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Caitlin Clark was questionably left off the USA Olympic roster last year, prompting much debate.
Sure, Clark had been in the WNBA for just a few months, but she had already proved why she was the No. 1 pick fresh off a record-breaking campaign at the University of Iowa.
Alas, she was left off, and apparently, she “never had a chance.”
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Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark, #22, smiles as she looks at the team bench after making a pass to the basket that led to a score in the second half of a WNBA basketball game against the Dallas Wings on Sunday, Sept. 1, 2024 in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
“The powers that be in the women’s game did not want Caitlin Clark on their team. No matter how well she was playing, and no matter how convinced most basketball experts were that she was not only getting better daily, but also playing very well in the moment, and no matter how much USA Basketball indicated Clark was being given a shot to make the team, she never had a chance,” USA Today columnist Christine Brennan wrote in her new book, “On Her Game: Caitlin Clark and the Revolution in Women’s Sports,” which was released on Tuesday.
Why not? Well, perhaps for two reasons.
Brennan had reported this last year, “which made no sense at the time,” but re-iterated in her book that USA Basketball officials had growing concerns about how Clark’s fans would react to her potentially receiving limited playing time on what would without a doubt be the best team she had ever been on.
However, Brennan said Clark was actually fighting at a disadvantage, as one spot was unofficially being left open for Diana Taurasi.
United States shooting guard Diana Taurasi, #12, celebrates after the receiving the gold medal in women’s basketball during the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games at Accor Arena. (Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports)
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Taurasi “was going to be given a farewell present by USA basketball” – a record sixth Olympic nod, “unless she was totally injured and couldn’t play.”
“This meant 11 spots, not 12, were open and available. Taurasi was a lock… and, frankly, she’d be going even if she was a little injured and could only play sparingly. To say this wasn’t the way an Olympic selection process should be run is an enormous understatement,” Brennen revealed.
The team hardly missed Clark, as they went on to win gold in Paris. Clark was offered a spot on the 3-on-3 team but declined.
Clark said last year she didn’t want to be in Paris for her popularity, while saying that her snub “will definitely motivate me my entire career.”
FILE – Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark, #22, plays against the Dallas Wings in the second half of a WNBA basketball game in Indianapolis on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy, File)
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“I don’t want to be there because I’m somebody that can bring attention,” Clark said. “I love that for the game of women’s basketball. But at the same time, I want to be there because they think I’m good enough. I don’t want to be some little person that is kind of dragged around for people to cheer about and only watch because I’m sitting on the bench. That whole narrative kind of upset me. Because that is not fair. It’s disrespectful to the people that were on the team, that had earned it and were really good. And it’s also disrespectful to myself.”
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