Several of Caitlin Clark‘s Team USA teammates have faced criticism for allegedly “icing out” the Indiana Fever star from team play.
In the last few days, many fans claimed that Clark is being “iced out” by her teammates, with several users sharing clips that appear to show her being excluded during some offensive plays.
On Tuesday, an X account posted screenshots from the comment sections of Jackie Young and Kahleah Copper’s recent Instagram posts. The images showed several users directing hateful and racist comments at the Team USA veterans.
Fans on X reacted to the online abuse that Young and Copper had received amid the narrative involving Clark.
“For saying ‘clap’??? G****!!!! Clark should’ve never joined the team cause this is what she brings with her!!!!” one fan tweeted.
“This s**t goes on across EVERY SPORT. Stop whining. CC receives more hate than anyone I’ve ever seen, other than LeBron LOL bless his heart,” another wrote.
“You guys can’t get along for 1 week! It’s FIBA break, and everyone is on the same team,” a fan commented.
Others called out Clark’s fanbase, attributing some online harassment and racist remarks toward opposing players to the group.
“This is ridiculous! 🤦🏽♂️ None of this was an issue until her fanbase showed up,” a fan posted.
“I’m so tired of that fanbase man holy f**k,” another tweeted.
“Facts: None of these players should ever be receiving harassment from all of these players’ fanbases, but they still do. It seems only one player gets ignored for getting harassment, though,” one fan wrote.
Last week, Young and Copper each shared photos from their photoshoot for Team USA for the 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup in Berlin, Germany.
The WNBA had repeatedly condemned online abuse directed at its players. Most recently, the league permanently banned an individual linked to a racist message received by LA Sparks forward Dearica Hamby.
Caitlin Clark comments on having elite offensive options on Team USA
In her postgame interview on Monday, Caitlin Clark was asked about having “many options,” alluding to Team USA’s deep roster. The Indiana Fever star, who is averaging a team-high 6.3 assists per game, said the experience is “fun” and challenging at the same time.
“You get to play with so many talented players,” Clark said. “That’s what makes it fun. Sometimes it’s hard to decide who to pass to because everybody’s so talented and everybody’s able to create their own shot. It’s fun to get to play in transition with these players, a lot of which, some are my first time.
“Some I’ve played with prior, with USA Basketball. I think that can really help us going forward: Getting out, running in transition, kicking the ball ahead. So, just try to find everybody, set them up for easy baskets.”
In Team USA’s 105-64 win over Czechia, Clark recorded a team-high seven assists to go along with her nine points in 22 minutes off the bench.
Clark ranks No. 3 in both assists per game and total assists (19) in the 2026 FIBA World Cup behind former WNBA player Sevgi Uzun (Turkey) and the Toronto Tempo’s Julie Allemand (Belgium).
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Edited by Kim Daniel Rubinos
