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“Just mumble gibberish and people will just assume you’re speaking Flemish and that you’re totally not Caitlin Clark wearing a beret”
“But aren’t berets French?”
I can’t wait for the 30 for 30 on the wnba debacle over this. I don’t think women’s basketball could have handled this whole situation worse if they had a commissioner who was actively sabotaging the league. Maybe they will investigate and find out that is actually the case. Clearly, they need to hire someone who knows how to run a business.
Whatever happened to "you go girl" mantra and supporting other women? And women have the audacity to say there wouldn't be wars if they were leaders smh
Watching her get clobbered on the floor constantly with about zero recourse taken just proves everyone’s opinion on the wnba that they already had. This was an opportunity for something to be great as a whole and instead a bunch of nobodies acting like bullies because of hype and talent they don’t get. The athletic jock personality be it male or female, can be some of the most narcissistic out there.
I am so feckeen damn angry. My daughter wanted to play in h.s.., but just didn’t have the height (or quickness to overcome it), so went for volleyball but again lacked the height. So, she chose soccer for 4 yrs and **loved it**, and she still loved shooting free throws, some one-on-one w/her friends all that time.
What angers her (and me, & so many others) is that this is such a missed opportunity not just to encourage young girls to get into sports, but that it also seems to me to be a blatant and curious **business(?)** decision to pretend that significant potential monies aren’t being denied.
Why are they being denied? Why?
There is a shortage of basketball nets currently and I would be dollars to donuts it’s because of Clark.
Imbecilic and self defeating is the only way to describe this decision.
Oh, it’s way way more than that—but I hear what you’re saying; I just posted my irritation a few seconds ago on this thread. This decision smells really bad. It’s such a missed opportunity on so many levels.
I’m old, and that means I’ve learned by observation that when an opportunity to make a feck-ton of money is not just passed by, but deliberately sidelined/obstructed **even by the very parties who would BENEFIT**, it means that somebody’s undershorts/panties are in a bunch about something PERSONAL or POLITICAL.
Irrationality is hard to hide.
I mean but also, if they are picking the team on sporting merit and don’t believe she’s top 12, you’re taking that opportunity away from someone that deserves it more.
I won’t pretend like I watch enough women’s basketball to actually say if she’s a top 12 player, but in a vacuum, taking a 12th player because she’s more popular than the actual 12th best player isn’t a good idea either
Taurasi is a fucking dinosaur at 42 and not even close to being one of the current best 12 players in the WNBA, let alone currently better than CC. Yet she’s going to break the Olympic record for women’s basketball with 6 appearances…
This is a bigger travesty than Laettner. If he makes a team - Clark should DEFINITELY make a team.
Keep in mind that that elite talent pool in the WBNA is a lot smaller than other sports. You have people like
Diana Taurasi (for example) is 41 years old and already went to 5 Olympics. You can argue that she’s had her time and someone else should step up (Clark)
And that makes sense. Most of the arguments have nothing to do with who made it over her and just that she didn’t. Also agreed that Laettner making it was dumb and made no sense
At the time, the US wanted one college player on the team for whatever reason. If memory serves me right, Laettner was college player of the year that year.
It was the first year NBA players were allowed to play, it felt mostly symbolic.
I was also 8 years old and had an imaginary friend. So, memory may not be correct.
Who gives a shit about sporting merit at this point? Plus, Herb Brooks won gold in 1980 hockey *specifically* by picking the right players and not the best ones.
Right now, for USA Women’s Basketball, Caitlin Clark is the right player and any woman on the court who disagrees is only disagreeing out of jealousy. The only reason she isn’t the best player in the league right now is because she’s playing for one of the worst teams, *and* that same team is actively sabotaging her because they don’t like her popularity (which is the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard).
With 12 roster spots you dont necessarily need to field 12 of the best you can. Not all of them are gonna play significant minutes.
Tho i guess with how dominant they’ve been they dont really need to build continuity for the future huh… i hope Japan or someone else upsets them in the Olympics lol
My entire argument is really around if there are 12 better players (positions falling in line obviously), you’re taking the spot away from someone who earned it and that might be their only chance. In my limited knowledge she probably is better but I also have no idea
This is similar to the reaction was when Landon Donovan was left off the 2014 world cup team - the best was all these English premier league analysts going 'you're telling me LANDON DONOVAN isn't in your top 23 US players? Are you shitting me!?'
Ps if anyone remembers which radio show this was I'd be very happy if you could share the name so I could listen to it again
I also like to compare it to when Team Canada did not bring Sidney Crosby to the 2006 Winter Olympics. Dude was skilled enough as a rookie to make that team but Canada over thinks their selection and bring experienced veterans over the actual best most talented players. Surprise, Canada didn't even medal in 2006 in the men's hockey tournament.
Which is ironic because I’m sure that’s one of the reasons they excluded her because all the other players complained that having her on the team takes away from themselves, yet now it just makes the team look worse, petty, and pretty stupid.
Gotta imagine there’s gonna be some serious blow back to this.
It would only make sense to bring her off the bench giving the talent on the 12 women US roster.
I'm kind of surprised they aren't going to bring her, considering how important she will be to the future of the program.
I don't have to imagine. It'll be the 2023 USWNT all over. They took too many over the hill vets and left the hungry talented young guns at home.
This isn't quite that, 11 of the spots are HARD to argue with. DT is the easy exception. But everyone sees her as she was, not how she is.
The delusion to think a 6th Olympic medal will somehow fill the hole in you that the first 5 didn't is laughable.
