Caitlin Clark addressed her omission from the US Olympic team after she and the WNBA All-Stars claimed victory over the Americans heading to Paris Saturday night.
The superstar rookie, along with Angel Reese and Arike Ogunbowale, headlined the WNBA All-Stars team as they beat the Team USA 117-109 in the Olympics roster’s tune-up before the games later this month.
Clark’s snub from coach Cheryl Reeve’s Olympic team sparked outrage among WNBA fans and pundits.
And following her victory over the players who were picked to make the trip to France over her, the 2024 No. 1 draft pick was asked if the result offered her any sense of vindication.
‘No,’ the Indiana Fever star bluntly responded when pressed following Saturday’s showdown at the Footprint Center in Phoenix.
Caitlin Clark addressed her omission from the US Olympic team after the All-Stars’ victory
‘They’re really good. They have plenty of talent on that team. Four years prior I’m pretty sure Team WNBA beat Team USA, [and] they were perfectly fine in the Olympics.
‘If anything, it shows how good this league is. It shows how much talent is in this league and how you have to show up and prepare every single night. There’s a lot of players that aren’t even here tonight that could be here too. It just shows the amount of talent we have.’
Clark offered no sign of bitterness towards her omission as she insisted she would be supporting the Stars and Stripes throughout the games.
‘For myself, form my standpoint, this is a great opportunity to help prepare them for Paris,’ she added of the All-Star Games.
The USA Olympic Basketball committee favored WNBA veterans over the superstar rookie.
Napheesa Collier, Kahleah Copper, Chelsea Gray, Brittney Griner, Sabrina Ionescu, Jewell Loyd, Kelsey Plum, Breanna Stewart, Diana Taurasi, Alyssa Thomas, A’ja Wilson and Jackie Young were all called up.
While Clark accepted her omission in good grace and understanding, social media, particularly some pundits, didn’t take too kindly to the snub.
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Clark and the WNBA All-Stars beat Team USA 117-109 ahead of the Olympics in Paris
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Team USA, coached by Cheryl Reeve (pictured), opted for WNBA veterans for the roster
Barstool Sports chief Dave Portnoy said in an explosive video rant on X: ‘This is about Caitlin Clark being left off the Olympic team… how dumb are these women?
‘I don’t know who’s making the decision, Women’s Olympic Committee or whatever it is. I don’t care if you don’t think Caitlin Clark talent-wise belongs on this team, even though she does put up 37 at 13 – the most points in the history of the league for a rookie.
‘None of it matters. These women – and I love women, I’m a pro-women guy – they complain, they cry about equal rights, equal wages, blah blah blah… Hey dummies, for the first time in the history of basketball, you have arguably the player who is the most popular player in the world.
‘You can argue that Caitlin Clark is the most popular, most puts-a**es-in-the-seats, single basketball player in the world. You can argue that. And you leave her off the Olympics team?
Dave Portnoy (left) was furious with Clark’s (right) omission from the Olympic roster
‘It’s not only a showcase for her, it’s for the sport and the other WNBA players that are on this team. How dumb, how braindead, how idiotic do the people running this thing have to be? It’s one thing after another with her.’
Jason Whitlock also reacted furiously, blaming ‘BLM-LGBTQIA+Silent P Alphabet Mafia bigots’ in a string of angry social media posts.
At first, Whitlock said he was pleased Clark would not compete in the upcoming Games, writing: ‘Am I the only one glad they left Caitlin Clark off the Olympic team? Now I don’t have to watch a bunch of angry, entitled feminists who hate America play hoops.’
But the target of Whitlock’s anger soon moved away from patriotism when he wrote: ‘They/Thems Hate Cait. End of story.’
WNBA All-Star Game: Arike Ogunbowale wins MVP with record 34 points as Team WNBA defeats Team USA
BREAKING: Caitlin Clark has classy message for Team USA
Caitlin Clark helped lead Team WNBA to a thrilling victory over Team USA in the WNBA All-Star game on Saturday night, but she isn’t using that performance to argue her case for a spot on Team USA for the Paris Olympic Games.
After dishing out a game-high 10 assists and guiding Team WNBA to victory, Clark was asked if the win validated the belief that she should have made the Team USA roster. Her response was both humble and classy, reflecting her respect for the talent on Team USA.
“They’re really good. They have plenty of talent on that team. Four years prior, I’m pretty sure Team WNBA beat Team USA, [and] they were perfectly fine in the Olympics,” Clark said post-game.
“If anything, it shows how good this league is. It shows how much talent is in this league and how you have to show up and prepare every single night. There are a lot of players that aren’t even here tonight who could be. It just shows the amount of talent we have.”
Clark’s sights are set on future opportunities, with a chance to make Team USA for the 2028 Olympics.
