It has been over a week since the US women's national basketball team announced its roster for the 2024 Olympics. While the lineup had been usually released without too much fanfare, this year is different because of the Caitlin Clark snub.
Diverging opinions have been expressed about the Indiana Fever rookie's exclusion from the squad, with some even offering unnecessary vitriolic messages. Kevin Durant also recently addressed the issue, praising the hyped WNBA rookie and saying her time with Team USA will come.
"I still think it's proper steps you got to take in our world to be considered an Olympian," Durant said . "I think she's going to definitely be on one of these teams going forward. But right now, there's better candidates out there, I think."
"But Caitlin's gotta continue to keep showing up every day. The WNBA is doing a great job of showcasing her. I'm seeing her games on ESPN every other day. I seen talks around her, no matter what they're talking about. There's a lot of dialogue around the game right now, so that's good as well," KD added.
Legit reasons for leaving out Clark
Some people have rued the missed opportunity to help grow women's basketball even more globally by not putting Caitlin on the team heading to Paris. There is a school of thought that Team USA should have focused more on making the sport more prominent instead of fielding the best lineup possible, considering that the squad will probably dominate the competition regardless.
On the other hand, folks like Rachel Nichols have defended the supposed snub , saying that the tournament won't be a popularity contest and that the team will have a massive target on its back.
Besides, it would have been unfair to the other players who showed up in the Olympic training camp to leave off one of them in favor of Clark. The Fever guard couldn't attend because its schedule conflicted with the NCAA March Madness, where she helped the University of Iowa make a run to the championship game.
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Clark's bright future
But as Durant said, Clark will get her due recognition in international competition, even if it will have to wait longer. She already represented the Red, White, and Blue when she competed at the 2021 FIBA U19 Women's Basketball World Cup. Caitlin led the squad to a gold-medal finish and earned the MVP award.
She is likely focused on establishing her footing in the WNBA and helping the Fever for now. Whether she has lived up to the hype is up for debate, but the 22-year-old star has definitely held her own despite being on the receiving end of disdain and hatred from fellow players and some fans.
In addition, Clark has helped the league grow at an unprecedented rate. Her peers may not want to admit it, but her arrival has boosted interest in the WNBA.
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