USA Basketball defends decision to leave Caitlin Clark off the 2024 Paris Olympics team

Fans were disappointed earlier this week when Caitlin Clarkthe first-round overall pick in the WNBA draft, was not on the U.S. women’s national basketball team’s roster for the Paris 2024 Olympics. Now, USA Basketball has responded.

Selection Committee Chair Jen Rizzotti told the Associated Press It all comes down to the players’ selection criteria. Experience was a factor.

“And when you base your decision on criteria, there were other players that were harder to cut because they checked a lot more boxes,” Rizzotti said. “So sometimes it comes down to Cheryl’s position and style of play. [Reeve] and sometimes a vote.”

Clark, responsible for attracting millions of new viewers to this year’s college and professional women’s basketball games, said making the Olympic team is a dream and now she has something to work toward.

“I hope one day I can be there,” she told reporters after Sunday’s practice. “I think it’s just a little more motivation. You remember that. Hopefully when you go back four years, I can be there.”

She said she was not disappointed and is excited about the women who made the team.

The team is a mix of players with individual skill sets, USA Basketball CEO Jim Tooley told the AP.

“We have veterans, newcomers and in-betweens,” he said. “Good perspective and continuity are very important things and that’s why we were successful at the Olympics.”

The U.S. women’s basketball team has won gold in every Olympics since 1988, except the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, when it took home bronze.

The six-person selection committee formed a team of players who have already won an Olympic or World Cup gold medal. according to USA Basketball.

Diana Taurasi, who competed in her first Olympics 20 years ago in Athens, returns for her sixth consecutive Olympics. Her Phoenix Mercury teammates Brittney Griner and Kahleah Copper join her on Team USA.

Breanna Stewart, Napheesa Collier, Chelsea Gray, Jewell Loyd and A’ja Wilson, who have competed in previous Olympics, were also part of the team. Sabrina Ionescu, Kelsey Plum, Alyssa Thomas and Jackie Young, who have won Olympic gold or World Cup gold medals in 3×3 games, were also selected. Plum and Young will play on the 5×5 team.

Players like Clark and Ariel Atkins, who played at the Tokyo Olympics, and members of the 2022 World Cup squad, Shakira Austin, Betnijah Laney-Hamilton and Brionna Jones, could be taken to the Paris Olympics as substitutes, according to the AP.

Still, fans were shocked when Clark – who is the all time NCAA Division I player scoring leader and is one of two players in WNBA history having 150 points, 50 rebounds and 50 assists in the first 10 games – he was left out of the squad.

“Leaving Catlin Clark of USA Women’s @Olimpíadas The team must be one of the biggest misses of all time in the history of sport,” wrote one person on social media.

“Caitlin Clark not playing with the Olympic team will cause them to lose millions and millions of dollars. Wild. Her international publicity would be a scandalous number.

“I don’t follow the WNBA or know any of their names – EXCEPT Catlin Clark. The WNBA lost its eyes when it saw the basketball Olympics,” another person posted.

Some social media users, however, pointed out that no WNBA rookies were selected. Clark also did not attend Olympic training camp – which increases players’ chances of making the roster – because she was playing in the NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship, CBS Sports reports.