Charles Defends Clark Amidst FIBA World Cup Scrutiny

Team USA narrowly avoided an upset in the FIBA World Cup, securing a 55-52 victory over Italy on Sunday, September 6, 2026, a game that saw Caitlin Clark record a rare scoreless shooting performance. The Indiana Fever star missed all six of her field goal attempts, finishing with just one point, an unusual stat line for one of basketball's most prolific scorers. This performance drew significant attention, but WNBA legend Tina Charles defended Clark, arguing that focusing solely on her was unfair and that her struggles mirrored those of the entire American offense. Charles, speaking ahead of Team USA's game against Czechia on Monday, September 7, 2026, stated that Clark's performance needed to be viewed in the context of the team's overall offensive difficulties. "I think it is a little bit unfair to isolate Caitlin Clark from Team USA," Charles said. "Caitlin Clark had the rhythm in the first game, so did Team USA. Clark struggled to find that rhythm on Sunday, and so did Team USA." Charles suggested that the challenge for Clark and the team is learning to adapt when their preferred offensive strategies are not working.