Caitlin Clark, like 99.99 percent of Americans this summer, will not Be part of the 2024 US Women’s Olympic Basketball Team. Officially, the team will be announced on Sunday, but according to reports and Clarke, she did not make the 12-woman roster.
Unlike the rest of us, however, Clarke possesses world-class shooting range, stunning passing vision and record-setting scoring ability. These traits are what made her the No. 1 pick in this year’s WNBA draft and the most watched women’s basketball player on the planet. His games set attendance and ticket sales records.
With all the talent, hype and attention, Clark is a shock to many staying at home this summer. Millions have been told that Clarke is arguably the world’s best female player and arguably its biggest star, and now she The 2024 Olympians will not. Some critics even say so Worst decision in basketball The US never did.
Clark himself congratulated the Olympic squad, saying it was the toughest team to make, and that he hopes to be in Los Angeles in 2028. “I’m excited for the girls on the team,” Clark said this weekend After Indiana fever practice. “I was a kid who grew up watching the Olympics. They will be fun to watch.”
Unlike past roster selections, Clark not making the cut has sparked an inflammatory response, with some questioning it. integrity of woman WHO completed Instead, even the integrity of the United States. These extreme reactions stem from a dangerous and increasingly popular subtext about Caitlin Clarke’s greatness, one that portrays Clarke as a towering star and the envy of her peers. Wild Synopsis: Clark must protect himself from his fellow players.
It’s become clear that these Caitlin Clark fans aren’t interested in women’s basketball or even Clark herself, but instead, seem deeply invested in dragging the bright young basketball star into a culture war that she doesn’t seem that interested in. Being a part of.
Caitlin Clarke’s Olympic omission is stirring up toxic fans
Over the past few years, Caitlin Clarke’s rise has been one of the biggest stories in sports. Clark’s game — lots of scoring, deep shooting range, full-court passing — is thrilling to watch. The sports media even coined the term “The Caitlin Clarke effectTo mention the ticket sales and millions of TV viewership for which Clark is responsible. Wherever Clark plays, whether it’s the University of Iowa, his alma mater, or the Indiana Fever, his current WNBA team, people want to see him play.
For women’s basketball, a sport that has been overlooked and overshadowed by its male counterpart, the attention paid to Clark is an achievement. His games draw the kind of audience that the NBA does and the same goes for name recognition I bet more people will be able to name Kaitlin Clark than last year’s NBA Rookie of the Year (Victor Wembanyama).
While that attention has raised the profile of women’s basketball, it has also exposed some very strange, uncomfortable behavior from its fans and media.
Last year, at the 2023 National Championships, Angel Reese became the subject of a national conversation about his behavior when he taunted Clark in the final minute — something Clark had done to his opponent throughout the tournament. Instead of being seen as fun or confident (as Clarke’s antics was depicted (by the media and basketball fans) called Ridge’s outburst “classless” or, as Keith Olbermann, a former ESPN anchor tweeted, “a fucking idiot” When the stakes grew and Reese found himself in the middle of a national conversation about his character, Clark went to bat for him, Reminding the fan base: “I can play this game and feel the emotion and wear it on my sleeve, and so does everyone else … I don’t think Angel should be criticized.”
Clark is getting on to something here. For one, there’s the double standard of how he’s treated by fans versus how his black peers are treated, but there’s also the deeply related notion that he warrants some extra good that other players don’t. Since Clarke moved to the WNBA, the narrative that Clarke needs protection has only grown.
Clark’s fellow WNBA players are being portrayed in the media as small And jealous of his accomplishments. Aaliyah Boston, Clark’s teammate and WNBA Rookie of the Year, His social media has been limited After receiving hate from fans online for poor performance. Earlier this month, Chicago Sky player Chennady Carter fouled Clarke with a shoulder check that the WNBA later elevated to a more serious foul. Clark said That foul was in the heat of the moment and no apology is needed.
Still, an editorial from Foul inspired Chicago Tribune And a WNBA investigation from one Current Member of Congress. More worrying is what Carter and his Sky teammates say They were dispersed and harassed A man outside a team hotel in Washington, DC and security needed to handle the situation. Obviously, not all of Clarke’s fans are of the stalker variety, but it’s not at all surprising that someone would harass the Sky team until prominent figures push the false narrative that Clarke needs protection from jealous players — even though Clarke himself has dismissed that notion multiple times.