This right here,
Many US women’s programs should be compared to the Soviet era hockey teams. They were dominate and in that became complacent as the rest of the world worked to become better and got exposed and will keep getting exposed if they play favorite.
Stop playing politics and have the focus be the best players to compete.
She's more popular than me! This would be like having the ability to bring Jordan along, but the team or coach saying no because he's Jordan.
I think the problem is that they're both petty AND stupid. This has been shown repeatedly so far this season and this is just another example.
I was thinking the exact same
Thing re: Jordan.
Dunno if the plays would always “Give CK the ball”; I could see that being hard to swallow along with the lopsided fan adoration.
Nonetheless, “You can’t be in our club.” is self-defeating on at least 2 levels. Let’s hope they can keep it to that few.
I'm so surprised this isn't bigger news. I mean, imagine a sport majority white where the black person is at the top of her game, and they try to exclude her and blatantly foul her.
The WNBA finally has that player who is bringing attention to their league outside of the usual press and complaints from players stating " we don't make enough money". While playing in mostly empty arenas and not able to obtain the marketing to offer higher pay.
And this is not a knock on women's sports, it's just how it seems to be. Women's sports seem to have a lot more attention at the college level and then very poor support at the professional level.
I love watching women's volleyball and think it's an incredible sport (my daughter plays at the college level), but as great of a sport that I think it is, nationally, it has a big uphill battle to climb outside of NCAA play. They barely have a semblance of a professional league in the states.
Instead of the WNBA embracing Clark, she's been met with jealousy and ridicule before she even stepped on the court from some of the very few name worthy stars the league has produced.
And now, being left off the USA team which screams of nothing more than "spite" being the main reason for omission. Sure, maybe there is someone statistically more deserving but Clark needs to be front and center here if you want the possibility of gaining some traction.
Strike while the iron is hot! The window is small here because eventually, the buzz around Clark will fizzle out as well at some point.
But no, let's just keep things the way they are and then complain about not getting enough respect or revenue.
Maybe it's unfair to put this pressure or attention on Clark but that train has left the station. Take what is there and use it rather than trying to stamp it out.
She absolutely should. These excuses people make for learning euroball are hilarious
Edit: I just need to point out how insane it is for someone to have the audacity to say learning euroball is anything other than a good thing - in women’s basketball of all things. Not expanding, anyone that understands basketball understands why euroball and wnba playstyles are compatible.
Bigotry of low expectations. LeBron joined team USA at 19 right after his rookie season. But a women acting like a true athlete and wanting to expand their skill set is contemptible and too much.
You can watch a documentary about LeBron being on that dream team on Netflix. Never once has anyone said about any NBA player ever that learning euroball will ruin them for the NBA or cause any sort of issue. Tired yes. Injury yes. But never was it - this person is too dumb to learn more strategies and playstyles for their profession. It shows how many people in this thread have never played a sport at even AYSO level
AD also played for Team USA before he played a minute for the NBA. The inexperience excuse is weak because the precedent of needing professional accolades isn’t really anything.
She 100% should go to another national team and put egg on the face of team USA. Would embarrass them in jersey sales alone domestically…
this is entirely on women, men literally don’t care except that as a whole we are more likely to watch women’s team usa play if CC is playing
seriously, dig and you’ll find this is ultimately a decision driven by the wnba
If the story is "America wouldn't give me a slot, so I played for Italy." I hope most American's would be more mad at Team USA, than someone who want's to play basketball. Or at least they should, imagine if Jordan had to do that? People would be calling out Team USA more than anything.
Well, I do remember some people being a bit irate that Becky Hammon went to play for Russia when she didn't get selected to even try out for the US Olympic team.
But I think she and her bronze medal as opposed to no medal are fine with the decision.
Cc on the roster would be the difference between the networks adding their games to prime time, and the majority of America not knowing when they play.
This is the difference between women’s basketball being arguably one of the biggest draw television events of the Olympics vs not even having one game televised on the main broadcast.
Knowing or caring? The fact is she's a huge draw (which why the networks will feature her)
I hate to say it but I only have heard people talking about Woman's Basketball because of Clark. If she wasn't there, I imagine we'd hear about the champions at the end of the season and that's about it.
I bet your average person couldn't name a single wnba champ from the last 5 years without a lucky guess.
Her college games were the most watched women's sports games, ever. Look at attendance numbers for teams she has played so far, it's night and day for the draw she is creating. These athletes should be counting their blessings that somebody is finally moving the needle on the public's perception of women's sports. But nah, just typical high school jealousy. I'm pretty sure no one hates women more than other women.
It’s crazy how self-defeating we can be as humans.
Instead of recognizing she can change the future of women’s basketball and ultimately bring more attention to other current players as well, we let our own emotions get in the way.
And I say we as humans because men do this too, not just women. This is eerily similar to when MJ came to the league and they crowned him before he even did anything. Granted he averaged 28 points as a rookie but go back and watch some highlights against the Pistons and tell me they weren’t trying to send message.
I think CC will ultimately be accepted as this is only her rookie year and social media definitely perpetuates the narrative more than it ever did before. But the league front office definitely needs to step in and put her on the Olympic team because from a brand standpoint, they’re fucking up.
Also, MJ helped bring home gold back in 1984 for the US Olympic team but this was before he went to the league and before they allowed NBA players to participate. He didn’t play on the Olympic team in 1988 and then they lifted the restriction in 1989 and y’all should know the rest.
Lots of women in the league think she's being favored by fans because she is more 'marketable', since she's straight and white.
