Caitlin Clark Given New Honor After Being Snubbed from Paris Olympics Team

Caitlin Clark won't be taking the court at the Paris Olympics, but could have bigger things headed her way.

The Indiana Fever rookie was a controversial omission from Team USA, but San Francisco Chronicle columnist Bruce Jenkins suggested that Clark has an impact that transcends all sports. Jenkins declared Clark the "U.S. Female Athlete of the Year," giving her credit for a meteoric rise in popularity for the WNBA.

"No other American female athlete has had a bigger impact on sports this year than Caitlin Clark, who has lifted the WNBA to unprecedented heights," Jenkins wrote .

Jenkins wrote that Clark's omission from Team USA was more a matter of bad timing than a reflection of her abilities. He noted that Clark was not available to participate in evaluation camps, leaving it impossible for her to win a roster spot over the established WNBA stars who will represent the United States at the Paris Olympics.

Clark appears to be making the most of her extended break after a long stretch of basketball that began with the start of the NCAA season and ran through to the WNBA Draft and training camp with little time for a break. The rookie is off to a vacation in Mexico with friend and teammate Lexie Hull, along with her boyfriend, Connor McCaffery.

Related: The 12 Best Caitlin Clark Jerseys and Merch to Buy Right Now—Because You Should Have Just As Many Picks as the Draft