Caitlin Clark, arguably the most famous women's basketball player in the fresh WNBA season, is a notable exclusion to Team USA's Paris 2024 squad.
One star-spangled roster indeed.
Five-time Olympic gold medalist Diana Taurasi, reigning WNBA champion and Finals MVP A’Ja Wilson, and two-time champion and MVP Breanna Stewart headline the USA Basketball Women’s National Team in their quest for an unprecedented eighth-straight gold medal in the Olympic Games Paris 2024.
Besides Taurasi, Wilson and Stewart, the squad also feature key returnees like Napheesa Collier of the Minnesota Lynx, Chelsea Gray of the Las Vegas Aces, Brittney Griner of the Phoenix Mercury, Jewell Loyd of the Seattle Storm, alongside Kahleah Copper of the Phoenix Mercury, Sabrina Ionescu of the New York Liberty, Kelsey Plum and Jackie Young of the Aces, and Alyssa Thomas of the Connecticut Sun.
Collier, Gray, Griner, Lloyd, Stewart, Taurasi and Wilson return after being part of the 2020 squad that went 6-0 en-route to a gold medal in Tokyo at the 2020 Olympic Games.
Taurasi, who will suit up for a record sixth Olympics, has played more games than any other women’s player in USA Basketball Olympic history (38). She is also currently second in all-time Olympic points scored (414), trailing only to WNBA legend Lisa Leslie (488).
Plum and Young were part of the USA 3×3 Women’s National Team that went 8-1 en route to claiming the sport’s first Olympic gold medal in the 2020 Tokyo Games.
The squad has a combined 15 Olympic gold medals, 18 FIBA Women’s World Cup titles, and 55 WNBA All-Star appearances while also parading eight WNBA champions, three WNBA MVPs and five WNBA Rookies of the Year. Team USA will be coached by Lynx head tactician Cheryl Reeve.
However, as star-studded as this cast is, one notable member who was left out is Indiana Fever superstar rookie Caitlin Clark.
Clark is averaging 16.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, 6.0 assists and 2.8 made three-pointers in 13 games so far for the Fever, and the 22-year-old took the snub as motivation moving forward.
“Honestly, no disappointment. It just gives me something to work for; it’s a dream. Hopefully one day I can be there. I think it’s just a little more motivation. You remember that. Hopefully when four years comes around, I can be there.”
Her exclusion to the squad has been subject of intense discussion among the fans and media, but Clark expressed her support to Team USA.
“I’m excited for the girls that are on the team. I know it’s the most competitive team in the world and I know it could have gone either way — me being on the team or me not being on the team. I’m going to be rooting them on to win gold. I was a kid that grew up watching the Olympics, so it will be fun to watch them,” Clark said.
The Americans are in Group C in Paris against Tokyo 2020 rival Japan, Belgium, and Germany.