Caitlin Clark is not expected to join the U.S. team for this summer’s Olympics in Paris, a source familiar with the decision told NBC News.
The U.S. national team roster has not yet been officially announced, but sources say the roster is expected to include 12 Olympic veterans.
“I’m excited about the girls that are on the team,” Clark said during a press conference on June 9 when asked how she felt about the roster composition.
“I know it’s the most competitive team in the world and I know it could have gone either way, whether I stayed or not.” she Said A clip shared by The Athletic reporter James Boyd..
On June 8, sources told NBC News that the group heading overseas includes A’ja Wilson, Breanna Stewart, Diana Taurasi, Brittney Griner, Alyssa Thomas, Napheesa Collier, Jewel Lloyd, Kelsey Plum, Jackie Young, Sabrina Ionescu, Chelsea Gray and Kalia Copper.
“We have not made any official announcement yet,” a U.S. team spokesman told NBC News.
The decision regarding Clark was first reported by The Athletic.
The 22-year-old Indiana Fever athlete spoke with Stephanie Goske on NBC’s “Today” in April about her “dream” of making the U.S. Olympic team.
“Going to the Olympics means everything to me,” she said of her dream to compete in the Olympics. “It’s been one of my dreams since I was a kid. I always wanted to be an Olympic gold medalist, so I know how special it would be to have the USA logo on my chest. So, to be able to achieve that at the highest level would definitely be a dream come true.”
Clark said Sunday he was “not disappointed” that his name had been removed from the roster.
“I think it just gives you something, something to strive for. That’s the dream. Hopefully one day you can be there. I think it just gives you a little bit more motivation. Just remember,” she said. “Four years from now, when that four years from now comes, hopefully you can be there.”
She said she plans to be in Paris cheering on Team USA players.
“I’ll be rooting for them to win the gold medal. I was a kid who grew up watching the Olympics so it’ll be fun to watch them compete,” she said.
In May, Clark was named the WNBA Rookie of the Month. Most recently, Clark led Indiana to an 85-83 victory over the Fever against the Washington Mystics on June 7. She scored 30 points and made seven three-pointers in a single game, tying the WNBA rookie record.
But Clark’s short time in the WNBA hasn’t been without its adjustments: The former college star is averaging more than five turnovers per game, with 67 so far this season, the most in the league.
Clark was the No. 1 pick in April’s WNBA Draft. Prior to making her professional debut this year, she was named the NCAA Division I college basketball all-time leading scorer while at the University of Iowa.
Her performance on the court brought millions of eyes to women’s basketball.
In April, Clark and Angel Reese faced off in the NCAA Elite Eight game between Iowa and LSU, which drew 12.3 million viewers, the most viewers for a single game in women’s college basketball history. FanDuel told CNBC at the time that the game was also the largest betting event in the history of women’s sports.
ESPN reported that last season’s Elite Eight averaged 6.2 million viewers, up 184% from the previous year.
This year’s NCAA women’s championship drew more viewers than the men’s final for the first time in history, according to Nielsen.
