Caitlin Clark returned to a basketball court on Friday. It had been 150 days since Clark last played in an official, competitive basketball game. And although she didn’t participate in a professional game on Friday, she was seen practicing full speed, with no restrictions, at Team USA’s basketball training camp in Duke University.
Clark was limited to playing only 13 games during the WNBAlast year’s regular season due to a nagging groin injury. His last match of the season took place on July 15, when Indiana fever took on the Connecticut Sun. She would be shut down for the season shortly afterward, when doctors determined she would not be able to fully recover in time to return during the 2025 season.
Advertisement
With Clark appearing virtually everywhere Friday, from practice videos with Team USA to Clark’s press conferences with reporters, the basketball world seems happy to have its favorite superstar back in action.
Caitlin Clark asked if she would consider playing in the Project B Basketball League
During Clark’s media availability on Friday, a reporter asked Clark an interesting question. While there is talk of a possible lockout looming over the WNBA, with the league and its players not (yet) able to agree on a new collective bargaining agreement, other professional basketball leagues continue to emerge as legitimate alternatives to the WNBA.
Advertisement
Clark was asked if she plans to play in the new “Project B” league, a 5-on-5 men’s and women’s basketball league backed by several high-profile investors, including Candace Parker, Novak Djokovicand others. Clark gave a definitive answer as to whether she plans to participate in this new league.
“I plan to play in the WNBA,” Clark said.
Many in the women’s basketball world believe Clark is an ideal candidate to lend her talents to “Project B,” as a handful of her Fever teammates have already confirmed their participation in the upstart league. As of Friday, these players include Sophie Cunningham and Kelsey Mitchell.
Advertisement
Clark also acknowledged that the WNBA has work to do to ensure its league is fully operational next season.
“Obviously, that’s another thing we have to do, so we have a season coming up here,” Clark said.
The wise Clark then turned her response in a different, more positive direction, emphasizing how the popularity of women’s basketball continues to grow, and the multiple rival leagues coming to fruition are proof of that, even though many view these leagues as a threat to the stability of the WNBA.
Advertisement
“I think more than anything, it shows what people think about women’s basketball. All these different opportunities, all these different leagues. The platform they want to give women’s basketball. Where they think women’s basketball is going to continue to grow. I think that’s probably the thing that comes to mind. People really believe in it and put their money where their mouth is, and that hasn’t always been the case for women’s basketball, no matter how much it has been great over the last 25 years or 30 years, in my mind, that’s probably what I’m most proud of, is how excited people are and want to invest in women’s basketball,” Clark said.
The world will have to wait and see if the WNBA league office and its players will be able to agree on a new CBA rather than being forced into a lockout this season. Until then, it doesn’t look like Clark will be looking for an alternative league to occupy his time.
This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on December 13, 2025, where he first appeared in the WNBA section. Add Athlon Sports as Favorite source by clicking here.
