Ever since her college years, Caitlin Clark has been instrumental in driving the growth of women’s basketball. With her efforts, she has significantly boosted the excitement and viewership of the game. Despite her contributions, she surprisingly didn’t secure a spot on Team USA’s Olympic roster for the upcoming Paris Games. Many are asking: was she unjustly overlooked– snubbed, or was there a valid reason for her omission?
The answer is; Clark got snubbed from Team USA. She should have made the roster. Though the official roster is yet to be announced, The Athletic and The Associated Press have projected the squad to include some impressive players from various teams. Guard Diana Taurasi and center Brittney Griner from the Phoenix Mercury, along with guard/forward Kahleah Copper, are said to be on the list. The talented players expected to join them are guards Chelsea Gray, Jackie Young, and Kelsey Plum, as well as forward A’ja Wilson from the Las Vegas Aces. The New York Liberty will likely be represented by forward Breanna Stewart and guard Sabrina Ionescu, and guard Jewell Loyd from the Seattle Storm is also among the projected players. Other anticipated additions to the team include forward Napheesa Collier from the Minnesota Lynx, and forward Alyssa Thomas from the Connecticut Sun.
There is no valid reason why Clark is not on this team. In her rookie campaign, the Indiana Fever point guard averages 16.8 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 6.3 assists through 12 games–numbers good for any WNBA point guard, let alone a rookie. Clark is in the top 15 in scoring and top 5 in assists. In fact, her numbers are similar to the WNBA legend Diana Taurasi. Taurasi, who played on Team USA as a rookie in 2004, is averaging 16.6 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 1.6 assists. In addition to Taurasi, who will be a first-ballot Hall of Famer, there have been more players to play on the Olympic team. That list includes Candace Parker in 2008 and Stewart in 2016, and in the year before the WNBA launched, Rebecca Lobo made the 1996 Olympic team after graduating from UConn in 1995.
Now, besides Parker, who came into the league and dominated immediately, as she is the only player in WNBA history to win the Rookie of the Year award and the MVP in the same season, no other rookie has dominated the game. However, Clark has brought more eyes to the WNBA in its existence. According to the league’s website, May finished with its highest-attended opening month in 26 years and its most-watched start of season across each network ever, and approximately 400,000 fans attended WNBA games since the tip of the season through the end of May, the most through the first month of the season in 26 years. More than half of all WNBA games were sellouts, which is a 156% increase from last year. Also, across ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, and CBS, WNBA games are averaging 1.32 million viewers, nearly tripling last season’s average of 462,000 viewers. In addition, The Connecticut Sun vs. Indiana Fever game on May 20 averaged 1.56 million viewers, making it the most-viewed WNBA game on ESPN ever and the Los Angeles Sparks vs. the Indiana Fever game played on May 28 averaged 356,000 viewers, making it the most-viewed WNBA game on NBA TV ever, subsequently surpassed by the Fever at Liberty game on June 2 that averaged 430,000 viewers, making it the most-viewed WNBA game on NBA TV ever.
Adding Clark to the WNBA Olympic games roster could have a major impact on the league’s international growth. Considering the increase in viewers and attendance during the regular season, it’s exciting to think about the potential for the WNBA to reach even more fans globally.
According to USA Today’s Christine Brennan, Clark was left off because of “concern over how Clark’s millions of fans would react to what would likely be limited playing time on a stacked roster.”
Despite not officially making the roster, Clark is optimistic and took no offense to the decision made by the six-member panel and USA Basketball.
“I’m excited for the girls who are on the team. I know it’s the most competitive team in the world and I know it could’ve gone either way – me being on the team, me not being on the team,” Clark said, via The Athletic. “So, I’m excited for them. I’m going to be rooting them on to win gold. I was a kid that grew up watching the Olympics. So, yeah, it’ll be fun to watch them.“
She added, “No disappointment. I think it just gives you something to work for. That’s a dream. Hopefully, one day I can be there. I think it’s just a little more motivation. You remember that. And hopefully in four years, when four years come back around, I can be there.”
Paul Pierce, the former NBA player and champion of the Boston Celtics, expressed his frustration at the Team USA decision to omit the NCAA’s all-time leading scorer, male or female, from the roster.
“You claim you want the women’s game to grow, but you keep the most popular girl in women’s basketball off the team.”
As I stated previously, the roster is not final yet, and there is a possibility that Clark could join the team. According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, the Indiana Fever rookie leads the alternates list in case of injury.
“I’m told Caitlin Clark and Brionna Jones are atop the alternates list for Team USA if there is needed to be a replacement,“ Charania said Monday on FanDuel TV’s ‘Run It Back’, via FOX News.
Jones is a two-time All-Star who has spent her entire eight-year career with the Connecticut Sun. She is averaging 13.3 points and 4.7 rebounds per game for the Sun this season.
Fever head coach Christie Sides expressed her disappointment with the decision to leave her star guard off the U.S. Olympic team. She also reveled what Clark told her about being left off the roster, she said Clark told her that “They woke a monster’.”
