Overview
- USA Basketball’s three-day senior women’s camp in Durham is underway, the first evaluation window for managing director Sue Bird and head coach Kara Lawson.
- Roughly 10 players are making their first senior 5-on-5 appearances, including Caitlin Clark, Paige Bueckers, Angel Reese, Aaliyah Boston and Cameron Brink.
- Caitlin Clark returned from her 2025 groin injury and early camp footage showed encouraging lateral movement and defensive activity.
- USC star JuJu Watkins, invited as she recovers from ACL surgery, is observing but not participating on court to gain exposure to the senior-team environment.
- Sue Bird said absences of past Olympians such as A’ja Wilson, Breanna Stewart, Napheesa Collier and Sabrina Ionescu reflect scheduling rather than selection signals, with eyes on March World Cup qualifying and the 2026 event in Germany.