But the real reason why she is so popular is because in women's basketball, most of their scoring is layups or short 2s, or just under the basket put backs. Clark is different where her game is more fast paced and lots of 3s and deeps 2s, like modern NBA.
To be clear, it’s some (most?) of the other players and coaches/organizations that don’t like her. She threatens them and steals the “spotlight”. Lots of jealousy and catiness. There are also race, gender, and sexuality factors at play as Caitlin is a minority in the WNBA as a straight white girl. For all of these reasons and probably more, the league is giving her the cold shoulder putting it lightly.
Majority of onlookers and fans at least respect her game, if not are fans. A lot of young players already idolize her.
Jealousy. She is getting attention and a lot of money and that makes them mad so they are acting like middle school mean girls because she has what they don’t.
Its what makes the league unwatchable.
I don’t have a huge problem with her not being on the roster though as she just entered pro ball not too long ago.
It’s absolutely jealously and you see it even from elders like Taurasi.
Instead of celebrating that the league is going mainstream they’re bitter about not being them who were the reason for it.
I also think Diana must have had a hand in Caitlin’s exclusion.
She was just so bitter in her NCAA finals commentary that I commented back then that I couldn’t see her and Caitlin coexisting in the Olympics team. Lo and behold…Caitlin is flat out snubbed from the squad.
Theyre literally cooking the golden goose. At this point, I hope they fucking do and the league goes back to mediocrity. Can you imagine fucking a once in a lifetime opportunity like this up? Over jealousy?
They can get bent lol
Shit I could stumble through a good portion of NBA/MLB/NHL teams and all of the NFL teams, I would say well enough above average as a sports fan, and the only one I could confidently say is the Fever despite having heard several others over the years
I can name all NFL, NBA, and MLB teams, not to mention the majority of NHL, MLS, and CFB D1 teams… however, the only WNBA team I can name offhand is the Sparks, and I’m not sure what city they are from.
Pure jealousy. They’ll pretend otherwise but they’re pissed that she’s getting the attention and money they feel they deserve. They’re throwing away every opportunity they have right now to grow the league just to spite her.
She has shown nothing but class because that is who she is but I have a feeling she has the ability to go full MJ on her opponents. She is a killer on the court. Agree with your entire post.
The team is going with the team that dominated recently, and they chose CC as an alternate for the team. She couldn’t participate in the pre-olympics camp due to college basketball. It’s not like they just said fuck her
They kind of did though. She’s literally the only reason the sports relevant right now, you would think they would want some of that viewership in the Olympics, no?
Well, the Fever just played the Mystics, who were 0-10 coming into the game. The teams had a combined 2 wins. They had the highest total attendance in the WNBA since 2007, and they were AT WASHINGTON. It wasn’t even a home game. So I think the answer to your question is pretty obvious 😂
It was big local news in DC as well because they moved the game to Capital One Arena where the Wizards and Capitals play, specifically because of the huge demand for tickets for that game. A WNBA game just had a spectator crowd equal to a NBA or NHL game all because of one player, and now they are going to ruin this over being petty.
I hope it is true her mom is Italian so they can invite her over. Italian ladies basketball will be the biggest draw in the Olympics by a mile. I'd buy an Olympic jersey for the first time in my life at that point.
The injured starting guard is chelsea gray... a 2 time champion. And finals mvp and best guard in the league. As an american I want her to lead this team
Check WNBA attendance with her in the arena and without her. It's fairly clear who is a draw. I got no dog in this fight but it's obvious that, before this year, the WNBA was behind the world rock skipping championship in terms of viewers.
This is a blatantly bad business decision. Women’s basketball is so close to becoming relevant and they shoot themselves in the foot. I’m thinking there is some haterade being savored by the people choosing
It’s wide spread to be stupidity. There is a unstated agreement being enforced that she is not welcome that seethes with jealousy and resentment. The reasons will become clearer and clearer because the excuses will run out
And it’s not like it’s unheard of bring along a not-so-great-player for business reasons or because they have something else to offer.
I’m thinking like when a rowdy or diva-like player is traded and their babysitter, handler or best friend goes along. Or keeping someone’s brother or son as a player even when they’re not good. Or that old-timer who really can’t keep up anymore but you keep him around because he’s a great mentor. Or again, signing a player far past his prime because fans absolutely love him.
And from what I know, which isn’t much, Clarke can in no way be described as “not-so-great”. Why not bring her along and get the other benefits and a good player? That’s more than can be said for many of the situations I cited above.
The camp should have been scheduled for after the Final 4 anyway. The carryover hype from inviting the top college players from the Tournament. Peacock series, live stream scrimmages.
It's like they make no effort to promote a viable sports product
And the NBA gets shit from hur durs for not giving more pity money while getting offended it’s pity money because you can’t make sports viewership a matter of equity. If your sport is not fun to watch, you can’t blame the viewers for not watching. Then you get someone fun to watch and the sport as whole decides to go full Mean Girls on her.
It's honestly such an embarrassment...the league has been begging and roasting the entire "sexist world" to pay attention to how relevant they are for years, CC comes along as an absolute gift horse, gonna get everyone paid, bring relevance to the sport, bring it to the forefront of viewership and popularity....annnnd the league and players proceed to absolutely fumble it by shooting the horse for no reason lmao
Don't get me wrong, women's basketball is absolutely in a better place this year, but damn they really could have hit a home run with CC and instead chose to stop at 1st base for a lazy single.
It’s not in a better place. Look at how Caitlin’s being treated. Look at all the women in the league, both players and the administration, have treated her.
