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When Caitlin Clark takes the court on Wednesday in FIBA Women's World Cup qualifying, fans might be surprised to see the Indiana Fever superstar donning an unusual number.
Throughout her NCAA and WNBA careers, Clark has worn the no. 22 jersey; in fact, that jersey is retired at the University of Iowa, where Clark led the Hawkeyes to two national championship games and became college basketball's all-time leading scorer.
But when she debuts for the national team against Senegal on Wednesday in Puerto Rico, Clark will be wearing the no. 12 jersey. And though she may have wanted her favored number, the choice wasn't up to her.
Why is Clark wearing No. 12?
In short, Clark is wearing the #12 because of a Team USA rule.
Previous FIBA rules for international competition stipulated that players could only pick jersey numbers 4-15, largely to help officials communicate foul calls more clearly.
— USA Basketball (@usabasketball) March 9, 2026USA Basketball has stuck to this rule over the years, even as FIBA has phased it out. And they didn't make an exception for Clark.
The Fever guard wore the no. 17 during USA Basketball training camp in North Carolina last year and will be wearing #12 for Women's World Cup qualifying, which will see Team USA play five games in six days.
"I didn't get to pick," Clark told Jason and Travis Kelce in December about her national team jersey number. "If I eventually make the team in international basketball, it’s 4 through 15, those are the only numbers.”
Clark may not like the number or the rule. But she may forget all about it as she closes in on her long-awaited national team debut along Olympians like Kahleah Copper, Chelsea Gray and Jackie Young -- not to mention other young stars in Paige Bueckers and Angel Reese.
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