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Taurasi Hands Off No. 12 to Clark: A New Era Dawns
24 Mar
Summary
- Diana Taurasi endorsed Caitlin Clark to wear her famous No. 12 for Team USA.
- Clark recently debuted for the senior national team, excelling in qualifiers.
- The USA Basketball tradition allows jersey numbers from four to 15.
WNBA icon Diana Taurasi has expressed her approval for Caitlin Clark to inherit her celebrated No. 12 jersey for the United States national team. Taurasi, who wore the number for two decades during her Olympic career, believes Clark is the ideal player to continue its legacy.
Taurasi stated in a recent interview, "I couldn't think of anyone better to take it and put it on and just have an amazing career." She anticipates watching Clark compete in upcoming international events.
Clark recently made her debut with the USA senior national team during the 2026 FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup Qualifying Tournament in Puerto Rico. She led the team to an undefeated 5-0 record, averaging 11.6 points and 6.4 assists, and was named the tournament MVP.
USA Basketball follows a tradition of restricting jersey numbers to the range of four to 15, a rule that originated from FIBA regulations but has been maintained by the national body.
