Even as she struggled through the first month of her WNBA season, Caitlin Clark believed she would make Team USA’s roster for the Paris Olympics. In an interview with Time, who named her the 2024 Athlete of the Year on Tuesday, Clark expounded on the national team snub for the first time.
Clark, a rookie sensation in the WNBA last season, became aware of USA Basketball’s decision after the Indiana Fever had won to bring their record to 3-9. During that stretch, Clark says, “I gave them a lot of reasons to keep me off the team with my play.” Clark averaged 16.8 points and 6.3 assists per game to start the season, but she was shooting 37.3 percent from the field while committing 5.8 turnovers per contest.
The selection committee prioritized veterans with more international experience. Diana Taurasi, Chelsea Gray, Jewell Loyd, Kelsey Plum, Kahleah Copper, Jackie Young and Sabrina Ionescu were multi-time All-Stars selected who had previously represented the USA at the Olympics or the FIBA World Cup. Clark agreed it would have been hard to remove any of those established players to include her, and she also said she did not want to be added simply as a means for increasing viewership for the games, as some fans and media argued for her inclusion.
Nevertheless, Clark’s overall body of work, dating back to her college career at Iowa, led her to believe she would still be in contention for a roster spot. Fellow WNBA No. 1 picks had made the Olympic team as rookies, including Taurasi, Candace Parker and Breanna Stewart. Clark’s college production at Iowa rivaled all those who preceded her, and her WNBA performance was on the uptick. After posting 30 points, eight rebounds and six assists in a win over the Washington Mystics, Clark said she texted her agent, hoping that effort would get her in the good graces of the committee.
It wasn’t enough. USA Basketball skewed more veteran than in previous cycles — this was the first Olympics that Carol Callan hadn’t been the director of the women’s basketball program — and Clark was left stateside. Though disappointed, she said her celebrity alone should not have merited an invite.
“That whole narrative kind of upset me,” Clark said. “Because that is not fair. It’s disrespectful to the people that were on the team, that had earned it and were really good. And it’s also disrespectful to myself.”
Although she missed out on a gold medal, Clark’s rookie season benefited from the month-long rest while Team USA competed and won gold in Paris. Her scoring, assists and shooting percentages all improved after the break, and Indiana went 9-5 to secure its first playoff berth in eight seasons. Playing in the Olympics remains a high priority for Clark. She said making the team in 2028 is a “huge, huge goal.” Given Clark’s rapid rate of improvement during her first pro season, it’s hard to imagine that her inclusion in 2028 will be controversial.
Required reading
- Caitlin Clark trading card sells for $234,850, shattering previous Clark and WNBA record
- Caitlin Clark, Cincinnati’s expansion bid and taking NWSL to a new level – Jeff Berding interview
(Photo of Caitlin Clark: Ron Hoskins / NBAE via Getty Images)