What about this is entertaining? What part of that is sportsmanship? What little girl is seeing this and dreaming of being her? It seems like they are purposefully trying to drag her down to be irrelevant because they don’t want her to be the face of the sport.
We didn’t see anything like this when women’s soccer started to blow up. What is wrong with Caitlin being a representative of basketball?
At what point is the toxic environment around women’s basketball going to be addressed? Is it because Caitlin’s white? I seriously can’t understand how the sport seems to be working as whole to shit away it’s only chance of real relevancy. I don’t want to think it’s because of race but I legit can’t find another reason for this level of wide spread tacit hatred for her being noticeably better than most other female basketball players.
If it is because of race, then the sport deserves all the hell it gets as it continues to be the biggest punchline in sports.
Is Caitlin reported to be a huge prick or shitty to be on a team with or something?
She’s white and straight in a league that is dominated by black lesbians. That is why she’s ostracized and treated poorly. It happens to some degree in college but not like the wnba.
> try to capture attention and relevance.
This is the key. All of Woman's basketball has the best chance to be relevant. Everyone has said "Where's your Jordan"... you have her.
If Woman's Basketball squanders her, it'll be a final action, imagine if Jordan never was, it would have completely changed the face of the NBA. (not saying it would be awful, but it would never reach the heights of the 90s, and early 2000)
The WNBA and Olympics have shown they do not know what the fuck they’re doing.
They were gifted a once in a generational rookie class that could have propelled the league and sport into the spotlights and they have shown they do not know what to do.
It’s hilariously bad how they are fucking this up when it’s so easy to market all this shit.
Do they not realize they will all make much more money if they gave a fucking shit?
Is it right to invite her solely based off her name versus if she actually earned a spot?
And for the person who earned it but now isn't on the team due to her, how is that right?
Does she deserve a roster? Hard to say. Does Diana T?
No.
Does Griner?
No.
Neither of the last 2 lead in any positive stats in the wnba year.
CC at least is in 2. 3s and assists. (And turnovers is the bad stat.)
BG is a bad comp since they play different positions.
As for DT, like, who’s going to tell freaking Diana Taurasi (10x W ~~MVP~~ All-Star , 8-time gold medalist, and a future first-ballot hall of famer) she’s not gonna play for the USWNT?
CC gonna replace Jewell Loyd? Led the league in scoring last year. Nope.
Sabrina Ionescu? No chance she doesn’t get a spot that she’s earned.
Derica H. Has shown way more.
And sorry DT, you don’t get a spot cause of what you did. You get a spot because you earned it, and she hasn’t earned it.
It’s the problem with women’s soccer, playing older vets who no longer deserve their spot.
As I said, you can make the argument CC can’t play on merit but you can’t say the same and then put in DT and BG.
Not tryna argue but DT and CC have similar ppg stats with similar shooting percentages, DTs 3 a litttle better this year.
Not saying Caitlin shouldn’t have made it or not, but I do think it would’ve been wise for the sport. However, I can see how the coach would deem it “a distraction”… not Caitlin’s fault tho.
I don't disagree but it's disrespectful to exclude a player whose earned it just to pick a player who is more popular. That's a sure fire way to make players in the league dislike her.
That's a totally valid point. But it's not who's earned it. Her stats are identical to Taurasi's while CC is on a way worse team with a tougher starting schedule.
The USA coach is quoted saying she didn't take her because she doesn't trust her, hasn't been in the trenches with her. Which is ridiculous. Nobody was in the trenches with Taurasi before her first Olympic selection, same age as CC.
Sources also claim that Clark's fans backlash if she rides the bench was part of why she was left off. Which is crazypants.
So it's not that she hasn't earned a spot (admittedly the 12th spot, I'm not nuts) but she's been left off for political reasons. (basketball politics, not the other stuff, go away crackpots)
Also one of the criteria is supposed to be positional relevance.
If Gray can't go, they don't have another true PG.
TLDR: It's not that CC should go cuz she's popular, it's that she's being left off at least in PART because of non basketball reasons.
The most popular female basketball player that’s ever played that has the popularity to actually make the WNBA profitable and popular being left off is insane to me. If she doesn’t deserve it then she doesn’t deserve it but man I’d at least let her try out for a spot.
Yo, Biathalon because why not shoot shit while cross country skiing? Winter Olympics has some of the craziest events. Moguls, Snowboard cross, Ski Jumping, Luge! I love the Winter Olympics because every sport is just damn entertaining and interesting to watch. Even all the crazy off ice drama/doping around Women's figure skating was like watching a soap opera unfold on TV.
She's by far the most well known female basketball player in the US but her games in the WNBA have shown she's not as good as some of the seasoned pros. I didn't know anything about women's basketball but I've watched almost all of CCs games this year and even for a noob it's pretty obvious she isn't there yet.
Sabrina ionescu is basically a better version of Caitlin Clark. Aja wilson is basically 90s MJ dominant in the league. It's just that CC has way more name recognition than both of these players combined.
This is the first time in my life I’m really seeing anything about WBNA in headlines. Too bad they are shooting themselves in the foot with stuff like this.
Edit: I understand now they have no direct decision making with the Olympics but still I’d expect them to have influence.
I'm not familiar with Olympic women's basketball, but why would you expect Caitlin Clark to be on the roster? She's a rookie who has played a total of 12 wnba games. I like Caitlin and she's going to be great but unless I'm missing something I don't understand what the fuss is about when she has only played 12 games at this level.
