Dawn Staley explains why Caitlin Clark's recent play could have changed USA basketball Olympic snub

Even when she's relaxing on a much-needed vacation, Caitlin Clark is still a topic of conversation at the 2024 Paris Olympics .

The WNBA star was a glaring omission from the United States women's national team when the roster was announced back in June. Many pointed to Clark's rough start to her rookie season as a reason for her absence, but that decision has aged poorly since the 2024 No. 1 overall pick has found her footing.

Clark has been on a tear since her USA Basketball snub. She was named a WNBA All-Star and entered the Olympic break leading the league in assists (213) while tying reigning MVP Breanna Stewart for the seventh-most points (445).

The United States women's national team is still the heavy favorite to win gold even without Clark on the roster, but there is no denying her playmaking could have been an asset.

Even former USA Basketball head coach Dawn Staley admitted that Clark's recent play could have earned her a spot on the 2024 Olympic team.

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Dawn Staley explains why Caitlin Clark's recent play could have changed USA basketball Olympic snub

When it comes to women's basketball, few people are more qualified to speak than coach Staley.

The Hall of Famer was the head coach of the U.S. women's national team when it won gold at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and she still holds a place on USA Basketball's selection committee.

That is why her comments about Clark after the U.S. men's national team's victory over Serbia hold so much weight.

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Staley joined NBC's Mike Tirico for halftime and postgame analysis during Team USA's first men's basketball game. The two began to preview the women's Olympic opener on Monday when Tirico asked Staley about Clark's omission from the roster.

"As a committee member, you're charged with putting together the best team of players, the best talent," Staley began. "Caitlin is just a rookie in the WNBA. [She] wasn't playing bad [when USA Basketball picked the roster] but wasn't playing like she's playing now.

"If we had to do it all over again, the way that she's playing, she would be in really high consideration of making the team because she is playing head and shoulders above a lot of people. Shooting the ball extremely well, I mean she is an elite passer, she has a great basketball IQ. And she's a little more seasoned in the pro game in a couple of months than she was two months ago."

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Clark has turned things up a notch after being left off Team USA for the 2024 Paris Olympics. She is averaging 17.9 points, 10.4 assists, 6.7 rebounds and 1.5 steals over that 13-game span, looking like one of the best playmakers in the WNBA.

The United States women's national team is in pursuit of its eighth-consecutive gold medal and with its overwhelming talent and depth, one player would likely not change much.

But Clark's tear just before the Olympic break was a subtle reminder to the USA Basketball committee that she was labeled a generational talent for a reason and deserved to be on the roster.