Caitlin Clark will not compete in the Paris Olympics, sources told ESPN, confirming multiple reports.
Clark, who played internationally in the United States Basketball Association as a youth player, was invited to attend national training camp in Cleveland while leading the University of Iowa to the Final Four but was unable to attend. Clark finished his career as the NCAA Division I all-time scoring leader.
Clark, currently a rookie for the Indiana Fever, has attracted millions of new fans to women’s basketball throughout her collegiate and young WNBA career.
While Clark won’t be heading to Paris, the U.S. is expected to send five-time gold medalist Diana Taurasi to her sixth Olympics. Taurasi, who turns 42 on Tuesday, will be accompanied by Phoenix Mercury teammate Brittney Griner.
This will be Griner’s first time playing in an international game since spending 10 months in a Russian prison in 2022. She said she will only play overseas in the United States Basketball Association.
Joining the pair will be Olympic veterans Breanna Stewart, A’ja Wilson, Napheesa Collier, Jewel Loyd and Chelsea Gray. Also joining the team will be Kelsey Plumb and Jackie Young, who helped the U.S. win its first gold medal in the 3×3 event at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.
Alyssa Thomas, Sabrina Ionescu and Kalea Copper will be making their Olympic debuts, although all three played on the winning U.S. team at the World Cup in Australia in 2022.
The United States women’s basketball team has won every gold medal since the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.
Taurasi will set a new record for most Olympic appearances by a basketball player: five players, including former teammate Sue Bird, have played five times.
The U.S. team will train in Phoenix for a few days in July before heading to London for a friendly against Germany before traveling to France.
The U.S. will face Japan, Belgium and Germany in Olympic pool play.
The decision to remove Clark from the team was first reported by The Athletic.
