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USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
Blake Schuster

Was Caitlin Clark snubbed? Fans debate Team USA leaving rookie off Olympics squad

Caitlin Clark will not be joining the USA national team at the Olympics when the games kick off next month, according to multiple reports.

Shortly after the Indiana Fever rookie posted her best game in her young career, USA Today’s Christine Brennan reported team USA will not be adding Clark to the roster ahead of the Paris games.

Per Brennan:

Two other sources, both long-time U.S. basketball veterans with decades of experience in the women’s game, told USA TODAY Sports Friday that concern over how Clark’s millions of fans would react to what would likely be limited playing time on a stacked roster was a factor in the decision making. If true, that would be an extraordinary admission of the tension that this multi-million-dollar sensation, who signs autographs for dozens of children before and after every game, has caused for the old guard of women’s basketball. The two people spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter.

Notably, Clark missed training camp for the team while her Iowa Hawkeyes squad was taking part in the Final Four. However college players have a history of joining stacked rosters for the Olympics, including Christian Laettner, Diana Taurasi and Breanna Stewart.

Still, framing the decision in part as one to avoid upsetting Clark’s fans over her playing time seems to forget that her fans will be just as upset over her omission in general.

That led to plenty of debate over whether or not Clark was actually snubbed.

MORE: 14 women’s hoops stars fighting for a Paris Olympics spot on the Team USA roster, including 1 surprise

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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