Since beginning her final collegiate campaign at the University of Iowa, it seems like Caitlin Clark has been playing basketball non-stop. This summer, that’s going to change.
Shams Charania of The Athletic reported on Saturday, June 8, that Team USA will not include Clark on its roster for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, which begin in late July and run through mid-August.
Indiana Fever rookie sensation Caitlin Clark is expected to be left off the 12-player Team USA women’s basketball roster for the upcoming Summer Olympics, according to sources.
The full 12-player roster revealed at @TheAthletic:
“Indiana Fever rookie sensation Caitlin Clark is expected to be left off the 12-player Team USA women’s basketball roster for the upcoming Summer Olympics, according to sources,” Charania posted to X.
Team USA Didn’t Include Any Members of High-Profile WNBA Rookie Class on Olympic Roster
GettyCaitlin Clark of the Indiana Fever.
Instead, Team USA will rely on more seasoned veterans. Charania and several of his fellow reporters at The Athletic offered the following list of players who will fight for gold in France approximately two months from now.
- Napheesa Collier
- Kahleah Copper
- Chelsea Gray
- Brittney Griner
- Sabrina Ionescu
- Jewell Loyd
- Kelsey Plum
- Breanna Stewart
- Diana Taurasi
- Alyssa Thomas
- A’ja Wilson
- Jackie Young
Other names notably absent from the roster are those of Angel Reese of the Chicago Sky and Cameron Brink of the Los Angeles Sparks, both of whom are also high-profile rookies making an impact in their first WNBA seasons alongside Clark.
“Aliyah Boston, Clark’s Fever teammate and last year’s WNBA Rookie of the Year, is another young talent notably left off the roster,” Charania reported. “Clark and Brionna Jones are expected to be named as Olympic alternates, while Boston would be among logical replacement candidates if needed.”
Caitlin Clark Missed Final Team USA Training Camp Ahead of Summer Olympic Games
GettyCaitlin Clark of the Indiana Fever.
Team USA has captured basketball gold in every Summer Olympics since 1996 and clearly favored seasoned pros over younger talent whose names might splash more on social media, but whose games aren’t yet as developed or refined as their more-senior counterparts.
“Seven of the 12 players have Olympic five-on-five experience and two more have 3×3 experience, so there will be only three first-time Olympians — Thomas, Copper and Ionescu,” Charania wrote.
Clark has taken a few lumps during what has been, at times, a rocky transition from the collegiate game to the pro level. She is still posting some impressive traditional numbers, however, averaging 15.6 points, 6.4 assists, 5.1 rebounds and 1.3 steals across 12 games played, according to ESPN. The Fever have earned a 3-9 record to begin the season.
Team USA invited 14 women to attend its final training camp in March, Clark among them. However, she was still playing college basketball and couldn’t make it, which may have also played a role in her absence from the final roster.
“[Clark] was unable to attend as she was playing with Iowa in the Final Four, while multiple players who had put in years of service to the U.S. national program ahead of her attended,” Charania wrote. “The U.S. women [have] held periodic training camps for national team hopefuls for years. While not mandatory, they go a long way in helping the selection committee decide which 12 will represent the most dominant basketball program — men’s or women’s.”
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Team USA Won’t Offer Caitlin Clark Spot on Olympic Roster: Report