Many basketball fans were shocked to see Indiana Fever superstar Caitlin Clark get snubbed from Team USA's Olympic roster this year. After all, she broke the NCAA scoring record and has already been a box-office attraction for Indiana.
One of those fans is Philadelphia 76ers head coach Nick Nurse, who voiced his opinion via The Herd With Colin Cowherd.
“I'm with you. I almost can't believe it,” Nurse said. “Because of the ratings, just everything continues to roll on if she's on the team. But I'm almost happy for her too. I think the amount of pressure she's been under, going to the national championship team, taking an Iowa team that had never been there and taking them there twice… At least she doesn't have to have another bout of scrutiny and ramp-up of pressure. But I'm pretty surprised she's not on the team.”
Clark has been the cream of the crop of the 2024 WNBA rookie class so far. The 22-year-old is averaging 16.8 points, 5.3 rebounds, 6.3 assists, and 1.5 steals per game. She's also been the driving force behind the league's record-breaking ratings and game attendance booms, via CNN.
However, Team USA decided that wasn't good enough this time. Did they make the right decision, or were they unfair?
Clark's extra rest time will help her Fever campaign
To make the Olympic team, players have to be the very best in the league, with little room for argument. While Clark is fourth in assists and second in three-point field goals, she also leads in turnovers per game (5.6) by a wide margin. Connecticut Sun forward Alyssa Thomas has the second-most, with 4.1. Coughing up the ball in addition to lacking in strength compared to many veterans is enough to keep the collegiate legend off this year's squad.
As usual, Clark took the high road and displayed a good attitude, via the New York Post's Jonathan Lehman.
“It’s the most competitive team in the world,” Clark said. “You look at that roster, a lot of players I’ve already had the opportunity to play in this league that are just so good … The 12 they have selected are really great players, so they’re in pretty good hands.”
Additionally, her rabid fanbase may have been a part of the decision, via The Spun's Tzvi Machlin.
“By some accounts, the reasoning for Clark's snub only partially has to do with her play on the court (which would be a fair reason to keep her off the team),” Machlin said. “There have been reports that the old guard of women's basketball simply didn't want her there over concerns that fans would react negatively to Clark not getting much playing time.”
Regardless, it's hardly a tragedy for Clark to get left off this year's squad. She'll undoubtedly be good enough to make the 2028 team, health permitting. Also, this gives her a rare opportunity to rest, as Nurse mentioned.
While the Olympians are busy competing this summer, Clark will be able to recharge her batteries and work on ball security to become a more effective facilitator at the professional level. At that point, the Fever may finally start winning consistently.
Follow Us
Subscribe