It seems Caitlin Clark might have deserved a spot on the U.S. Olympic basketball team after all.
Clark, the frontrunner for WNBA Rookie of the Year and a major star in women’s basketball, was controversially left off the roster in June, with the selection committee citing her lack of professional experience.
However, on the day of the U.S. team’s first game in Paris, one of the decision-makers appeared to admit it might have been a mistake.
Dawn Staley, head coach of South Carolina and a member of the Olympic team selection committee, made comments to NBC’s Mike Tirico, acknowledging that Clark “wasn’t playing like she’s playing now” at the time the roster was finalized.
“As a committee member, you’re tasked with putting together the best team of players and the best talent,” Staley said. “Caitlin was just a rookie in the WNBA at the time. She wasn’t playing poorly, but she wasn’t performing at the level she is now.”
“If we had to redo the selection process, given her current performance, she would be given serious consideration for making the team because she is playing head and shoulders above many others. She’s shooting the ball extremely well, she’s an elite passer, she has a great basketball IQ, and she’s much more seasoned in the professional game than she was two months ago.”
Clark, the No. 1 overall pick following her record-breaking tenure at Iowa, is seen as a key reason for the surge in interest in women’s basketball and the WNBA.
During her college career, Clark’s games set viewership records, and some WNBA teams have moved games against Clark’s Indiana Fever to accommodate larger crowds.
Clark, who vowed to use the snub as motivation, has elevated her game since joining the WNBA. She is averaging 17.9 points and 10.4 assists in 13 games, recently setting a record for the most assists in a single game with 19.
The U.S. team is aiming for its eighth consecutive gold medal. The Americans will face Japan on Monday, Belgium on August 1, and Germany on August 4 during pool play.
Clark and the Indiana Fever will next play against U.S. basketball legend Diana Taurasi and the Phoenix Mercury on August 16.
