The Indiana Fever’s No. 1 pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft, Caitlin Clark, has set her sights on a coveted spot in Team USA for the upcoming Paris Olympics. Despite missing a U.S. training camp due to her NCAA commitments, Clark's inaugural season in the WNBA will be her proving ground to secure her place among basketball's elite on the Olympic stage.
Clark had to miss the U.S. team’s training camp in Cleveland this month since it is coincided with the Final Four in the women’s NCAA Tournament, although she was invited. The camp was the last one before Team USA announces its roster by June 1. This makes Clark’s upcoming WNBA games even more critical as a showcase of her talent to the selection committee.
Clark's journey to potentially join Team USA is highlighted by her impressive track record – including becoming the NCAA Divison 1 all-time scoring leader this season – and the high expectations follow her as the No. 1 WNBA draft pick. If she is selected for the team, Clark would follow in the footsteps of Breanna Stewart, who made the Olympic team as a rookie in 2016. Unlike Stewart, who had extensive experience with the national team, Clark's senior team exposure is limited, although she has a notable history with the junior USA squads, securing gold at the FIBA U19 World Cups in both 2019 and 2021, as well as at the FIBA U16 Americas Championship in 2017.
Speculation had hinted at the possibility of Clark joining the three-on-three basketball team; however, Clark has said her aspirations lie with the traditional five-on-five format.
“It’s where I want to be,” Clark said, per Doug Feinberg of the Associated Press. “Three-on-three is really cool, I’ve just never done it. But 5-on-5 is the goal and the dream. To play with the best in the world and against the best in the world, you can’t script it better than that.”
The U.S. men’s team was announced April 17.
Selection Committee watching Caitlin Clark with interest
Jennifer Rizzotti, chair of the selection committee, expressed keen interest in Clark’s journey, acknowledging the importance of fresh talent for the team's future.
“You always want to introduce new players into the pool whether it’s for now or the future,” Rizzotti said, per Doug Feinberg of the Associated Press. “We stick to our principles of talent, obviously, positional fit, loyalty and experience. It’s got to be a combination of an entire body of work. It’s still not going to be fair to some people.”
The U.S. women's basketball team, aiming for their eighth straight Olympic gold, boasts a deep and skilled roster. The group features veteran five-time Olympian Diana Taurasi and returning Tokyo Games players Chelsea Gray, Ariel Atkins and Jewell Loyd. Additionally, Kelsey Plum, a gold medalist in 3×3 basketball, and Sabrina Ionescu are part of the ensemble.
“Thinking about Diana and Chelsea Gray and when their careers are done, you want to make sure you’re in a position with these upcoming guards with Sabrina, Kelsey and Caitlin that you feel good that our future is set,” Rizzotti said.
As the team prepares for a pre-Olympic gathering in Phoenix come July, which includes an exhibition All-Star game against WNBA players, all eyes will be on Clark as she begins her WNBA chapter against the Connecticut Sun May 14.
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