Caitlin Clark's Olympics Snub Just Took A Major Turn

After getting drafted by the WNBA as the first pick for the Indiana Fever, Caitlin Clark's pro basketball career is on the rise despite some obstacles, which is why it came as a surprise when she was reportedly snubbed by the Olympics team. As reported by The Athletic, the 2024 Summer Olympics women's basketball team includes notable names such as Brittney Griner, Breanna Stewart, and Sabrina Ionescu. Clark's name was not listed in the 12-player roster but the former Iowa Hawkeyes player had no hard feelings. "Honestly, no disappointment. It just gives me something to work for; it's a dream. Hopefully one day I can be there. I think it's just a little more motivation. You remember that. Hopefully, when four years comes back around, I can be there," she stated, per ESPN.

Clark may not have to wait four years after all. As reported by Shams Charania on Run It Back, the guard has been put on the alternates list as a favorite, along with the Connecticut Sun's Brionna Jones. An X user, formerly Twitter, responded, "I like Cla rk but putting her on that viper olympic team could break her for good. The other players have knocked her around for weeks. Time for rest. No one will watch without her there just like previous years." However, others had a different viewpoint and many argued that leaving Clark off the main roster was a big mistake for the Olympics basketball team.

As one of the WNBA's biggest names, Caitlin Clark would undoubtedly draw in many viewers for the 2024 Summer Olympics and some think that not having her on the women's basketball team was a foul move. Journalist Michael McCarthy of Front Office Sports tweeted, "Leaving Caitlin Clark off Olympic team is terrible for NBC Sports, which is paying billions for U.S. TV rights. She would have absolutely super-charged Olympic TV audiences the way she did in college and now in the pros. Short-sighted doesn't begin to describe this decision." However a fan argued, "She's simply not good enough. Top rookies in the NBA wouldn't make Team USA either. Let's not disrespect the game because of popularity." Another wrote, "She's got better numbers right now than 41 year old Diana Taurasi who will be in her SIXTH Olympics. Was 5 Olympics not enough for Taurasi?"

The Olympics roster certainly has a team full of vets. Along with Diana Taurasi, Breanna Stewart, Brittney Griner, and Jackie Young have played in the quadrennial athletic event before. Sabrina Ionescu, Kahleah Copper, and Alyssa Thomas are the only basketball players who will compete for the first time. However, the one thing that the Olympics newbies have over Clark is more experience playing for the WNBA, and that's the exact reason she wasn't this year's pick.

Many would argue that Caitlin Clark has the skills to play in the 2024 Summer Olympics but the panel just didn't think she had enough experience under her belt. The head of the selection committee for the USA Basketball team, Jen Rizzotti, told the Associated Press that was why Clark was not selected for this year's games and the Indiana Fever player's growing fanbase didn't affect their decision. "It would be irresponsible for us to talk about her in a way other than how she would impact the play of the team. Because it wasn't the purview of our committee to decide how many people would watch or how many people would root for the U.S. It was our purview to create the best team we could for [Coach Cheryl Reeve]," Rizzotti stated.

It hasn't officially been confirmed that Clark is one of the top alternates. ESPN previously reported that Brittney Griner had a broken toe, which caused her to miss 10 games, per the Arizona Republic, but she's since made her return.