A Caitlin Clark fan warned the U.S. women's basketball team that they would need the snubbed Indiana Fever sensation to beat Japan in their opening game at the Paris Olympics .
The former Iowa college point guard was left off Team USA's roster for the Games this summer in what has proved to be a controversial decision on the part of the selection committee. The 22-year-old has made a strong start to life in the WNBA after being drafted earlier in the year - averaging 7.1 points per game and a pace-setting 8.2 assists so far this term.
However, her rise during her rookie season was not enough to convince decision-makers as she was left at home for the spectacle in the French capital. One Clark fanatic was not willing to let the decision go in the lead up to America's game versus Japan, holding up a sign that predicted: "You need Caitlin Clark to beat us."
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Eventually, this prophecy did not come to pass as A'ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart led the charge for the Stars and Stripes as they won 102-76 to start off their Olympic campaign in style. Having won seven-straight gold medals at the Games, the class of 2024 will be all too aware of the expectations to triumph again this summer.
In Clark's absence, Team USA's stars won a 56th straight victory at the Olympics , with this peerless run stretching all the way back to Barcelona 1992. After an emphatic start to life in Paris, the all-conquering team will face Belgium next in Group C as they look to continue their charge.
As for Clark , it appears that she took the decision to leave her off the roster for the Games well as she vowed to use the disappointment to spur her on moving forward. Giving an insight into her mindset, she said: "I think it just gives you something to work for.
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"It’s a dream. Hopefully one day I can be there. I think it’s just a little more motivation, she confessed as she looked forward to the next Olympics. "You remember that. Hopefully when four years comes back around [at the LA Olympics in 2028], I can be there. 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 of me being on the team or me not being on the team. I’m excited for them. Going to be rooting them on to win gold. I was a kid that grew up watching the Olympics. It’ll be fun to watch them."
Clark added: "They called me and let me know before everything came out, which was really respectful of them, and I appreciate that. They did the same for every girl that made the team or every girl that didn’t make the team. There’s a lot of players in the Olympic pool. It wasn’t like I was the only one they had to call. They had to make quite a few calls."
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