Cheryl Reeve uninterested in answering Caitlyn Clark Olympics question after loss to Fever

Minnesota Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve was uninterested in answering questions about the U.S.A. women's basketball team after Sunday's 81-74 loss to Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever.

"Why the hell would I answer a national team question?" Reeve responded when asked about Clark's future with the national team. "I'm wearing Lynx. And I'm the head coach of the national team but I'm not the chair of the committee. Anybody want to venture into anything else?"

As the head coach of the U.S. Women's Basketball National Team, Reeve is preparing for the Paris Olympics, which start in just over a week. Clark made headlines last month when she was left off the 12-woman roster for the Olympics.

Many pundits argued that Clark's fame would bring increased attention and focus to women's basketball during the Olympics. Selection committee chair Jen Rizzotti explained at the time that the decision came down to basketball criteria and not the fame and attention Clark could bring.

“Here’s the basketball criteria that we were given as a committee and how do we evaluate our players based on that?” Rizzotti told The Associated Press in June. “And when you base your decision on criteria, there were other players that were harder to cut because they checked a lot more boxes. Then sometimes it comes down to position, style of play for Cheryl (Reeve) and then sometimes a vote.”

ESPN's Myron Medcalf, who asked the initial question, posted on X, formerly Twitter, that Reeve "walked by me after her response to that question, she said, 'Appreciate you.'"

Prior to Sunday's game between the Lynx and Fever at the Target Center, Reeve was blunt in her response to the heightened attendance and fans cheering for the opposition.

"I don't give two s***s," Reeve responded.

When a reporter quickly followed up with, "How about one?" Reeve responded with, "Not even on s***."

A sold-out crowd of 18,978 watched as the Fever upset the Lynx 81-74 on Sunday.