Hoosiers All-Star Kaitlin Clark is finally feeling like herself again.
Clark, who was limited to 13 games in the 2025 WNBA season due to a series of soft tissue injuries, said it “feels good to finally be back to 100 percent” after his first Team USA senior training camp workout.
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“I put together an incredible run of never missing a game,” Clark told the media on Friday. “The truth is, when you become a professional athlete, it’s going to come at some point. That’s the way it is. I think it taught me more, honestly, than I ever learned in my career, how to take care of your body, how to be right, how to stay healthy, and then make time for yourself.”
Clark has to shake off some rust. She delivered a side-step game-winning 3-pointer to Paige Bueckers, who said confidently during Friday’s practice that “this is the game, the white (team) wins.” Despite dealing with some early jitters, Clark said it was “very satisfying” to be on the court again.
“It made me laugh a lot. I definitely felt like myself,” she said Friday. “Just continuing to let my lungs recover, but I feel like I’m moving pretty good.”
USA Basketball: Paige Bueckers, ‘young and turned’ rookie brings glamor to Team USA training camp
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The practice was a full-circle moment for Clark, who was not selected to compete on Team USA at the 2024 Paris Olympics, a decision that sparked controversy. But Clark said she wasn’t disappointed at being left out. “Whether I join the team or not join the team, the outcome could be this,” she said in June 2024. Instead, it gave Clark “more motivation” and a direction worth working towards.
“In my past, being on junior (Team USA) national teams, I’ve been cut from some of those, but I’ve played for three of them. I’ve been on both sides of this,” Clark said Friday. “This is the greatest honor you can receive, and playing basketball in our country is like wearing America on your chest. I’m happy to be here and honored. Obviously, it’s kind of like the beginning of a new Olympic cycle.”
Clark said she was nervous when she first stepped on the field to practice with her fellow players, who include a mix of young stars (a core Bueckers calls a “young and turned” core) and seasoned veterans. Clark last played in the WNBA on July 15 before suffering a right groin injury that sidelined him, missing the remainder of the regular season and the playoffs in which the Fever advanced to the semifinals.
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“It was an injury, and then it got a little better, and then it kept getting worse, and it got worse, and other things came up. And then I hurt my ankle,” Clark recalled Friday. “I did everything I could to try to be able to come back and play for my team, but it didn’t really work. I think it was almost a relief for myself just to know that I gave everything I could to try, but my body wasn’t really letting me do that.”
Clark continued her rehab after the season, a process she said “probably took longer than I expected,” adding that she was in “really good shape.”
The tension quickly faded away as she returned to herself. “When I touch the basketball to warm up before practice starts, that’s probably when I feel comfortable,” she said.
Kaitlin Clark practices during USA Basketball training camp.
“I’m working really hard. I haven’t had a break since the (2025) WNBA season started, just rehabbing and getting back to where I want to be,” she explained. “That’s the next thing I’ve been working on since the season ended…For myself, it’s not about proving it to myself again, but that’s what it feels like.”
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U.S. women’s national team general manager Sue Bird said she noticed a new level of maturity in Clark after an injury-plagued season.
“I can really only imagine, for a player like Caitlin, the end of your college season is going to be epic. You go right into your (rookie) WNBA season. You’re going to be a first-team player,” Bird said Thursday. “You have a long offseason and you can’t wait to get back on the court, but she was out with some injuries.
“It’s a challenge for a player… I think the most impressive thing is the way she stays engaged. Whether you’re watching ‘Mania’ on TV or catching something on social media, you can see that… I think it really shows her maturity.”
Clark has been busy during the offseason, including rehabbing, attending Team USA training camp and even playing in the Annika Pro-Am Golf Exhibition last month. Clark said she “plans to play in the WNBA next season” as CBA negotiations continue, but noted that her golf career may be over.
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“I’m putting my golf clubs away now,” she joked. “I’m really focused on basketball. It makes my body a little sore, so I’d rather just stick to basketball. But I love it and it’s always great to be out there.”
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Caitlin Clark ‘finally back to 100 percent’ after injury-riddled season