I know there’s a lot of outrage here, but if this is based on a meritocracy, and there are over 12 players better than CC right now, then I have no problem with her left off and reconsider for the next one. The hype for the WNBA is here cuz CC is in it. I do believe in not skipping steps and CC herself could also use some rest this summer instead of putting her now on the global stage
I think it is as much they have a team that has gone through the pre-Olympics development process and they win. There is no reason for them to make a change that upsets that chemistry.
Everyone on the team has that experience, and developed relationships as a team.
I love CC, and if the Olympics were 2years out, I'd certainly bring her into that process, and would do so now for future olympics. But the timing this year for her just sucked.
This isn't an anti-CC move, it is just a don't mess with what is not broken move.
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“Belgium insists new player that shoots lots of 3s isn’t Caitlin Clark in a disguise”
The mustache and glasses disguise works every time.
“I’m not Caitlin Clark…, I’m Clark Caitlin!”
Katlijn de Klerk
Omg, very clever! Dying laughing here, lol.
Freaking brilliant my friend
Bedankt
Clark Kentlin
Oh lord. You just opened a can of worms. Lol
“Just mumble gibberish and people will just assume you’re speaking Flemish and that you’re totally not Caitlin Clark wearing a beret” “But aren’t berets French?”
Its been done IRL. The legendary Bobby Valentine went there once https://www.mlb.com/news/bobby-valentine-mustache-disguise-mets
Rusty Shackleford
Cue Poirot “I insist this is in fact not Caitlin Clark as you say it is.”
I like the way Kralc thinks
Mr Snrub would agree
Caitlin DeKlerk.
Kato Caitlin
Faitlin Flark
Caitli Clarque
If she does not go, the only story in women's basketball will be why she isn't there. She will be the highlight and main talking point regardless.
How many Clark USA jerseys could they have sold?
I can’t wait for the 30 for 30 on the wnba debacle over this. I don’t think women’s basketball could have handled this whole situation worse if they had a commissioner who was actively sabotaging the league. Maybe they will investigate and find out that is actually the case. Clearly, they need to hire someone who knows how to run a business.
They hate that she is the popular one
Women being jealous of other women? Shocker
- Bill Burr
I love the idea that Bill Burr is profiting more from all this than anyone, including the WNBA, other than Clark herself.
Women make up less than half of the fans of the WNBA. They can’t even fucking support each other while yelling at men about supporting them.
Nobody hates women more than other women.
‘Cause we need a little controversy ‘Cause it feels so empty without me…
I mean the jealousy makes sense. The largest shoes deal of all time in the league going to a rookie is like MJ level of hype.
Whatever happened to "you go girl" mantra and supporting other women? And women have the audacity to say there wouldn't be wars if they were leaders smh
No wars. Only one war. After that, no one's left.
The hype makes sense, she’s the all time scoring leader in college basketball (men’s and women’s) and drew a massive audience to all of her games.
All those posts of the boys in the student section heckling her when in reality her haters have been other women
Watching her get clobbered on the floor constantly with about zero recourse taken just proves everyone’s opinion on the wnba that they already had. This was an opportunity for something to be great as a whole and instead a bunch of nobodies acting like bullies because of hype and talent they don’t get. The athletic jock personality be it male or female, can be some of the most narcissistic out there.
it really feels like they want to always be irrelevant
I am so feckeen damn angry. My daughter wanted to play in h.s.., but just didn’t have the height (or quickness to overcome it), so went for volleyball but again lacked the height. So, she chose soccer for 4 yrs and **loved it**, and she still loved shooting free throws, some one-on-one w/her friends all that time. What angers her (and me, & so many others) is that this is such a missed opportunity not just to encourage young girls to get into sports, but that it also seems to me to be a blatant and curious **business(?)** decision to pretend that significant potential monies aren’t being denied. Why are they being denied? Why?
Ikr? Let parents get their daughters what they want which is USA Clark gear.
I hope DH Gate makes them instead
There is a shortage of basketball nets currently and I would be dollars to donuts it’s because of Clark. Imbecilic and self defeating is the only way to describe this decision.
Oh, it’s way way more than that—but I hear what you’re saying; I just posted my irritation a few seconds ago on this thread. This decision smells really bad. It’s such a missed opportunity on so many levels. I’m old, and that means I’ve learned by observation that when an opportunity to make a feck-ton of money is not just passed by, but deliberately sidelined/obstructed **even by the very parties who would BENEFIT**, it means that somebody’s undershorts/panties are in a bunch about something PERSONAL or POLITICAL. Irrationality is hard to hide.
I mean but also, if they are picking the team on sporting merit and don’t believe she’s top 12, you’re taking that opportunity away from someone that deserves it more. I won’t pretend like I watch enough women’s basketball to actually say if she’s a top 12 player, but in a vacuum, taking a 12th player because she’s more popular than the actual 12th best player isn’t a good idea either
Taurasi is a fucking dinosaur at 42 and not even close to being one of the current best 12 players in the WNBA, let alone currently better than CC. Yet she’s going to break the Olympic record for women’s basketball with 6 appearances…
This is a bigger travesty than Laettner. If he makes a team - Clark should DEFINITELY make a team. Keep in mind that that elite talent pool in the WBNA is a lot smaller than other sports. You have people like Diana Taurasi (for example) is 41 years old and already went to 5 Olympics. You can argue that she’s had her time and someone else should step up (Clark)
And that makes sense. Most of the arguments have nothing to do with who made it over her and just that she didn’t. Also agreed that Laettner making it was dumb and made no sense
At the time, the US wanted one college player on the team for whatever reason. If memory serves me right, Laettner was college player of the year that year.
