Team USA Proves They Can Play the Second String and Still Win the FIBA Women’s Tourney

Team USA Proves They Can Play the Second String and Still Win the FIBA Women’s Tourney

The US won the FIBA tourney in Germany but not without controversy.

THINGS ARE HAPPENING THAT HAVE NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE LMFAO pic.twitter.com/1NwWgpnDqc

— the grinch (@WALKEDH0ME) September 13, 2026

They coaching staff didn’t play the world’s number one player or some of the other players and still won the tourny.

Caitlin Clark among the leading scorers for Team USA

She played less than half as many minutes as any of the other 4 players pic.twitter.com/4K8YJ0kC3g

— Clark Report (@CClarkReport) September 13, 2026

Many realized the coaching staff blocked any possibility Clark would be MVP.

Team USA is World Cup champion.

And now that the gold medal is secure, we can say what the numbers have been telling us all tournament.

Caitlin Clark was never used appropriately.

In the final, she played just 13:06 and still produced:

12 points
+11
11 EFF

Per minute:

0.92 PTS
+0.84 +/-
0.84 EFF

She finished first on Team USA in scoring rate and second in +/- per minute, yet spent most of the biggest game of the tournament watching veteran-heavy lineups from the bench.

And when she finally received meaningful fourth-quarter minutes, the game opened up. She scored, created, pushed pace and changed the pressure France had to defend.

Then she was taken back out.

This was the story of the entire World Cup.

The coaching staff entered Germany committed to a veteran hierarchy and never truly gave Clark, Bueckers, Howard, Boston and the younger core an extended opportunity to establish the faster, more dynamic style this roster was built to play.

Worse, the film repeatedly showed Clark available, open or calling for the ball while teammates chose another option. We cannot prove intent, but after enough possessions the pattern becomes impossible to ignore.

USA won the World Cup in spite of never fully unlocking its most dangerous offensive weapon.

The gold medal does not erase the coaching decisions.

It only makes them harder to defend.

Team USA is World Cup champion.

And now that the gold medal is secure, we can say what the numbers have been telling us all tournament.

Caitlin Clark was never used appropriately.

In the final, she played just 13:06 and still produced:

12 points
+11
11 EFF

Per minute:

0.92… pic.twitter.com/U144IcxDs7

— Sports Patriot (@SportsPatriotUS) September 13, 2026

Congrats to Clark, the real superstar on the team.