She’s set to be one of many greatest WNBA stars of all time, however individuals are asking why Caitlin Clark will not be on the USA Olympics basketball crew.
On April 15, 2024, the all-star was drafted by the Indiana Fever because the primary general choose within the WNBA Draft. In her freshman season with Iowa College, she led the NCAA Division I in scoring and earned All-American honors. As a sophomore, Clark was a unanimous first-team All-American and have become the primary ladies’s participant to guide Division I in factors and assists in a single season. In her first season within the WNBA, she’s averaging 16.8 factors, 5.3 rebounds, and 6.3 assists.
Why isn’t Caitlin Clark on the USA Olympics basketball crew?
Whereas there’s been no official reason why Clark didn’t make Crew USA, followers on Reddit have their theories, going as far as to recommend the Olympic coach Cheryl Reeve “has been in opposition to Caitlin from the beginning.” Reeve posted on X with #TheWismorethan one participant and alluded to Caitlin Clark when a fan replied again to her publish. USA TODAY Sports activities correspondent Nancy Rumor posted, “After I requested Cheryl Reeve at USOPC Summit about Clark, she mentioned, “I’ve by no means been within the trenches along with her.” Not even at a USA Basketball camp.”
Caitlin Clark expressed that she had “no disappointment” because of the stage of expertise and expertise of the 12-member crew. The USA crew is about to include MVPs and skilled gamers like Britney Griner, A’ja Wilson, Breanna Stewart, Alyssa Thomas, and Napheesa Collier.
Clark was invited to Crew USA’s coaching camp in Spring 2024, however was unable to take part because of the Closing 4. Nonetheless, Clark says that she’s wanting ahead to what’s to come back from the crew. “I’m excited for the ladies which might be on the crew,” Clark mentioned through Huffington Submit. “I do know it’s essentially the most aggressive crew on the planet and I do know it might have gone both approach of me being on the crew, me not being on the crew. I’m excited for them, gonna be rooting them on to win gold. I used to be a child who grew up watching the Olympics, so it’ll be enjoyable to observe them.
“They known as me and let me know at the start got here out, which was actually respectful of them, and I appreciated that,” Clark mentioned of USA Basketball. “They did the identical for each woman that made the crew or each woman that didn’t make the crew. There was a variety of gamers within the Olympic pool, it’s not like I used to be the one one they needed to name. They needed to make fairly just a few calls.”
She’s additionally setting her sights on the longer term since she’s only a rookie in skilled sports activities in any case. “I feel it simply offers you one thing to work for. It’s a dream, hopefully, at some point I will be there and I feel it’s just a bit extra motivation. You do not forget that and hopefully, in 4 years I will be there.”
However like several good basketball participant, she’s capturing her shot. “If USA Basketball wants one thing, I’ve a fantastic relationship with them, however the 12 they’ve chosen are actually nice gamers so I feel they’re in fairly nice fingers,” Clark mentioned. “Cheryl [Reeve] is a superb coach, the choice committee did a very good job.”
Indiana Fever coach Christie Sides mentioned that Clark was “a bit dissatisfied” on the choice including that the US basketball crew is “the hardest crew on the planet to make.” “She received the decision on the bus, and texted me ‘they woke a monster,’ which I assumed was superior.”
“I didn’t have time to go to a coaching camp and clearly it was a fast turnaround to come back right here [to Indiana],” Clark mentioned. “So it’s good motivation for us and everyone knows how proficient that crew is.”
As anticipated, basketball followers had been fast to be cut up on the choice. “She’s already the best school feminine basketball participant in historical past,” one fan posted on Reddit. “She’s received loads of time to show her price in Olympics and can most likely be on their roster nicely into her 40s as soon as they settle for her. In addition to it’s not just like the Olympic crew wants her to win, WNBA is far more difficult.”
Whereas one other posted, “Let’s be sincere the U.S will steamroll to the gold anyway, why not get the viewership bump she is going to convey? It appears the whole professional ladies’s basketball arrange within the U.S is actively working in opposition to this sport getting extra consideration”