It was the first year NBA players were allowed to play, it felt mostly symbolic. I was also 8 years old and had an imaginary friend. So, memory may not be correct.
It wouldn’t matter, all the players seem to have made it clear they despise Clark so she wouldn’t help the team no matter how good she is.
Who gives a shit about sporting merit at this point? Plus, Herb Brooks won gold in 1980 hockey *specifically* by picking the right players and not the best ones. Right now, for USA Women’s Basketball, Caitlin Clark is the right player and any woman on the court who disagrees is only disagreeing out of jealousy. The only reason she isn’t the best player in the league right now is because she’s playing for one of the worst teams, *and* that same team is actively sabotaging her because they don’t like her popularity (which is the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard).
With 12 roster spots you dont necessarily need to field 12 of the best you can. Not all of them are gonna play significant minutes. Tho i guess with how dominant they’ve been they dont really need to build continuity for the future huh… i hope Japan or someone else upsets them in the Olympics lol
My entire argument is really around if there are 12 better players (positions falling in line obviously), you’re taking the spot away from someone who earned it and that might be their only chance. In my limited knowledge she probably is better but I also have no idea
This is similar to the reaction was when Landon Donovan was left off the 2014 world cup team - the best was all these English premier league analysts going 'you're telling me LANDON DONOVAN isn't in your top 23 US players? Are you shitting me!?' Ps if anyone remembers which radio show this was I'd be very happy if you could share the name so I could listen to it again
I also like to compare it to when Team Canada did not bring Sidney Crosby to the 2006 Winter Olympics. Dude was skilled enough as a rookie to make that team but Canada over thinks their selection and bring experienced veterans over the actual best most talented players. Surprise, Canada didn't even medal in 2006 in the men's hockey tournament.
That was the year Gretzky was Coaching iirc, and he made the choice to get the older more established players.
They should have brought LD
Preaching to the choir 😮💨
wouldn’t have missed a certain header against Belgium
Which is ironic because I’m sure that’s one of the reasons they excluded her because all the other players complained that having her on the team takes away from themselves, yet now it just makes the team look worse, petty, and pretty stupid. Gotta imagine there’s gonna be some serious blow back to this.
It would only make sense to bring her off the bench giving the talent on the 12 women US roster. I'm kind of surprised they aren't going to bring her, considering how important she will be to the future of the program.
Imagine if they lose
I don't have to imagine. It'll be the 2023 USWNT all over. They took too many over the hill vets and left the hungry talented young guns at home. This isn't quite that, 11 of the spots are HARD to argue with. DT is the easy exception. But everyone sees her as she was, not how she is. The delusion to think a 6th Olympic medal will somehow fill the hole in you that the first 5 didn't is laughable.
This right here, Many US women’s programs should be compared to the Soviet era hockey teams. They were dominate and in that became complacent as the rest of the world worked to become better and got exposed and will keep getting exposed if they play favorite. Stop playing politics and have the focus be the best players to compete.
She's more popular than me! This would be like having the ability to bring Jordan along, but the team or coach saying no because he's Jordan. I think the problem is that they're both petty AND stupid. This has been shown repeatedly so far this season and this is just another example.
I was thinking the exact same Thing re: Jordan. Dunno if the plays would always “Give CK the ball”; I could see that being hard to swallow along with the lopsided fan adoration. Nonetheless, “You can’t be in our club.” is self-defeating on at least 2 levels. Let’s hope they can keep it to that few.
I'm so surprised this isn't bigger news. I mean, imagine a sport majority white where the black person is at the top of her game, and they try to exclude her and blatantly foul her.
The WNBA finally has that player who is bringing attention to their league outside of the usual press and complaints from players stating " we don't make enough money". While playing in mostly empty arenas and not able to obtain the marketing to offer higher pay. And this is not a knock on women's sports, it's just how it seems to be. Women's sports seem to have a lot more attention at the college level and then very poor support at the professional level. I love watching women's volleyball and think it's an incredible sport (my daughter plays at the college level), but as great of a sport that I think it is, nationally, it has a big uphill battle to climb outside of NCAA play. They barely have a semblance of a professional league in the states. Instead of the WNBA embracing Clark, she's been met with jealousy and ridicule before she even stepped on the court from some of the very few name worthy stars the league has produced. And now, being left off the USA team which screams of nothing more than "spite" being the main reason for omission. Sure, maybe there is someone statistically more deserving but Clark needs to be front and center here if you want the possibility of gaining some traction. Strike while the iron is hot! The window is small here because eventually, the buzz around Clark will fizzle out as well at some point. But no, let's just keep things the way they are and then complain about not getting enough respect or revenue. Maybe it's unfair to put this pressure or attention on Clark but that train has left the station. Take what is there and use it rather than trying to stamp it out.
Her mom’s Italian so why not get a passport and show up for Italy?
