Jackson Thompson Exposes the WNBA’s Greatest Drawback
OutKick Reporter Jackson Thompson joins Riley Gaines to interrupt down what he’s seeing contained in the WNBA’s largest cultural second. Riley and Jackson focus on Caitlin Clark, Sophie Cunningham, the Indiana Fever, WNBA fan power, league development, media gatekeeping, and whether or not the league is ready for its increasing viewers. In addition they focus on the continuing debate over males in ladies’s sports activities, questions round WNBA eligibility insurance policies, Enes Kanter Freedom, Royce White, San Jose State volleyball, and the way sports activities media has lined feminine athletes talking out. Plus, Jackson shares what he’s watching subsequent because the WNBA postseason approaches and Workforce USA ladies’s basketball prepares for worldwide competitors.
American dominance is on the road on this second week of September.
The U.S. ladies’s basketball group is among the many predominant dynasties in trendy worldwide sports activities, and have received eight consecutive Olympic gold medals and 4 consecutive World Cups. They haven’t misplaced a recreation at both occasion since 2006, and three victories in Berlin have prolonged their World Cup profitable streak to 33 video games. Their Olympic win streak is at 61 video games.
The U.S. has by no means misplaced a quarterfinal recreation within the FIBA Ladies’s World Cup, and they’re going to look to maintain that occurring Thursday. However they should do it with their largest star in an undefined function.
Caitlin Clark has come off the bench in all three group stage video games for the US. She went from a record-setting 14-point, 11-assist debut towards China to scoring only one level and lacking each subject purpose in a career-low recreation towards Italy, because the U.S. almost suffered a devastating upset.
Clark rebounded with 9 factors and 7 assists in a blowout win towards Czechia to shut the group stage.
However going into the knockout stage, as France and Belgium have regarded extra dominant than the U.S., Clark’s function will likely be a topic of upper consequence, each on the courtroom and on social media. Many followers have known as for different younger stars like Paige Buecker and Angel Reese to start out as nicely.
Paige Bueckers, Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese look on throughout observe as a part of the FIBA Ladies’s Basketball World Cup 2026 on Sept. 5, 2026, in Berlin, Germany. (NBAE through Getty Photographs)
And as America will look to defend its Olympic dynasty in residence soil in 2028, what occurs with Clark, Bueckers and Reese on this subsequent week would be the world’s final impression of how these three gel till LA28.
What has been carried out with Clark thus far?
Clark’s chemistry along with her World Cup teammates was on show in a viral video the place three different gamers appeared to level and snigger as she bent her naked ft backward beneath a bench to cover them from a digital camera within the locker room. The gamers laughing included Reese and Fever teammate Aliyah Boston.
Workforce USA Coach Kara Lawson has used Clark as a change-of-pace guard off the bench. That technique regarded almost excellent within the opener towards China.
Caitlin Clark #12 of the USA Basketball Ladies’s Nationwide Workforce seems to be on throughout a recreation towards the Italy Ladies’s Nationwide Workforce in the course of the 2026 FIBA World Cup Qualifying Match on Sept. 6 at Berlin Area in Berlin, Germany. (NBAE through Getty Photographs)
Clark entered the sport and instantly accelerated the American offense. She completed with 14 factors and 11 assists in 25 minutes because the U.S. received 94-61. She didn’t commit a turnover.
Her 11 assists have been probably the most ever by an American in a Ladies’s World Cup debut. Clark additionally turned the primary participant from any nation to file not less than 10 assists with no turnover in a World Cup recreation since FIBA started monitoring the statistic in 1994.
Clark mentioned that she was ready to simply accept a unique function than the one she holds with the Indiana Fever after the China recreation
“Being surrounded by 5 individuals who have received gold medals earlier than on the highest degree, I attempt to observe their lead and take each little bit of knowledge they attempt to give me,” Clark mentioned, in accordance with FIBA.
Lawson saved Clark on the bench towards Italy, however with extra irritating and scary outcomes for Individuals.
Clark performed 19 minutes and missed all six of her field-goal makes an attempt. She completed with one level and one help whereas committing two turnovers. It marked the primary time in her faculty or WNBA profession that she did not make a subject purpose.
Lawson then saved Clark on the bench for the ultimate seven minutes. The U.S. relied on its veteran guards because it erased a late deficit and escaped with a 55-52 victory.
The Individuals shot 29% and made solely two of their 24 makes an attempt from 3-point vary. Their 55 factors have been their fewest in a World Cup recreation since FIBA launched the 3-point line in 1984, in accordance with FIBA.
Clark responded towards Czechia someday later. She recorded 9 factors and 7 assists off the bench in a 105-64 victory that secured first place in Group D.
By way of three video games, Clark has produced 24 factors and 19 assists.
That call will carry extra weight from this level ahead, with larger stakes and harder competitors within the last spherical.
If the U.S. falls behind late within the quarterfinals, Lawson should determine whether or not to guard the dynasty with the veterans who constructed it or place the ball within the arms of the participant anticipated to guide its subsequent era.
What about Reese and Bueckers?
Angel Reese #15 of the USA Basketball Ladies’s Nationwide Workforce celebrates throughout a recreation towards the Italy Ladies’s Nationwide Workforce in the course of the 2026 FIBA World Cup Qualifying Match on Sept. 6, 2026 at Berlin Area in Berlin, Germany. (NBAE through Getty Photographs)
Bueckers and Reese have additionally come off the bench alongside Clark in each recreation.
