FIBA World Cup: Caitlin Clark thrives in injury return; Paige Bueckers, Angel Reese push for roster spots

The 2026 FIBA Women's World Cup Qualifying Tournament in Puerto Rico came to a close Tuesday when Team USA outlasted Spain, 84-70, to complete a perfect 5-0 week in San Juan and finish in first place. The Americans had already qualified for this fall's World Cup, but have now officially received their boarding pass. 

As expected, Team USA led all teams in scoring with an average of 95.8 points per game. Their 14-point win over Spain was by far the closest game of the tournament, and their five victories came by an average of 42 points. 

Now that all of the action is in the books, let's take a look at what we learned about Team USA and the 2026 WNBA Draft. 

Caitlin Clark's return a success

When Caitlin Clark took the floor against Senegal in Team USA's opener, it was not only her senior national team debut, but her first competitive game in 239 days. It didn't take her long to shake off the rust. She went off for 17 points and 12 assists in 19 minutes against Senegal, and recorded the second-most assists ever in a FIBA Women's World Cup Qualifying game. 

Before this tournament, Clark hadn't played since July 15, when she strained her groin -- one of the many lower-body injuries that derailed her sophomore WNBA season. She only played 13 times last season, was never fully healthy and rarely looked like herself when she was on the floor. 

Clark wasn't as sharp against every opponent as she was against Senegal -- the level of competition rising certainly was a factor there -- but this week was a very positive step after sitting out for eight months. That's especially true considering she was making her senior Team USA debut and often had to adjust to an off-ball role next to other elite players. 

Caitlin Clark records double-double in 20 minutes in her Team USA debut at FIBA Women's World Cup qualifiers

Jack Maloney

For the tournament, Clark averaged 11.6 points and 6.4 assists on 52.9% shooting from the field, including 40% from 3-point range. Fittingly, she led both Team USA and the tournament in assists. All signs point to Clark being on the plane to Berlin in September. 

What's more, she looks ready to reclaim her place as one of the top guards in the WNBA whenever the 2026 season gets underway. That's great news for the league and the Indiana Fever. 

Paige Bueckers, Angel Reese make their case

Clark understandably got the most buzz this week, but this tournament was also the senior national team debut for Paige Bueckers and Angel Reese. Both made their cases to make the final roster for the World Cup. 

There was plenty of talk (and some consternation) about Team USA's lineups and rotations in the first two games, but it was clear that Kara Lawson and the rest of the coaching staff were trying to get a look at everyone on the roster using as many combinations as possible. 

Against Spain, the only competitive contest, the rotations quickly shrank. Nate Tibbetts, who was in charge for this one with Lawson back with Duke ahead of the NCAA Tournament, only played eight players until garbage time. Notably, Bueckers and Reese were part of that group. 

Bueckers, who had nine points, two rebounds and two assists against Spain, was her usual highly efficient and versatile self throughout the tournament. Her ability to create shots for herself and toggle into whatever offensive role the team needs is very valuable in international play. 

Reese, meanwhile, had four points and eight rebounds against Spain. While she didn't put up big scoring numbers on a team with so much offensive talent, she was a monster on the glass, as she has been throughout her career. Her energy and ability to control the boards are valuable traits in international play. 

There's a long way to go until Lawson and USA Basketball name the final roster for the World Cup, but Bueckers and Reese did everything in their power to make their case to the selection committee. 

WNBA Draft hopefuls Awa Fam, Iyana Martin impress for Spain

Awa Fam received plenty of criticism after a poor opening game to this tournament, and she was up and down throughout the week. All that really mattered, though, at least in terms of her WNBA draft prospects, was how she performed against Team USA. She was excellent. 

Fam finished with 10 points on 5 of 8 shooting, five rebounds and zero turnovers in 19 minutes against elite WNBA competition and looked completely comfortable on both sides of the ball. She was active on the glass, made some nice finishes in the pick-and-roll, hit a step-back mid-range jumper and a Dirk Nowitzki fadeaway over Dearica Hamby and even spent some time guarding Chelsea Gray. 

This was exactly the type of performance you would hope to see from a potential No. 1 pick on the big stage. On a personal level, this was one of the biggest nights of Fam's career to date, and she delivered in front of Dallas Wings general manager Curt Miller and head coach Jose Fernandez. 

Fam wasn't the only Spanish player who impressed in Puerto Rico. 

Iyana Martín, who had six points and dished out six assists against Team USA, is going to rise on everyone's draft boards after her showing this week. She is a spectacular playmaker, and, like Fam, is still only 19 years old. For the tournament, she averaged 11 points, 3.8 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 2.5 steals while shooting 50% from 3-point range, and was second among all players in steals and third in assists.