The decision not to include Caitlin Clark’s name on the national basketball team to participate in the Olympics from USA Basketball surprised many people. Why is one of the most promising and outstanding rookies in WNBA history not participating in the biggest sporting event on the planet in Paris?

The number of spectators watching Caitlin Clark compete both on the field and on the small screen broke previous records – Photo: Jayne Kamin-Oncea/USA Today

In an interview after training on June 9, Clark said she was not disappointed by the decision: “It looks like I have a goal to strive for. This is a source of motivation, a dream that helps me move forward. I will always remember this time, and then in four years, hopefully I can make it to the Olympics.”

However, some experts such as Christine Brennan from CNN said that USA Basketball made a “very bad decision” to remove Clark from the national team.

“Strong impact”

From a PR perspective, Clark’s participation in the team is a reasonable move. However, considering the stumbles and stats of the young player in his first professional season, perhaps USA Basketball’s decision was not so surprising.

From the beginning, Clark has struggled with physical problems, and the competitions on the international stage will be no less fierce than the WNBA at home. The usual image is the slender defender leading the ball to bounce back after many falls. Throughout the season, she was constantly fouled by the opponent, many times on purpose.

Chennedy Carter’s foul (blue number 7) on Clark (lower right corner) was ruled a deliberate foul – Photo: Brian Spurlock/apnews

Clark commented after the confrontation with the Chicago Sky: “I think now a strong collision is obvious and it certainly won’t make me succumb.”

It is easy to understand why Clark has always been the top target of the opposing defense throughout the season. Unfortunately, she still hasn’t found a way to overcome all the blocking tactics.

In the last 13 games, Clark has won the ball a total of 70 times – the highest number in WNBA history, far from many other players. Her average of 5.4 possessions per game is also significantly more than the second-placed person, Alyssa Thomas, with 4.3 turnovers per game. Clark’s shooting percentage is 37.3 percent, with 33 percent coming from 3-point range — which is her strength. It is difficult for the Indiana Fever passer to escape the opponent’s pincers when heading to the Olympic playground.

Clark lost the ball a total of 70 times – the highest number in WNBA history – Photo: Greg Fiume/Getty Images

With such parameters, it is easy to understand why Clark has a difficult opportunity to join the national team. But if that’s really the case, why is Diana Taurasi still participating when she only averages 16.6 points with a 37.1% shooting percentage, while the average number of rebounds, assists, and steals per game is less than Clark’s?

“Rest and recuperate”

After 13 games in the 2024 season, the Indiana Fever team’s defense is rated 111.7, the lowest in the WNBA, largely due to Clark’s defensive struggles.

Breanna Stewart, a two-time WNBA champion, and Brittney Griner, a nine-time All-Star winner, and A’ja Wilson, a two-time All-Star winner, were all selected for the national team. Even Taurasi, who has celebrated Olympic victories with his teammates 5 times and although this year’s performance has declined, still has a leg in the team thanks to his long experience.

If selected, Clark will be the youngest and most unskilled player on the team. Currently, the two youngest names on the list are Sabrina Ionescu and Jackie Young, both 26 years old but have many bright achievements in the All Star awards.

On the other hand, from leading his hometown of Iowa to win the NCAA championship twice in a row and then immediately being picked up by the Indiana Fever to shining in the WNBA, Clark has almost no time to rest. Only two other WNBA players have played more minutes than her: veteran duo Breanna Stewart and Betnijah Laney-Hamilton. In the long run, it would probably be better for both Clark and the basketball league if she had some time off.

The 22-year-old also expressed his joy that he did not have to participate in the Olympics nor the WNBA during the Olympics: “I’m excited to play every second, but my body needs to rest for the next month. The first is to rest and recuperate, put the basketball aside temporarily, and then find a peaceful place.”

Responding to Don Riddell’s question from CNN World Sport, sports expert Christine Brennan revealed that public pressure may also be the reason why Clark is not in the national team this season: “I heard from two very reliable sources that many people are worried if Caitlin is brought into the team and only plays for a few short minutes – which is a thing normal for first-time recruits to the Olympics, not to mention that the U.S. team in the past 30 years only lost the championship in 1992 – fans will be very upset. At that time, the newspaper and the online community will wake up again.”

Brennan also said: “I can’t believe the public reaction to Caitlin Clark is a topic of discussion. And is this something that Diana Taurasi and Breanna Stewart opened up about in their quarterfinal conversation?”

Stewart once commented that Clark needs to win the national championship if she wants to join the big names in the history of U.S. women’s basketball, despite the fact that Clark currently holds the record for the number of goals scored in NCAA Group I, which is higher than the men’s record. Regarding Taurasi, she thinks that Paige Bueckers, who did not even participate in this year’s WNBA season, is a more worthy choice than Clark for the national team. Both Stewart and Taurasi later made it clear that they did not mean anything negative when commenting on Clark.

In an interview with the Associated Press (AP) on June 11, Jennifer Rizzotti, head of USA Basketball’s women’s national team selection committee, said: “It would be irresponsible for us to consider factors other than the impact of Clark’s play on the team’s performance. We don’t have a mandate to decide how many people will watch the national team play or how many will support the U.S. team. Our goal is just to build the strongest pair of balls for coach Cheryl Reeve to lead.”

“A phenomenon in the world of sports”

However, Brennan thinks Clark’s absence is very difficult to understand if USA Basketball really wants more people to know and participate in women’s basketball.

According to her: “She is a phenomenon in the world of sports, outstanding not only for the U.S. women’s basketball community. It can be said that she is the most popular athlete in the country today. Not only is she good at playing, but Clark also represents college basketball, and she will most likely take the national team to glory. Scoring 3 points is a huge advantage in international competitions. Her stats are much better than Diana Taurasi – the player who participated in the Olympics for the sixth time in her career. In other words, Clark’s arrival will be a breath of fresh air that everyone looks up to.”

According to the WNBA, the opening game of the 2024 season attracted the largest number of TV viewers in the past 26 years, thanks in large part to Clark’s appearance. It can be argued that Clark’s inclusion in the national team also has an international influence, giving global orange ball fans a glimpse of a rare sporting phenomenon. How many people will pay for tickets to watch Clark play live? How many people will be curious to turn on the TV to see why America is fascinated by this new generation of talent?

Brennan predicted: “The whole world will watch and women’s sports will have the opportunity to thrive. Girls from Africa to Europe will witness the miracle of the number 22 jersey and want to get one, as well as want to pick up the ball and try to shoot it into the basket. It could have been an inspirational moment for women of all ages, but unfortunately it never materialized because of USA Basketball’s terrible decision.”

It is not uncommon for rookies to be named to the national team. Rebecca Lobo, Diana Taurasi, Candace Parker, and Breanna Stewart were all WNBA rookies when they represented the national Olympic team in 1996, 2004, 2008, and 2016. On the men’s side, the most notable is Christian Laettner, a rookie in the strong NBA star cast representing the United States in the 1992 Olympics.

Brennan explained, “USA Basketball often selects a rookie for the men’s and women’s national teams to remind us of the college basketball league, the origins of the sport, and reflect the ever-growing and expanding goals of USA Basketball.”

USA Basketball selects seasoned candidates for the national team, including Diana Taurasi (second from right) and Breanna Stewart (second from left) – Photo: Gregory Shamus/Getty Images

With or without Clark, the U.S. national team is undoubtedly the best candidate for the gold medal in Paris, with a remarkable record that stretches from 1992 to the present. Perhaps Clark only has to wait another 4 years to have the opportunity to make his own mark on the international stage.