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Caitlin Clark has experienced an uneven start to the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup, but one statistic shows exactly how valuable she has been to Team USA. FIBA released its individual leaders following the group phase, and Clark ranked third among all players with 6.3 assists per game. She was the only American listed among the top five in any of the five primary statistical categories: points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks.
Clark trailed only Turkey’s Sevgi Uzun and Belgium’s Julie Allemand on the assists leaderboard. That distinction is particularly impressive because Team USA’s depth makes it difficult for any one player to compile dominant individual statistics. Coach Kara Lawson can turn to a roster filled with All-Stars, champions and leading scorers, spreading both minutes and opportunities across the team.
Clark still managed to separate herself as the Americans’ top facilitator.
Caitlin Clark’s passing has translated to the international game
Clark opened the tournament with 14 points and 11 assists against China. She followed that performance with only one point and one assist during a narrow 55-52 victory over Italy.
She responded against Czechia, finishing with nine points and seven assists in Team USA’s 105-64 win. Through three games, Clark averaged eight points, 2.7 rebounds and a team-leading 6.3 assists. She also led the Americans in average plus-minus at plus-19.3.
Her scoring numbers may not match what Fever fans are accustomed to seeing, but her playmaking remains a reliable part of her game. Clark repeatedly creates transition opportunities, finds cutters and forces defenses to account for passes that few guards attempt. That skill has been especially valuable while she adjusts to a new role. Clark has come off the bench during the tournament after serving as Indiana’s offensive engine throughout the WNBA season.
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The change has required her to influence games without always having the same volume of shots or minutes. Her place among FIBA’s assists leaders suggests she has found a way to do exactly that. Team USA entered the knockout stage unbeaten and remained the favorite to win another gold medal. The Americans do not need Clark to carry the offense by herself.
They do need her vision.
Through the group phase, no other Team USA player had cracked a top-five individual leaderboard. Clark did so by making sure the ball continued finding the right teammate.
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