Team USA Women’s Basketball roster to Paris Olympics revealed, Clark left off
Amidst all the hype surrounding her rookie year in the WNBA, Caitlin Clark will not be a part of the USA Women’s Basketball National Team set to compete at the Olympics in Paris.
In a report by The Athletic’s Shams Charania, the women set to be part of the 12 to go to Paris are the following:
- A’Ja Wilson
- Breanna Stewart
- Diana Taurasi
- Brittney Griner
- Kahleah Copper
- Sabrina Ionescu
- Kelsey Plum
- Chelsea Gray
- Jackie Young
- Jewell Loyd
- Napheesa Collier
- Alyssa Thomas
REPORT: Caitlin Clark expected to be left off Olympics women’s basketball roster, per @TheAthletic 🚨
— BasketballNews.com (@basketbllnews) June 8, 2024
The main roster indicates a preference for veterans:
• A’ja Wilson
• Breanna Stewart
• Diana Taurasi
• Brittney Griner
• Alyssa Thomas
• Napheesa Collier
• Jewell Loyd… pic.twitter.com/DgbRn3roUC
Clark’s omission is noticeable yet understandable, with Team USA opting for more experience, overall team composition, and the chemistry of established WNBA stars in building the team.
The hotshot rookie who has taken the WNBA by storm will have to wait and watch before getting her turn with the national team in years to come. Clark is coming off a historic NCAA career at Iowa, where she became the Division I all-time leading scorer and won two National Player of the Year awards. On Friday, she hit seven 3-pointers and matched her WNBA career-high with 30 points in a win over the Washington Mystics.
It is by no means of discrediting Clark and what she would be able to provide at the table, but more so in the tenure of these players playing for the national team. The 12 names have been training over the past few months together and it’s only wise to keep them intact and not mess around with the dynamics surrounding the squad.