Caitlin Clark will not be a part of the Team USA squad that goes for a record 8th-straight gold medal at the Summer Olympics in Paris, and basketball fans are puzzled by the move!
According to multiple reports, 22-year-old Clark, the most famous female hooper in the world, was not named to the 12-player squad … which will represent America in France next month.
An official announcement has not yet been made, but the team is made up of a mix of veterans and first-time Olympians. But, no Clark.
The decision comes amid a wave of controversy surrounding Caitlin’s treatment by other WNBA players.
She’s been beaten up on the court — sometimes outside the scope of the basketball game (see the Chennedy Carter body check from last weekend’s Fever-Sky clash). Supporters have attributed the bad treatment to everything from jealousy to racism.
Others have claimed the WNBA is simply a tougher league … and Clark, who is still averaging nearly 17 points per game (13th in the league), must adjust to the physical play. Basically, nothing to see here.
It seems the decision to keep CC off the Olympic team may have something to do with her popularity, as crazy as that sounds. USA Today spoke with two sources who told the outlet there was concern about how Clark’s millions of fans would react to what would likely be limited playing time for the number one overall pick.
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
@stoolpresidente
Predictably, many of those millions of fans are upset over the perceived snub … including Dave Portnoy, who called it the “dumbest s***” he’s heard for opting to leave arguably the most popular player alive off of the team.
And, the Barstool founder isn’t alone … it’s left many people scratching their heads, including U.S. soccer legend Alexi Lalas, who also couldn’t understand the decision.
“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,” Lalas wrote on X.
Clark, who scored 30 points last night in front of a jam-packed crowd that resembled an NBA game, has not yet commented on the Olympic team.
As for who did make the squad … A’Ja Wilson, Breanna Stewart, Sabrina Ionescu, and Brittney Griner are a few of the stars named to be on the 2024 Women’s Olympic team.