Former ESPN personality and longtime sports talk radio host Dan Patrick has no problem with Caitlin Clark being left off the Team USA Olympic roster.
Why?
Well, because he doesn’t believe she’s good enough yet.
“I don’t think Caitlin Clark is one of the 12 best players right now,” Patrick said. “If you want to have Caitlin on the roster, then who are you taking off? And how do you tell that person, ‘Hey, we want to have the popular girl on?’ If anyone has a gripe being snubbed, it’s Arike Ogunbowale.”
"I don't think Caitlin Clark is 1 of the 12 best players right now… If you want to have Caitlin on the roster then who are you taking off? And how do you tell that person 'hey we want to have the popular girl on'?… If anyone has a gripe being snubbed it's Arike Ogunbowale." pic.twitter.com/Lhxwl0dvdR
— Dan Patrick Show (@dpshow) June 10, 2024
According to USA Today Sports:
Ogunbowale, a sixth-year guard for the Dallas Wings and three-time WNBA All-Star, is averaging a career-high 26.4 points, 5.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 3.2 steals per game this season.
Clark is averaging 16.3 points, 6 assists, and 4.9 rebounds for the 3-10 Fever. Clark was held to 10 points in an 89-72 loss to the Connecticut Sun on Monday.
Whether Clark is or isn’t one of the top 12 players, that’s the wrong way to look at the situation. The committee that selects the players for Team USA doesn’t just pick the top 12 players in the country. There are five positions they have to fill on the team: guard, shooting guard, small forward, power forward, and center.
So, in reality, it’s even more scrutinizing than needing to be in the top 12. If the Team USA roster will carry three shooting guards, then Clark has to be one of the top 3 shooting guards in the country. And if you look at the guards on this team: Sabrina Ionescu, Breanna Stewart, and Diana Taurasi, it’s very debatable that Caitlin Clark – at this point in her career – belongs in that group.
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