The roster for Team USA women’s basketball was confirmed over the weekend and it’s packed with plenty of veterans. But there was a noticeable absence: Caitlin Clark.
The 22-year-old, who has sparked a new interest in women’s basketball and is the all-time leading college scorer in basketball for men and women, is not on the roster. Naturally, people have questions.
Here’s what we know about why Caitlin Clark isn’t on the USA women’s basketball Olympic team.
Why is Caitlin Clark not on the 2024 Olympic basketball team?
There’s a lot of chatter about this online. While it’s unlikely that USA basketball will comment on it, there is some speculation on what happened.
Caitlin has been prone to turnovers and has struggled at times to deal with how physical the WNBA can be, according to CBS Sports. There are also more experienced guards ahead of her.
USA Today columnist Christine Brennan reports that Team USA was concerned about how Caitlin’s massive fanbase would react to her only playing a little bit, given that she doesn’t have as much experience on a pro and international level as many of the other women on the team.
Who is on the Olympic basketball team?
That said, Team USA is stacked with talented women. Those include:
Who picks the Olympic basketball team?
The USA Olympic basketball team is chosen by a committee. That group includes South Carolina coach (and former basketball Olympian) Dawn Staley, LSU assistant coach Seimone Augustus, Old Dominion coach Delisha Milton-Jones, Connecticut Sun president Jennifer Rizzotti, and WNBA head of league operations Bethany Donaphin, NBC Chicago says.
What did Caitlin say about not being selected for the Olympic basketball team?
Caitlin has been super positive about being left off the roster—and optimistic about the future.
“I think it gives you something to work for, you know, it’s a dream,” Caitlin said after a recent practice, per CNN. “Hopefully one day I can be there and I think it’s just a little more motivation. You remember that and, you know, hopefully in four years, when four years comes back around…I can be there.”
Korin Miller is a freelance writer specializing in general wellness, sexual health and relationships, and lifestyle trends, with work appearing in Men’s Health, Women’s Health, Self, Glamour, and more. She has a master’s degree from American University, lives by the beach, and hopes to own a teacup pig and taco truck one day.