According to a report, Team USA decided to leave Caitlin Clark off the 2024 Olympic roster due to concerns that fans would be outraged over the minimal playing time she would have received on the team’s veteran-heavy roster.
Christine Brennan of USA Today Sports cites two “impeccable” sources who claim the rookie phenom’s omission had more to do with social media outcry than basketball.
“Two other sources, both long-time U.S. basketball veterans with decades of experience in the women’s game, told USA TODAY Sports Friday that concern over how Clark’s millions of fans would react to what would likely be limited playing time on a stacked roster was a factor in the decision making,” Brennan reported. “If true, that would be an extraordinary admission of the tension that this multi-million-dollar sensation, who signs autographs for dozens of children before and after every game, has caused for the old guard of women’s basketball. The two people spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter.”
The internet was full of reactions to Clark being left off the team.
Rant incoming. – leaving Caitlin Clark off the women's Olympic team is the dumbest shit I've ever heard pic.twitter.com/RXg0XwFwtN
— Dave Portnoy (@stoolpresidente) June 8, 2024
I don’t know enough about USA women’s Olympic basketball to know if Caitlin Clark’s omission is a snub. I do know that, right now, she would be the only reason I would remotely care about USA women’s Olympic basketball. https://t.co/IAP8bulQXg
— Alexi Lalas (@AlexiLalas) June 8, 2024
The report from Brennan makes sense. Diana Taurasi, Breanna Stewart, and Sabrina Ionescu are all at least at Clark’s level, if not better. Had the team accepted Clark, she would have seen very little playing time. And, yes, the response to her limited playing time would have been extremely negative and probably distracted the team.
In other words, Clark is good enough to be on the team but wouldn’t have helped the team enough to offset the drama that would have come with her.
However, Team USA’s reported reasoning for excluding Clark is unlikely to make her fans feel better.
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