Clark’s prominence and the conversation surrounding him have recently gained attention Right wing personalityLike former Republican presidential hopeful Nikki Haley. Haley tweeted Regarding Clarke’s Olympic omission, suggesting that the women on the US team were not the best players in the United States, Clarke was shortchanged: “I think the Olympic selection committee should ask: Do we want the best team to represent our country or not? ?”
The idea that the U.S. isn’t as good as it used to be and that the people representing the U.S. — the team is predominantly black and includes LGBTQ players — isn’t the best alignment. political the message that Haley used in the campaign Appeal to voters. It seems Haley is more interested in positioning Clark’s basketball career as a culture war and engaging his base than investing in Clark as a player. Six months ago, during a campaign that doubled as a Hokies tailgate in Coralville, Iowa, Haley mentions Clark as Caitlan CollinsWho is actually a CNN anchor.
Contrary to Haley’s opinion, Clark thinks the Olympic team is America’s best. “This is the most competitive team in the world … I’m going to root for them to win the gold,” Clarke said in a chat with reporters. June 9.
Arguments for Kaitlyn making the Olympic team
The obvious question surrounding Clarke’s omission from the team is whether he was good enough to make it. But it doesn’t come with a clear answer, mainly because the criteria for making Team USA has long been subjective and sometimes relentlessly opaque.
The selection committee has made some head-scratching decisions in recent years.
In 2016, Candace Parker — a future Hall-of-Famer and one of the sport’s greatest players — was cut from the team. ParkerWho turned 30 in 2016, was the best player in the world and helped the United States win gold in 2008 and 2012. He said That he thinks UConn’s Geno Auriemma, who was the national team coach at the time, didn’t want him on the team. Breanna Stewart, a recent graduate who Auriemma coached at UConn, was the only player under 25.
Then in 2021 (the Olympics were delayed due to the pandemic), Neka Ogwumi was released. Ogwumike, a perennial All-Star and MVP (like Parker), was still 30 years old. Current South Carolina coach and then-Nationals coach Don Staley cited the knee injury as a reason for the uncertainty. Ogwumi was not selected.
The lesson from these past two Olympic snubs is that it’s pretty clear that Team USA isn’t the 12 “best” players and has a preference for taking a younger player over a proven player in their prime. Team USA will also err on the side of caution when it comes to injuries.
These arguments may work in Clark’s favor. He’s young (as Stewart was in 2016) and is turning in a good rookie season. Clark averaged 16.8 points per game, 5.3 rebounds per game and 6.3 assists per game in the WNBA. He ranks fourth among the league leaders in assists per game and point guard plays, a position where the U.S. isn’t very deep — Angel Reese and Cameron Brink, Clark’s fellow rookies, also have good seasons but play in front-court positions where the US is loaded. Created by Brink 3×3 Olympics Basketball team.
Chelsea Gray, a 2020 Olympic gold medalist and point guard for the Las Vegas Aces, is on the 2024 team. She did not play in the WNBA this year after a foot injury kept her out of the WNBA Finals last year. Gray and Clarke play the same position. more, Diana Taurasi – the five-time women’s basketball gold medalist – will head to Paris despite having fewer points, rebounds and assists than Clark this season.
The problem is, while you can make an argument that Gray and Taurasi should have been dropped in place of Clarke, there are also a few players — 2020 Olympic gold medalist Skylar Diggins Smith And WNBA scoring is awesome Arik Ogunbowale — who are having a better season at this point than Clark who isn’t going to. Clark’s play, while good, suffered from his 5.6 turnovers per game and lack of solidity on defense.
Perhaps the most compelling argument of all is that this entire kerfuffle is more than a minuscule amount of minutes at the end of the bench.
Whether it’s Taurasi, Gray or Clark, the backup point guard will likely be the last spot called for play. A theoretical lack of minutes was actually a factor, according to two anonymous USA Basketball sources who spoke USA Today. They told the paper that “anxiety over how Clark’s millions of fans would react to limited playing time on a stacked roster was a factor in the decision.”
If that reporting is to be believed, there’s some cruel symmetry that Clark’s fans — especially toxic ones — may have been part of the decision process to keep him off the list. One of those head-scratching, less-than-transparent reasons seems to be Clark’s removal from the team due to the expected backlash for short minutes.
Ultimately, the only person directly affected by Caitlin Clarke’s Olympic omission is Clarke, and she’s not letting the disappointment of 2024 affect her future. “It’s a dream. I think it’s just a little more motivation,” he told reporters this weekend. “You remember that. Hopefully, when the four years come around, I’ll be there.”
