Indiana Fever rookie sensation Caitlin Clark had been hoping to make the Team USA roster for the upcoming 2024 Paris Olympic games, calling it “one of my dreams.” But it sounds like her dream is not going to come true this year.
Even though Caitlin Clark has emerged as one of the biggest starts in the entire history of the sport in recent months, NBA insider Shams Charania of The Athletic reports that she has been left off of the team’s roster for the upcoming Olympic Games in Paris.
“Sources: Team USA women’s basketball roster for the 2024 Paris Olympics – no Caitlin Clark: A’ja Wilson, Breanna Stewart, Diana Taurasi, Brittney Griner, Alyssa Thomas, Napheesa Collier, Jewell Loyd, Kelsey Plum, Jackie Young, Sabrina Ionescu, Chelsea Gray, Kahleah Copper,” Charania said in a post on X, the social media website that was formerly known as Twitter.
Sources: Team USA women’s basketball roster for the 2024 Paris Olympics – no Caitlin Clark:
A’ja Wilson, Breanna Stewart, Diana Taurasi, Brittney Griner, Alyssa Thomas, Napheesa Collier, Jewell Loyd, Kelsey Plum, Jackie Young, Sabrina Ionescu, Chelsea Gray, Kahleah Copper https://t.co/m3TWncAZY3
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 8, 2024
Earlier this year, Clark expressed just how much she wanted to be a part of
“That’s one of my dreams as a kid. Growing up, you always want to be an Olympic gold medalist. Lucky enough, I’ve been able to play for a few junior national teams in their basketball system, so I know how special it is to represent USA across your chest,” Clark said in a recent interview with the Today Show, according to The Spun.
“Being able to do that on the highest level would certainly be a dream come true.”
Needless to say, this is terrible news for Clark and it led to a lot of reactions on social media.
Christian Laettner made the Dream Team. Caitlin Clark can’t make the women’s Olympic basketball team? What mostly pays for the Olympics — oh wait — revenue generated from broadcasting partners. As in TV. As in Caitlin is TV GOLD. Opportunity wasted.
— Colin Cowherd (@ColinCowherd) June 8, 2024
Why leaving Caitlin Clark off the 2024 US Olympic women’s basketball team matters, a lot. I’ve reported on the team at every Olympics since 1984. I’ve watched the stunning lack of coverage & lack of interest every time. Here are four sections of my Feb column on this exact topic: pic.twitter.com/MjwqeVQdR8
— Christine Brennan (@cbrennansports) June 8, 2024
Caitlin Clark has been left off the Olympic women’s basketball roster. Women’s basketball hates its fans and doesn’t want to grow their game. That’s the only conclusion you can draw from their treatment of Clark. She would quadruple their viewership by herself. No brainer.
— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) June 8, 2024
The way the WNBA players & pro women’s basketball are handling Caitlin Clark is bizarre.
This woman’s finally brought the eyeballs y’all begged for, and she’s not being welcomed or championed at all. https://t.co/fUaIXm8XBb
— Jack Appleby (@jappleby) June 8, 2024
Lisa Leslie: “I don’t know how you leave the country without her.” I guess we will find out.
What an incredible missed opportunity this is to grow the game of WBB. Clark would have brought countless eyeballs, reporters, coverage, interest — as she did in the NCAA and now WNBA. https://t.co/OE9Vq5LocA
— Christine Brennan (@cbrennansports) June 8, 2024
galactically stupid https://t.co/cEl1qwHFsz
— Chris Brockman🎙️ (@chrisbrockman) June 8, 2024
From a merit perspective, it probably came down to Caitlin Clark v. Diana Taurasi and there’s just no chance Taurasi is being left of this team. https://t.co/Q1FhTzfE4i
— Billy Reinhardt (@BillyReinhardt) June 8, 2024
This may be the dumbest thing I've ever heard. How dumb are these people? Never complain about women salaries ever again. Make that team fly commercial. Unreal dumb. https://t.co/InnZCCgzYd
— Dave Portnoy (@stoolpresidente) June 8, 2024
Clark will now have to wait another four years for her chance.
