Jun 2, 2024; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports
WNBA: Indiana Fever at New York Liberty
(Indianapolis, IN) – WNBA rookie phenom Caitlin Clark has been left off of Team USA’s Olympic roster for Paris 2024, much to the dismay of fans.
Clark has been making headlines for the last few weeks for controversy surrounding her alleged mistreatment since entering the league and a lack of reception from veteran players to her presence in the WNBA. Her absence from the Olympic roster does not help any argument against discrimination for her immense popularity.
After receiving the decisive call that she would not be representing the USA on her team bus, Caitlin told Indiana Fever head coach Christie Sides that “they woke a monster.”
Coach Sides said the decision was disappointing, but is optimistic as Clark is “young [and] she’s going to have so many opportunities in the future.”
Clark, who has always carried herself with class, took a positive spin on the situation and praised the players that would be making the trip to France. She noted that it is “the most competitive team in the world” and not making it this time “is something to work for…a little more motivation” moving forward.
The missed opportunity is almost a blessing in disguise, college basketball’s all-time leading scorer had a quick turnaround into her professional career, and the month off from basketball gives her the time to rest and get healthy both physically and mentally.
Additionally, Clark says it will serve as a “great opportunity for myself to get in the weight room, to work on things that I want to get better at that I maybe didn’t have time going from college to the pro season.”
Clark’s main focus right now is finishing the final month of her rookie season, a year in which she leads both her team and all rookies in points per game with 16.8.
