USA Basketball's recent announcement of the roster for the 2024 Paris Olympics has stirred widespread discussion in the sports community due to the exclusion of Caitlin Clark, the standout WNBA rookie and former women's college basketball star. Addressing the decision, USA Basketball CEO Jim Tooley emphasized the importance of experience and team composition as pivotal factors.
“It's a great mix of talent across the board in terms of individual skill sets,” Tooley said, as reported by the Associated Press. “We have veterans, newcomers, and those in the middle. Good perspective and continuity is such an important thing and is why we've been successful in the Olympics.”
All 12 players on the roster have senior national team experience, a criteria that Clark, through no fault of her own, does not meet.
Tooley expressed optimism about Clark's future with Team USA.
“She's certainly going to continue to get better and better,” he said. “Really hope that she's a big part of our future going forward.”
Clark herself has adopted a positive outlook, viewing her omission as motivation to improve and aim for the 2028 Olympics.
“It's a dream. Hopefully one day I can be there,” Clark said. “I think it's just a little more motivation.”
Caitlin Clark's popularity not a factor in Team USA roster decisions
Clark, the No. 1 pick in the WNBA draft and a key player for the Indiana Fever, has drawn millions of new fans to the sport. However, the selection committee, chaired by Jen Rizzotti, based its decision on basketball criteria that prioritized experience and positional fit over popularity.
“Here's the basketball criteria that we were given as a committee and how do we evaluate our players based on that?” Rizzotti said. “And when you base your decision on criteria, there were other players that were harder to cut because they checked a lot more boxes. Then sometimes it comes down to position, style of play for (coach) Cheryl (Reeve) and then sometimes a vote.”
The roster includes seven returnees from the Tokyo Olympics, where Team USA secured its seventh consecutive gold medal. Notable names include Breanna Stewart, A'ja Wilson, Chelsea Gray and Diana Taurasi, who is making her record sixth Olympic appearance. Additionally, 5-on-5 newcomers Kelsey Plum and Jackie Young, who excelled in 3×3 at the Tokyo Games, and first-time Olympians Alyssa Thomas, Sabrina Ionescu and Kahleah Copper, who all contributed to the World Cup victory in Australia in 2022, round out the team.
Despite not making the team, Clark remains an alternate, potentially stepping in if any selected player becomes unavailable.
While Clark's exclusion has drawn attention, it is not unprecedented. Only four WNBA rookies—Stewart, Taurasi, Candace Parker and Sylvia Fowles—have ever made the U.S. Olympic team, each having prior national team experience.
Olympic team will leverage experience from veterans, emerging talent
As the team prepares to train in Phoenix and play an exhibition game in London before heading to Paris, the focus remains on leveraging their blend of seasoned veterans and emerging talents to continue their Olympic dominance. In Paris, the U.S. will compete against Japan, Belgium and Germany in pool play, aiming to secure their eighth consecutive gold medal.
USA Basketball's selection committee faced a difficult decision in omitting Clark, considering the immense pressure and public support for her inclusion. However, the committee's criteria focus on assembling a team that balances skill, experience and positional needs. The approach has historically yielded success for Team USA – which hasn’t lost a game at the Olympics since 1992 – and the hope is that this roster will continue that tradition.
Rizzotti highlighted the importance of adhering to the established selection criteria.
“It would be irresponsible for us to talk about her (Clark) in a way other than how she would impact the play of the team,” Rizzotti said. “Because it wasn't the purview of our committee to decide how many people would watch or how many people would root for the U.S. It was our purview to create the best team we could for Cheryl.”
Clark's coach, Christie Sides, expressed confidence in Clark's future contributions.
“Hey coach, they woke a monster,” Sides recalled Clark saying upon receiving the news.
Diana Taurasi returns for yet another Olympic Games
Taurasi, returning for her sixth Olympic appearance, praised the selection process and stressed the importance of team fit over individual talent.
“Whenever you’re trying to cut down to 12 players from this amazing pool of players, there’s always going to be controversy,” Taurasi said. “At the end of the day, Team USA basketball has always had a firm grasp of what they need as a team.”
As the U.S. team gears up for the Olympics, the inclusion of experienced players like Taurasi and promising talents like Alyssa Thomas, who is currently leading the WNBA in assists, highlights the depth and versatility of the selected roster.
Brittney Griner, set to play internationally for the first time since her detention in Russia, expressed her excitement about representing the U.S. again.
“When you represent your country, you're on the highest stage,” Griner said. “Anytime you get to put on the red, white and blue, USA across your chest, we'll get every country's best shot.”
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