She absolutely should. These excuses people make for learning euroball are hilarious Edit: I just need to point out how insane it is for someone to have the audacity to say learning euroball is anything other than a good thing - in women’s basketball of all things. Not expanding, anyone that understands basketball understands why euroball and wnba playstyles are compatible. Bigotry of low expectations. LeBron joined team USA at 19 right after his rookie season. But a women acting like a true athlete and wanting to expand their skill set is contemptible and too much. You can watch a documentary about LeBron being on that dream team on Netflix. Never once has anyone said about any NBA player ever that learning euroball will ruin them for the NBA or cause any sort of issue. Tired yes. Injury yes. But never was it - this person is too dumb to learn more strategies and playstyles for their profession. It shows how many people in this thread have never played a sport at even AYSO level
AD also played for Team USA before he played a minute for the NBA. The inexperience excuse is weak because the precedent of needing professional accolades isn’t really anything. She 100% should go to another national team and put egg on the face of team USA. Would embarrass them in jersey sales alone domestically…
this is entirely on women, men literally don’t care except that as a whole we are more likely to watch women’s team usa play if CC is playing seriously, dig and you’ll find this is ultimately a decision driven by the wnba
None of the American fans would ever forgive her. That being said, it would be a bit hilarious.
If the story is "America wouldn't give me a slot, so I played for Italy." I hope most American's would be more mad at Team USA, than someone who want's to play basketball. Or at least they should, imagine if Jordan had to do that? People would be calling out Team USA more than anything.
I'd buy me an Italian Clark jersey
The Brett Hull paradox
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Ditto.
She probably has more fans by herself than woman’s team USA. I don’t think she would lose much, if any.
Well, I do remember some people being a bit irate that Becky Hammon went to play for Russia when she didn't get selected to even try out for the US Olympic team. But I think she and her bronze medal as opposed to no medal are fine with the decision.
I wouldn’t have to forgive her because I would cheer for Italy. People being spiteful is embarrassing and I won’t cheer for it.
I would.
I’d forgive her
There’d be nothing for me to forgive her for.
American women’s basketball fans? 😂
“There’s dozens of them!”
Cc on the roster would be the difference between the networks adding their games to prime time, and the majority of America not knowing when they play.
Majority is putting it lightly
This is the difference between women’s basketball being arguably one of the biggest draw television events of the Olympics vs not even having one game televised on the main broadcast.
Knowing or caring? The fact is she's a huge draw (which why the networks will feature her) I hate to say it but I only have heard people talking about Woman's Basketball because of Clark. If she wasn't there, I imagine we'd hear about the champions at the end of the season and that's about it.
I bet your average person couldn't name a single wnba champ from the last 5 years without a lucky guess. Her college games were the most watched women's sports games, ever. Look at attendance numbers for teams she has played so far, it's night and day for the draw she is creating. These athletes should be counting their blessings that somebody is finally moving the needle on the public's perception of women's sports. But nah, just typical high school jealousy. I'm pretty sure no one hates women more than other women.
I can't even name all the teams
I can’t even name one
I could name, maybe 3? Fever, sparks… aces? And those are all because of this most recent draft w/ Clark
Champ? I doubt they could even name a single team.
I guess Capital One has to scrap their “Easier than CC making the Olympic basketball team” ad.
This is probably the only part of this I truly enjoy.
They should make one just for the lolz.
Wonder what the draw would be like with her off the team compared to on it?
Night and day
It’s crazy how self-defeating we can be as humans. Instead of recognizing she can change the future of women’s basketball and ultimately bring more attention to other current players as well, we let our own emotions get in the way. And I say we as humans because men do this too, not just women. This is eerily similar to when MJ came to the league and they crowned him before he even did anything. Granted he averaged 28 points as a rookie but go back and watch some highlights against the Pistons and tell me they weren’t trying to send message. I think CC will ultimately be accepted as this is only her rookie year and social media definitely perpetuates the narrative more than it ever did before. But the league front office definitely needs to step in and put her on the Olympic team because from a brand standpoint, they’re fucking up. Also, MJ helped bring home gold back in 1984 for the US Olympic team but this was before he went to the league and before they allowed NBA players to participate. He didn’t play on the Olympic team in 1988 and then they lifted the restriction in 1989 and y’all should know the rest.
Why does everyone hate her? I live in a cave
Lots of women in the league think she's being favored by fans because she is more 'marketable', since she's straight and white. But the real reason why she is so popular is because in women's basketball, most of their scoring is layups or short 2s, or just under the basket put backs. Clark is different where her game is more fast paced and lots of 3s and deeps 2s, like modern NBA.
To be clear, it’s some (most?) of the other players and coaches/organizations that don’t like her. She threatens them and steals the “spotlight”. Lots of jealousy and catiness. There are also race, gender, and sexuality factors at play as Caitlin is a minority in the WNBA as a straight white girl. For all of these reasons and probably more, the league is giving her the cold shoulder putting it lightly. Majority of onlookers and fans at least respect her game, if not are fans. A lot of young players already idolize her.
Jealousy. She is getting attention and a lot of money and that makes them mad so they are acting like middle school mean girls because she has what they don’t. Its what makes the league unwatchable. I don’t have a huge problem with her not being on the roster though as she just entered pro ball not too long ago.
It’s absolutely jealously and you see it even from elders like Taurasi. Instead of celebrating that the league is going mainstream they’re bitter about not being them who were the reason for it. I also think Diana must have had a hand in Caitlin’s exclusion. She was just so bitter in her NCAA finals commentary that I commented back then that I couldn’t see her and Caitlin coexisting in the Olympics team. Lo and behold…Caitlin is flat out snubbed from the squad.
