Caitlin Clark, Paige Bueckers, and Kiki Iriafen made their senior nationwide crew debuts Wednesday as a part of a younger core that helped Staff USA rout Senegal 110-46 in Group A motion on the FIBA Girls’s Basketball World Cup Qualifying Match in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Angel Reese, who received a silver medal with USA Basketball on the 2023 FIBA AmeriCup, additionally performed a task within the blowout win.
Clark and Rhyne Howard led the way in which towards Senegal. Howard scored a team-high 21 factors on 6-of-8 taking pictures from deep, whereas Clark added 17 factors and a game-high 12 assists in just below 20 minutes, taking pictures 4-of-5 from three and an ideal 5-of-5 from the free-throw line.
After not enjoying for eight months, Clark competed in her first sport since July 5 with the Indiana Fever, earlier than accidents derailed most of her 2025 WNBA season. Earlier than the match, Clark made clear she simply needed to play once more — any sport, any degree.
CAITLIN CLARK IN HER SENIOR NT DEBUT:
🔷17 PTS🔷12 AST#FIBAWWC x #WeOwnTheGame pic.twitter.com/9iCzULi58m
— FIBA Girls’s Basketball World Cup (@FIBAWWC) March 11, 2026
“All people’s simply excited to get on the market and play,” Clark stated. “Fairly just a few of us, it is our first time on the senior nationwide crew. Anytime you get to place USA on, however particularly at this degree, not very many individuals get to do this. So really, an unbelievable honor.”
Clark confirmed no indicators of rust in her return, threading passes and pulling down open seems to be effectively — a two-time FIBA U19 World Cup gold medalist and 2021 match MVP who seemed each bit the half. She admitted afterward there have been moments the place she was “sucking air.”
“I really feel like I had my wind fairly effectively,” Clark stated. “I felt like I used to be enjoying quick, and that was my objective. I do know that is what I can convey to this crew.”
Bueckers, Reese Ship for Staff USA
Bueckers, who coined the group’s nickname — the “younger and turnt” class — chipped in 9 factors, 4 rebounds and three assists off the bench. Reese grabbed eight rebounds to go together with six factors in 17 minutes, in line with the unrelenting work on the glass that made her a two-time WNBA All-Star. Iriafen contributed six factors, 4 rebounds and two steals whereas taking pictures an ideal 2-of-2 from the sphere.
“It is actually enjoyable simply to see our journeys and the place we had been once we had been youthful,” Bueckers stated. “Life can go a whole lot of other ways. So for us to proceed to grind, work exhausting, and simply be right here at this level in life is de facto rewarding.”
That’s turnt 🔋@CaitlinClark22 ➡️ @paigebueckers1
🇺🇸 #USABWNT x #FIBAWWC pic.twitter.com/hmigeJ9V1F
— USA Basketball (@usabasketball) March 11, 2026
Clark, Bueckers, and Reese share a historical past within the junior nationwide crew expertise pool, and all three competed towards one another in school. Iriafen’s path was completely different — she earned her spot on this roster with out that youth program background. All 4 at the moment are enjoying alongside Olympic gold medalists Chelsea Grey, Jackie Younger, Kahleah Copper, and Kelsey Plum, together with veterans Rhyne Howard and Dearica Hamby. Reese stated the youthful gamers have leaned on that have all week.
“We’ve a whole lot of vets that had been on the Olympic crew, so they have been in a position to present us a whole lot of the way in which,” Reese stated. “There are a whole lot of new faces right here, however we are able to rely loads on our vets, as a result of they’ve been on this second and so they have this expertise. So I am wanting ahead to simply having the ability to hear and soaking it up, and I do know in the future the roles are reversed, and I will be a vet. So hopefully that may be instance.”
Subsequent Up: Puerto Rico
Senegal scored the primary level of the evening on the 8:44 mark of the primary quarter, however that was pretty much as good because it acquired — Staff USA responded with 15 straight factors and by no means seemed again, with Kahleah Copper scoring six throughout the burst because the protection compelled a number of turnovers to gas the quick break. Staff USA shot 60.7 % from the sphere and 54.8 % from three on the evening, piling up 30 assists on 37 made baskets because the lead ballooned to 64 factors.
Congrats in your 🇺🇸 #USABWNT debut @Reese10Angel! pic.twitter.com/FJ7M1mOwK2
— USA Basketball (@usabasketball) March 12, 2026
Staff USA’s World Cup berth was already secured earlier than the primary tip in Puerto Rico — Berlin in September is already on the schedule. However coach Kara Lawson continues to be utilizing the video games to kind out lineups and personnel, with managing director Sue Chook evaluating gamers to assist form the World Cup roster.
Staff USA will face Puerto Rico Thursday evening, Mar. 12, at 7:45 p.m. ET. You will discover the total schedule HERE.
