While Team USA continued its dominant start at the Paris Olympics, Caitlin Clark somehow again found a way to make headlines. Even though the 22-year-old is not in Paris, her fans have made sure that the USAWB selection committee understands what they missed out on. Remember the Japanese fan who held a Caitlin Clark sign during the opening game? Well, something similar transpired today. The Stade Pierre-Mauroy stadium in Lille roared loudly when Team USA set foot on the court ahead of their last pool stage game against Germany. However, one fan caught everyone’s eyes thanks to their choice of jersey.
Possibly one of the youngest Team USA fans was seen cheering for the stars while donning Clark’s number 22 Iowa jersey. And the snaps of the same soon made rounds on social media. Clark, who had chosen the jersey number since it matched with her birthdate (22nd January), surely is a fan favorite. A lot of admirers, after the Team USA’s roster announcement in July, had lashed out at the selectors for snubbing Clark.
Even on Thursday when Team USA was going against Japan, A’ja Wilson & Co. noticed a Japanese fan holding a placard that read, “You need Caitlin Clark to beat us.” Though Team USA won that game by a 102-76 margin, they got a clear message that Clark would surely have lifted attracted more eyeballs.
While few of her admirers were present at the Olympics watching the game, some of them took social media by storm. For every mistake Team USA committed, they wanted Clark to be on the roster. The sentiments rose when Diana Taurasi failed to open her account in the first quarter.
Many fans and analysts were of the opinion that instead of Taurasi, who they feel has slowed down with age, Clark deserved a place on the roster. To back it up, they compared Taurasi’s numbers this year with those of Clark.
While Taurasi is averaging 16.1 points with 4.8 rebounds per game, Clark averages 17.1 points with 5.8 rebounds and 8.2 assists per game. Hence, as per fans, Clark would have provided the team with a playmaker, something that seems to be missing from the current roster.
Meanwhile, Team USA is on its path to proving its complete dominance in the Group state. Having already qualified for the knockouts, the Cheryl Reeve-coached team comfortably beat Germany, who had also won its opening two games. Hence, this matchup was a crucial one as the two powerhouses in Group C were at loggerheads against each other. But the real question is if Clark really deserved a place on the roster.
Was Caitlin Clark’s snub fair?
Clark’s exclusion had divided the basketball world as experienced journalist Stephen A. Smith had opined that Clark’s snub was “stupid.” As per him, the selectors should not only have considered basketball but also kept in mind the popularity Clark would have brought while representing Team USA. Notably, most of Clark’s Indiana Fever games are a sellout and with Clark’s emergence in the league, the Fever has shown an 889% increase in their projected revenue.
Therefore, as per Smith, “Caitlin Clark does not deserve a spot ahead of any of the players on this roster — if we’re talking just basketball. You know we’re not.” However, people who supported her exclusion pointed out that Clark hadn’t been a part of the Olympics training camp in April when she was busy prepping for the Final Four in the NCAA. Hence, this time as she had missed it, there were more deserving players to take her place.
Whether Clark deserved a place on the Team USA roster is still up for debate but one thing is clear: the fans do miss her. Hopefully, she will be able to give a great start to the second half of the WNBA season and take her team to the playoffs.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
Stay tuned for more such updates and join us for the exciting pilot episode of the “Dual Threat Show” as our host BG12 sits down with Georgia Bulldogs star and SEC All-Freshman Team Selection, Silas Demary Jr.
