Many people questioned why the outstanding rookie Caitlin Clark was left off of the USA women’s basketball squad for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.
As a committee member for the USA women’s basketball team, Dawn Staley contributed to the selection of the team’s twelve players. In an interview with NBC’s Mike Tirico on Sunday, she acknowledged that the youngster from the Indiana Fever would have a great chance if the squad were assembled now.
“As a committee member, it is your responsibility to assemble the best players and talent for the team,” stated Staley. “Caitlin is a rookie in the WNBA; her previous performance wasn’t poor, but it wasn’t at the level of her current play.
“The way she’s playing, if we had to start over, she would be seriously considered for making the team because she is outperforming a lot of players,” the woman said. “She has a great basketball IQ, shoots the ball extremely well, is an elite passer, and has a little more experience in the pro game than she did two months ago.”
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Clark was averaging 16.3 points on 37.3% shooting, 4.9 rebounds, and 6.0 assists prior to the team’s announcement on June 11. She only got better, setting a record for the most assists in a single game just before the Olympics.
In June, NBA commissioner Adam Silver stated that, although he could understand the decision to leave Clark off the roster, he would have like to see her play for Team USA.
“As someone who oversees the NBA and eventually the WNBA, and as an independent from USA Basketball, I wouldn’t say I’m disappointed, but it would have been nice to see her on the floor,” Silver remarked. She is without a doubt one of the most well-liked players in the world right now. The ratings bear that out.
According to two seasoned USA basketball veterans who spoke with USA TODAY’s Christine Brennan, the decision to leave Clark off the team was motivated by concerns about the reaction of her supporters to the rookie Indiana Fever player getting little playing time.
Clark gained a lot of notoriety even before joining the WNBA this season. During her final season at Iowa, she became the Division I basketball scoring leader ever. After the Gamecocks defeated Iowa in the women’s NCAA championship game, South Carolina coach Dawn Staley commended her for “lifting up” women’s basketball.
Clark stated that she was thrilled to get a break and get some relaxation, even though it wasn’t widely agreed upon on social media to leave her off the roster.