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Roughly two years after Caitlin Clark’s notable omission from the U.S. women’s national basketball team at the Paris Olympics, the Indiana Fever star made her long-awaited Team USA debut while wearing an iconic jersey number.
The No. 12 jersey has long been associated with WNBA legend and six-time gold medalist Diana Taurasi’s storied Olympic runs. Clark recently took the floor in her first senior national team appearance, a move that drew praise from Taurasi.
“It’s so cool to see Caitlin not only wear the USA jersey, but number 12. I spent two decades wearing that jersey and that number, and I couldn’t think of anyone better to take it and put it on and just have an amazing career,” Taurasi told Sports Illustrated.
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Caitlin Clark (22) of the Indiana Fever and Diana Taurasi (3) of the Phoenix Mercury smile during the game on June 30, 2024, at Footprint Center in 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 gold medalist, praised Clark’s performance and said she looks forward to watching her this summer as she prepares for her first Olympic run.
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“And Caitlin will do that. She had a great qualifier down in Puerto Rico. It’s just going to be fun to watch her play in the summer, in Germany, and then the Olympics.”
“No one better to wear the 12, and Caitlin’s going to put some gold medals on that jersey, you know,” she added.
Caitlin Clark (12) of the United States plays during the game at the 2026 FIBA World Cup Qualifying Tournament between New Zealand and the United States in San Juan, Puerto Rico, on March 15, 2026, at Coliseo Jose Miguel Agrelot. (Edgardo Medina/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Clark wore No. 22 during her first two WNBA seasons. She also wore the number during her rise to stardom at Iowa.
While players often wear different jersey numbers in international competition, Taurasi said she had no role in Clark’s decision to wear No. 12, but joked that a familiar figure may have had a hand in it.
Caitlin Clark of the U.S. prepares to take a free throw during the Women’s World Cup 2026 Qualifier between Puerto Rico and USA at the Coliseo de Puerto Rico José Miguel Agrelot on March 12, 2026, in San Juan, Puerto Rico. (Alexa Alejandro/FIBA via Getty Images)
“You know, once I’m out of things, I’m out,” Taurasi said. “Maybe Sue [Bird], you know, she’s a little bit more calculated than people think. So maybe that was a Sue job. That wouldn’t surprise me.”
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Before this month’s FIBA action, a string of injuries sidelined Clark for much of the past eight months, limiting the NCAA’s all-time scoring leader to 13 games in her second WNBA season.
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