There are plenty of conversations about Caitlin Clark at present, and one of them is centered around her Team USA snub. The Indiana Fever rookie wasn't included in the country's lineup for the upcoming Paris Olympics, and it's drawn plenty of reactions from fans and sports personalities alike. Recently, NBA star Kevin Durant also gave his thoughts on the matter. During an interview with The Wall Street Journal, the two-time champion indicated that Clark has to earn her stripes before representing the country.

“I still think there's proper steps you gotta take in our world to be considered an Olympian,” Durant said, per Semafor's Max Tani. “I think she’s gonna definitely be on one of these teams going forward, but right now there's better candidates out there, I think.”

Still, Durant made sure to credit Clark's impact on the WNBA as a whole.

“But Caitlin’s just gotta continue to keep showing up every day, and the WNBA is doing a great job of showcasing her. I’m seeing her games on ESPN every other day. I've seen talks around; no matter what they’re talking about, there’s a lot of dialogue around the game right now, so that’s good as well…there's so many great players in our league that Caitlin has helped shine a light on, and that'll help the league grow over time.”

More on Caitlin Clark's exclusion from Team USA

Durant's take may draw mixed reactions, but one can argue that he has a point. Throughout history, those who've suited up for the Olympics — whether in men's or women's basketball — had years of experience in either the NBA or the WNBA before their first selection. Sure, there were rare cases such as Christian Laettner's inclusion on the Dream Team, but for the most part, the Team USA roster has always been composed of the country's most seasoned stars.

This is not to say that Caitlin Clark isn't a star. The Fever's prized pick is already putting up stellar numbers for a first-year player. In fact, she just became the fastest rookie in WNBA history to reach 100 points and 50 assists.

However, her lack of experience poses a concern, and this was touched on by the USA Basketball selection committee. An article by ESPN stated that “the selection committee didn't believe the talented Clark had enough high-level reps to be a member of the group headed to the Paris Games.” The roster is indeed a reflection of that. Among those chosen, seven players were part of the gold-winning team during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Clark could have been brought in for more publicity and views, just as some online users have lamented. But then again, the Fever rookie herself stated that a Team USA selection is “something to work for”.

“Honestly, no disappointment,” Clark said, regarding her snub. “I think it just gives you something to work for. That’s a dream. Hopefully one day I can be there. I think it’s just a little more motivation. You remember that.” (per ClutchPoints' Jackson Stone).

Knowing what Caitlin Clark is capable of, she'll likely be included in many of the future squads.