Stephen A. Smith adds Dawn Staley to Team USA criticism for Caitlin Clark decision

Stephen A. Smith didn’t hold back when he doubled down on his criticism of Team USA for its Caitlin Clark decision.

Clark was infamously left off the Olympic team this summer and the ESPN host blamed the team’s decision as the reason why the ratings and interest were lower than anticipated. Dawn Staley recently explained why they left Clark off the squad.

But Smith included Staley in the blame regarding Clark.

“How does it feel, Team USA? To have six games — four of them drew over 20,000 — and the one that didn’t still drew 2,000 more than you,” Smith said . “That means… that outside of that, the other games drew more than 6,000 fans compared to you. How does it feel? See, we want to play like marketing and business don’t play a role in all of us. Have you ever been to the Olympics? Do you know that they’ll remove you from events if they have a sponsorship from Coca-Cola and you drink Pepsi …

“Well, guess what, ladies and gentlemen? That’s why you should’ve had Caitlin Clark, and Angel Reese, because they’re a draw. I never once said that Caitlin Clark should’ve been on the team ahead of the 12 people selected ahead of her because of basketball. I said, ‘Marketing matters in everything. Promotion matters in everything. And you’re not gonna get around that.’ That is what I said. And you go over to Paris, and …Team USA draws the lowest attendance.”

Stephen A. Smith rips Team USA for Caitlin Clark decision

Staley played the rookie card when referencing Clark. But they’d redo the decision and put her under serious consideration.

“As a committee member, you’re charged with putting together best teams of players, the best talent,” Staley said ahead of Team USA’s debut vs. Japan. “Caitlin is just a rookie in the WNBA. Wasn’t playing bad, 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, she is an elite passer. She’s just got 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.”

Clark is no doubt a magnet to ratings when it comes to fans watching women’s basketball. Ratings have never been higher and Clark was clearly the biggest reason why.

“The great Dawn Staley, who I revere by the way, ‘If she was playing the way then the way she’s playing now…’ Well, wait a minute,” Smith said. “You know she had the potential. You know, playing amongst other stars with her marksmanship, she could’ve made things happen. With her passing ability, she could’ve made things happen. Then, she would’ve drawn excitement and eyeballs, and people all over the world would’ve been watching here, which would have assisted in the elevation of the WNBA brand, which would’ve benefitted everybody.

“But, you didn’t care. Far be it for you to pay all attention to that. And now Team USA is on the docket, drawing the lowest attendance of anybody in the Olympics… That’s embarrassing. Really? Really? Y’all something else, man. Told y’all. Caitlin Clark would’ve damn sure been on that team, and the more I saw Angel Reese playing the way she was playing, and the way her and Caitlin feed off of one another from a ratings standpoint, she would’ve been on the team too.”

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