Caitlin Clark earns Diana Taurasi’s approval after wearing iconic No 12 for Team USA debut

Roughly 2 years aft Caitlin Clark’s notable omission from the U.S. women’s nationalist hoops squad astatine the Paris Olympics, the Indiana Fever prima made her long-awaited Team USA debut portion wearing an iconic jersey number.

The No. 12 jersey has agelong been associated with WNBA fable and six-time golden medalist Diana Taurasi’s storied Olympic runs. Clark precocious took the level successful her archetypal elder nationalist squad appearance, a determination that drew praise from Taurasi.

"It's truthful chill to spot Caitlin not lone deterioration the USA jersey, but fig 12. I spent 2 decades wearing that jersey and that number, and I couldn't deliberation of anyone amended to instrumentality it and enactment it connected and conscionable person an astonishing career," Taurasi told Sports Illustrated.

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Caitlin Clark (22) of the Indiana Fever and Diana Taurasi (3) of the Phoenix Mercury grin during the crippled connected June 30, 2024, astatine Footprint Center successful Phoenix, Arizona. (Kate Frese/NBAE via Getty Images)

Clark scored 17 points and averaged 11.6 points and 6.4 assists during the FIBA World Cup qualifier earlier this month, earning MVP honors.

Taurasi, a three-time FIBA women's golden medalist, praised Clark’s show and said she looks guardant to watching her this summertime arsenic she prepares for her archetypal Olympic run.

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"And Caitlin volition bash that. She had a large qualifier down successful Puerto Rico. It’s conscionable going to beryllium amusive to ticker her play successful the summer, successful Germany, and past the Olympics."

"No 1 amended to deterioration the 12, and Caitlin’s going to enactment immoderate golden medals connected that jersey, you know," she added.

Caitlin Clark (12) of the United States plays during the crippled astatine the 2026 FIBA World Cup Qualifying Tournament betwixt New Zealand and the United States successful San Juan, Puerto Rico, connected March 15, 2026, astatine Coliseo Jose Miguel Agrelot. (Edgardo Medina/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Clark wore No. 22 during her archetypal 2 WNBA seasons. She besides wore the fig during her emergence to stardom astatine Iowa.

While players often deterioration antithetic jersey numbers successful planetary competition, Taurasi said she had nary relation successful Clark’s determination to deterioration No. 12, but joked that a acquainted fig whitethorn person had a manus successful it.

Caitlin Clark of the U.S. prepares to instrumentality a escaped propulsion during the Women's World Cup 2026 Qualifier betwixt Puerto Rico and USA astatine the Coliseo de Puerto Rico José Miguel Agrelot connected March 12, 2026, successful San Juan, Puerto Rico. (Alexa Alejandro/FIBA via Getty Images)

"You know, erstwhile I’m retired of things, I’m out," Taurasi said. "Maybe Sue [Bird], you know, she’s a small spot much calculated than radical think. So possibly that was a Sue job. That wouldn’t astonishment me."

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Before this month's FIBA action, a drawstring of injuries sidelined Clark for overmuch of the past 8 months, limiting the NCAA’s all-time scoring person to 13 games successful her 2nd WNBA season.

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