There is no doubt that when an athlete reaches superstar status in professional sports, they inevitably receive a large share of the blame whenever their team struggles. That pressure intensifies when the player represents Team USA, especially as the women's national team chases its fifth consecutive FIBA World Cup title in Germany.
That is why, after Team USA barely escaped Italy with a 55-52 victory in their second group-stage game, it was difficult for the spotlight not to fall on Caitlin Clark . The three-time All-Star struggled badly, shooting 0-for-6 from the field, and, naturally, the criticism towards Caitlin intensified, questioning whether she is capable of adjusting her game to the international rules.
However, former MVP and WNBA legend Tina Charles believes the criticism is misplaced and highlights that the entire group failed to play cohesive basketball.
"I think it's a little bit unfair to isolate Caitlin Clark from Team USA. Caitlin Clark had rhythms in the first game, so did Team USA," Charles said . "Caitlin Clark struggled to find that rhythm, so did Team USA."
Make no mistake, CC did not earn her place on Team USA simply because of her popularity. In the ongoing (now-halted) 2026 WNBA season, she's averaging a career-high 22.5 points per game while posting a career-low turnover rate.
So, even though it was expected that Caitlin would come off the bench for coach Kara Lawson's Team USA, expectations remained high for her to provide a solid playmaking and scoring punch in limited minutes.
CC showed exactly that in the team's opener against China, dropping 14 points and 11 assists with zero turnovers. However, everything changed against Italy.
Not only was Clark evidently affected by the nonstop physicality, but she was also unable to get favorable foul calls, which disrupted her rhythm. As a result, the Indiana Fever star committed more turnovers (two) than assists (one).
Tina, however, acknowledged that Caitlin still has to learn to make constant adjustments and understand the rules to maximize her performance; she also stressed not making Clark the scapegoat, as it could significantly affect the confidence of a 24-year-old competing in her first major senior international event of this magnitude.
"The lesson for Caitlin Clark and Team USA is, 'Ok, what I'm used to doing is not available. What is the second thing I'm able to do to impact this game?'" Charles continued. "For me, it's a little bit unfair."
Caitlin appeared more comfortable than ever in Team USA's last group game against Czechia. Although she shot just 3-of-8 from the field, Clark did make the necessary adjustment to make an impact in other aspects, dishing seven assists and turning the ball over twice as Team USA bounced back with a dominant 105-64 win.
That improvement showed why judging "Ponytail Pete" based on one poor performance was highly premature. At the same time, the skepticism online is somewhat understandable.
Clark has become one of the biggest names in women's basketball, and with that level of fame comes enormous expectations. Thus, the expectation from fans to see CC take over games, especially when the likes of four-time MVP A'ja Wilson are out, is only natural.
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Sep 8, 2026, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
