WNBA ANALYST QUESTIONS CLARK'S READINESS FOR WORLD CUP FINAL

A WNBA journalist has said she does not think Caitlin Clark is ready for the physicality France is expected to bring to Sunday's Women's Basketball World Cup gold medal game against the United States. Aya Abdeen wrote on X on Saturday that Clark has contributed to Team USA's run in Berlin, but said the final would present a different kind of challenge. She described the assessment as her "brutally honest" take, adding that not everyone would agree. The comments followed a 76-66 semi-final win over Spain in which Clark scored one point and played limited minutes, according to another report.

Clark had earlier impressed in the tournament, recording 14 points, three rebounds and 11 assists on her senior World Cup debut against China, reportedly a Team USA record for assists in a debut. She added 10 points, nine assists and three rebounds against Hungary in the quarter-final. But she struggled in a 55-52 win over Italy, scoring one point on six missed field-goal attempts, with one assist, four rebounds and two turnovers in 18 minutes. Team USA shot just 29 percent from the field in that game, reported to be the country's lowest-scoring World Cup match in 42 years.

The gold medal game is scheduled to be played in Berlin on Sunday. Abdeen's comments add to wider discussion among WNBA analysts about Clark's form against physical opponents at the tournament. A separate report said another WNBA analyst had delivered a blunt assessment of Clark's approach to the competition. The result of the final had not been decided at the time of the reports.