If Caitlin Clark's teammates won't protect her from cheap shots on the court, Angel McCoughtry will ... saying she's down to sign with the Indiana Fever in a return to the league where she starred for years!

37-year-old McCoughtry joined Babcock on the "TMZ Sports" TV show (airs weekdays on FS1) ... days after Chicago Sky guard Chennedy Carter's body check of Clark sparked a conversation around the basketball world.

Angel believes it's time for Caitlin (and all teammates across the WNBA) to protect each other.

"Take care of your players. All of y'all. I don't care who it is. If somebody is dragging your player down by the neck, I'm in your face. 'What the hell are you doing?' Hey, we can go have lunch later, but right now we're competing. Don't grab my player like that."

McCoughtry does know of a player who WOULD stand up for her teammates ... Angel herself.

"Someone sign me! I'll make sure, I'm a vet and I'll make sure I defend and do what I gotta do."

And, Angel -- the former number one overall pick in 2009, 5x NBA All-Star, and 2x scoring champ -- isn't kidding about coming back. She's dead serious.

"I'm actually waiting to go back [to the WNBA]. Somebody, I'm here! Call me!" AM said. "C'mon, I'm still dunking the basketball!"

As for where she'd like to go ... we asked that very question.

"I would love to play on a team that can contest for a championship or be a vet to help the young ones ... like Caitlin Clark. She needs that vet around her arm just pushing her through the season."

We also talked to McCoughtry about the Angel Reese and Clark rivalry (Angel sees it as the WNBA's version of Magic Johnson and Larry Bird,) the massive spike in WNBA attention, and whether the CC hate is race-related.