s life have been intertwined with USA Basketball. A wealth of experience has prepared her for this next chapter with the 🇺🇸 #USABWNT.
»… pic.twitter.com/BowtOcdrtK
— USA Basketball (@usabasketball) September 25, 2025
Regardless of whether Clark competes in the qualifying tournament in mid-March, her exit interview comments suggest she’s almost certainly going to be at the training camp that will take place before the tournament begins.
And given her clear desire to compete in 5×5 this offseason, there seems to be a good chance she’ll play in the tournament, especially because it would be a great way for her to shake off any five-on-five rust before the 2026 WNBA season.
Therefore, Clark’s fans will want to keep a keen eye on when the dates for this USA Basketball training camp in early March are released, because this will likely be the first time they’ll get to see Clark competing since July 2025.
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