The three stars have already spent years colliding in video games that helped remodel ladies’s basketball. Clark and Bueckers have been teammates on the US’ 2019 U19 gold-medal group earlier than splitting two NCAA Match conferences. UConn received their 2021 Candy 16 matchup, however Iowa answered with a 71-69 victory within the 2024 Remaining 4—a recreation that drew 14.2 million viewers.
Clark and Reese produced the extra heated rivalry. Reese helped LSU defeat Clark and Iowa within the 2023 nationwide championship, then celebrated with a hand gesture that sparked a nationwide debate about sportsmanship, race and double requirements. Clark obtained her revenge within the 2024 Elite Eight, recording 41 factors and 12 assists as Iowa defeated LSU regardless of Reese’s 17 factors and 20 rebounds.
Reese left faculty with LSU’s 2023 nationwide title, whereas Bueckers received her championship with UConn in 2025. Clark by no means captured the trophy, however she reached consecutive championship video games and helped drive the game to file tv audiences. Now the three gamers who turned well-known beneath the brightest lights try to win collectively—and doing so from Workforce USA’s bench.
To date within the World Cup, Bueckers has been a extra constant scorer than Clark. She matched Clark with 14 factors within the opener towards China and added 4 assists and two steals.
She then produced one of many strongest all-around performances for the U.S. throughout its scare towards Italy. Bueckers completed with seven factors, 5 rebounds, two assists, two steals and two blocks in 19 minutes. She additionally made the Individuals’ first 3-pointer after the group missed its first 10 makes an attempt.
Bueckers adopted that efficiency with 10 factors and 5 assists towards Czechia. She has made 13 of her 22 field-goal makes an attempt by three video games whereas committing solely three turnovers.
In the meantime, Reese collected 9 rebounds in 17 minutes towards China, together with 5 on the offensive glass. That effort turned particularly beneficial towards a Chinese language roster constructed round one of many tallest frontcourts within the match.
Reese then made her largest influence when the remainder of the American offense struggled towards Italy. She scored eight factors in quarter-hour, made all 4 of her free throws and recorded two blocks.
Reese added 13 factors and 6 rebounds within the victory over Czechia. By way of three video games, she has produced 26 factors and 18 rebounds regardless of taking part in fewer than 20 minutes in every look.
ZERO BS. JUST DAKICH. TAKE THE DON’T @ ME PODCAST ON THE ROAD. DOWNLOAD NOW!
America’s best threats
The U.S. earned a direct journey to the quarterfinals by profitable Group D. It can face the winner of Hungary and Japan on Thursday.
Neither group would enter that recreation as a favourite. Hungary has not reached the World Cup quarterfinals in 40 years, whereas Japan has not made it that far since 1979. However the Individuals’ three-point escape towards Italy confirmed how shortly a heavy favourite can discover itself at risk throughout a single-elimination recreation.
The street might turn out to be a lot tougher within the semifinals. The U.S. would face Spain or the winner of the qualifying recreation between Italy and Australia.
Italy has already proven it might threaten the Individuals. The Italians held the U.S. to 55 factors—its lowest whole in a serious worldwide match in a long time—and had an opportunity to tie the sport within the last seconds.
Australia has reached the rostrum at every of the final three World Cups. Spain completed second on the 2025 European championship and opened this match by beating host Germany by 30 factors. Nonetheless, Spain additionally suffered one of many match’s largest upsets when it misplaced to Mali throughout group play.
The 2 most critical threats sit on the opposite facet of the bracket.
France regarded just like the match’s most dominant group in the course of the opening spherical. The French went 3-0 and outscored their opponents 305-178. They defeated Hungary by 46 factors, Korea by 26 and Nigeria by 55. France additionally made a World Cup-record 22 three-pointers towards Nigeria.
A possible U.S.-France championship recreation would carry latest historical past. France got here inside one level of ending the American Olympic dynasty within the 2024 gold-medal recreation. Gabby Williams made a shot on the buzzer, however her foot was contained in the three-point line, permitting the U.S. to flee with a 67-66 victory.
Belgium might current an equally troublesome problem. The Belgians additionally completed group play 3-0 and closed it with an 80-68 victory over Australia. Emma Meesseman recorded 22 factors and 10 rebounds in that recreation, whereas Julie Allemand turned the World Cup’s all-time assists chief.
Belgium has additionally received consecutive European championships. It defeated Spain within the 2023 and 2025 finals, together with a dramatic 14-0 closing run to erase a 12-point deficit within the last minutes of final yr’s title recreation.
France and Belgium are positioned to satisfy within the semifinals, that means the U.S. might face solely considered one of them within the championship recreation. That could be one of the best information the Individuals acquired from the bracket.
The U.S. nonetheless has the deepest assortment of expertise in Berlin. However France has been extra dominant, Belgium has extra continuity and Italy has already uncovered how susceptible the Individuals can look on a poor taking pictures night time. Three extra victories would protect the dynasty.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
One dangerous recreation might mark the tip of the dynasty, ship the WNBA discourse again residence into additional chaosl and set an unsure precedent forward of the 2028 Olympics.
