Caitlin Clark, the college basketball player predicted to be the number one pick in the next WNBA draft, has been invited to participate in the senior United States women’s basketball team training camp in April.
Nine Olympians are on the list, unveilled by USA basketball on Thursday (28 March), including five-time gold medalist Diana Taurasi. It’s the first time Clark has been selected.
Playing for Iowa, Clark broke the all-time NCAA scoring record earlier this month. She’s known for her ability to shoot from anywhere on the court, particularly from far behind the three-point line. She’s a four-time first-team All-American selection, and led her Hawkeyes to the National Final game in the NCAA Championship in 2023. Currently, her team is a number one seed in this year’s tournament, and they will play Colorado in the Sweet 16 stage of March Madness on Saturday (30 March).
Clark last played for a USA team in 2021, winning a gold medal at the FIBA U19 World Cup. She didn’t play with the senior U.S. team at exhibition games in November, or at the Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Antwerp in February. As the camp will take place 3-5 April, and the NCAA women’s Final Four is 5-7 April, her attendance in the camp will depend on how Iowa performs in the tournament this coming weekend.
Other Olympians who will attend the camp include Ariel Atkins, Chelsea Gray, Brittney Griner, Jewell Loyd, Kelsey Plum, Breanna Stewart, A’ja Wilson, and Jackie Young. Also invited are Sabrina Ionescu and Shakira Austin, who were on the gold-medal winning team for the 2022 FIBA World Cup, and Rhyne Howard and Aliyah Boston, who were both part of the Olympic Qualifying Tournament team.
The camp is one step in USA Basketball’s selection procedure for the Olympic Games Paris 2024. The team will be selected by a committee of coaches and former players. A date for the team announcement has not been set. Before the USA team heads to Paris, they will play an exhibition game against WNBA All-Stars in Phoenix on 20 July.