She’s set to be one of many largest WNBA stars of all time, however persons are asking why Caitlin Clark will not be on the USA Olympics basketball workforce.
On April 15, 2024, the all-star was drafted by the Indiana Fever because the primary total 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 girls’s participant to steer 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 workforce?
Caitlin Clark expressed that she had “no disappointment” as a result of stage of expertise and expertise of the 12-member workforce. The USA workforce is ready to include MVPs and skilled gamers like Britney Griner, A’ja Wilson, Breanna Stewart, Alyssa Thomas, and Napheesa Collier.
Clark was invited to Staff USA’s coaching camp in Spring 2024, however was unable to take part as a result of Last 4. Nonetheless, Clark says that she’s wanting ahead to what’s to return from the workforce. “I’m excited for the women which can be on the workforce,” Clark stated by way of Huffington Put up. “I do know it’s probably the most aggressive workforce on the planet and I do know it may have gone both means of me being on the workforce, me not being on the workforce. 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 look at them.
“They referred to as me and let me know at the start got here out, which was actually respectful of them, and I appreciated that,” Clark stated of USA Basketball. “They did the identical for each lady that made the workforce or each lady that didn’t make the workforce. There was a whole lot 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 a couple of calls.”
She’s additionally setting her sights on the longer term since she’s only a rookie in skilled sports activities anyhow. “I believe it simply offers you one thing to work for. It’s a dream, hopefully, sooner or later I will be there and I believe it’s just a bit extra motivation. You keep in mind that and hopefully, in 4 years I will be there.”
However like every good basketball participant, she’s capturing her shot. “If USA Basketball wants one thing, I’ve an excellent relationship with them, however the 12 they’ve chosen are actually nice gamers so I believe they’re in fairly nice palms,” Clark stated. “Cheryl [Reeve] is a superb coach, the choice committee did a very good job.”
Indiana Fever coach Christie Sides stated that Clark was “somewhat dissatisfied” on the determination including that the US basketball workforce is “the hardest workforce on the planet to make.” “She acquired 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 return right here [to Indiana],” Clark stated. “So it’s good motivation for us and everyone knows how proficient that workforce is.”
As anticipated, basketball followers have been fast to be break up on the choice. “She’s already the best faculty feminine basketball participant in historical past,” one fan posted on Reddit. “She’s acquired loads of time to show her price in Olympics and can in all probability be on their roster properly into her 40s as soon as they settle for her. Apart from it’s not just like the Olympic workforce wants her to win, WNBA is way 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’s going to convey? It appears all the professional girls’s basketball arrange within the U.S is actively working towards this sport getting extra consideration”
