The U.S. women’s basketball team is scheduled to make its Paris debut on Monday, but one of its stars will be noticeably absent from the court.
Indiana Fever rookie Caitlin Clark has made big strides in her first WNBA season, as expected given her huge success on the court in college.
However, Clarke was not among the 12 players selected for the women’s team in Paris, which prompted mixed reactions given the Iowa native’s contributions to the development of the sport.
Dawn Staley, South Carolina head coach and member of the U.S. selection committee, praised Clark in an interview with NBC’s Mike Tirico on Sunday and said she would be a “major contender” to make the team if the selections were redone today.
“As a member of the committee, it’s my responsibility to field the best team possible,” Staley said. “Kaitlyn is just a rookie in the WNBA. She didn’t play badly, but she’s not playing like she is now. If I had to do it over again, I would say she would be a strong candidate to make the team based on how she’s playing, because she’s playing so much better than the other players.”
Clarke could be used as an alternate if necessary, but will likely have to wait until the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics before making her competitive debut.
In 26 games this season, Clark is averaging 17.1 points, 8.2 assists, 5.8 rebounds, 1.5 steals and 0.8 blocks on 41/33/89 shooting with a volume of 13/8/4.
But the women’s team has no shortage of talent, with stars like Breanna Stewart, Napheesa Collier, Kaahliah Copper, Alyssa Thomas, Brittney Griner, A’ja Wilson, Jackie Young, Diana Taurasi, Chelsea Gray, Jewel Loyd, Kelsey Plum and Sabrina Ionescu.
The first pool match against Japan is scheduled to kick off on Monday, July 29th at 3pm ET/12pm PST.