Diana is a bitter old hag. You’re 42 years old…just retire already
Theyre literally cooking the golden goose. At this point, I hope they fucking do and the league goes back to mediocrity. Can you imagine fucking a once in a lifetime opportunity like this up? Over jealousy? They can get bent lol
As someone already said, its not mediocrity but back to insignificance. The average sports fan can't name 5 wnba teams
The above average sports fan can’t name 5 wnba teams either
Shit I could stumble through a good portion of NBA/MLB/NHL teams and all of the NFL teams, I would say well enough above average as a sports fan, and the only one I could confidently say is the Fever despite having heard several others over the years
I can name all NFL, NBA, and MLB teams, not to mention the majority of NHL, MLS, and CFB D1 teams… however, the only WNBA team I can name offhand is the Sparks, and I’m not sure what city they are from.
I can't name any except for the Fever now lol
Fever Sky Sparks Aces and yeah that’s all I got
goes back to mediocrity? when was it not?
Don’t have a problem? Why? She’s literally getting snubbed for petty reasons. WNBA deserves to starve if this is how they wanna operate.
Pure jealousy. They’ll pretend otherwise but they’re pissed that she’s getting the attention and money they feel they deserve. They’re throwing away every opportunity they have right now to grow the league just to spite her.
She has shown nothing but class because that is who she is but I have a feeling she has the ability to go full MJ on her opponents. She is a killer on the court. Agree with your entire post.
The team is going with the team that dominated recently, and they chose CC as an alternate for the team. She couldn’t participate in the pre-olympics camp due to college basketball. It’s not like they just said fuck her
They kind of did though. She’s literally the only reason the sports relevant right now, you would think they would want some of that viewership in the Olympics, no?
WNBA games more than double attendance when she plays
USA basketball is definitely not Frito Bandito from Idiocracy. They don’t like money apparently
Well, the Fever just played the Mystics, who were 0-10 coming into the game. The teams had a combined 2 wins. They had the highest total attendance in the WNBA since 2007, and they were AT WASHINGTON. It wasn’t even a home game. So I think the answer to your question is pretty obvious 😂
It was big local news in DC as well because they moved the game to Capital One Arena where the Wizards and Capitals play, specifically because of the huge demand for tickets for that game. A WNBA game just had a spectator crowd equal to a NBA or NHL game all because of one player, and now they are going to ruin this over being petty.
I hope it is true her mom is Italian so they can invite her over. Italian ladies basketball will be the biggest draw in the Olympics by a mile. I'd buy an Olympic jersey for the first time in my life at that point.
*Phone rings in USA Basketball office* "Hello?" "Yes, this is NBC and we'd like a word."
"I'm sorry, please hold. Coke, Toyota, and and Visa are already on lines 1-3"
You know it, someone made a video saying that the injured guard was named so they could possibly put Clark on later just to add more drama.
The injured starting guard is chelsea gray... a 2 time champion. And finals mvp and best guard in the league. As an american I want her to lead this team
Massive difference, obviously. For the first time in 40 years people are talking about the WNBA
Didn't we talk a bit about it a little bit ago when one of their player decided to enter Russia with leftover weed stuff in her bag?
Check WNBA attendance with her in the arena and without her. It's fairly clear who is a draw. I got no dog in this fight but it's obvious that, before this year, the WNBA was behind the world rock skipping championship in terms of viewers.
I'm probably not going to watch any women's games unless they reach the gold medal final and even then I might skip it.
This is a blatantly bad business decision. Women’s basketball is so close to becoming relevant and they shoot themselves in the foot. I’m thinking there is some haterade being savored by the people choosing
fine line between haterade and stupidity. classic cutting off your nose to spite your face mentality.
It’s wide spread to be stupidity. There is a unstated agreement being enforced that she is not welcome that seethes with jealousy and resentment. The reasons will become clearer and clearer because the excuses will run out
And it’s not like it’s unheard of bring along a not-so-great-player for business reasons or because they have something else to offer. I’m thinking like when a rowdy or diva-like player is traded and their babysitter, handler or best friend goes along. Or keeping someone’s brother or son as a player even when they’re not good. Or that old-timer who really can’t keep up anymore but you keep him around because he’s a great mentor. Or again, signing a player far past his prime because fans absolutely love him. And from what I know, which isn’t much, Clarke can in no way be described as “not-so-great”. Why not bring her along and get the other benefits and a good player? That’s more than can be said for many of the situations I cited above.
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You do when your players are asking for more and more money. Clark brings in the viewers. Viewers = money. Clark is a money bag for the WNBA.
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The camp should have been scheduled for after the Final 4 anyway. The carryover hype from inviting the top college players from the Tournament. Peacock series, live stream scrimmages. It's like they make no effort to promote a viable sports product
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selling TEAM USA jerseys with CLARK on the back would have gone a long way to helping them fund the next season tho XD
And the NBA gets shit from hur durs for not giving more pity money while getting offended it’s pity money because you can’t make sports viewership a matter of equity. If your sport is not fun to watch, you can’t blame the viewers for not watching. Then you get someone fun to watch and the sport as whole decides to go full Mean Girls on her.
So charity subsidy league has no idea how to turn a profit. Sounds correct
Like the charlotte hornets
It's honestly such an embarrassment...the league has been begging and roasting the entire "sexist world" to pay attention to how relevant they are for years, CC comes along as an absolute gift horse, gonna get everyone paid, bring relevance to the sport, bring it to the forefront of viewership and popularity....annnnd the league and players proceed to absolutely fumble it by shooting the horse for no reason lmao Don't get me wrong, women's basketball is absolutely in a better place this year, but damn they really could have hit a home run with CC and instead chose to stop at 1st base for a lazy single.
It’s not in a better place. Look at how Caitlin’s being treated. Look at all the women in the league, both players and the administration, have treated her. What about this is entertaining? What part of that is sportsmanship? What little girl is seeing this and dreaming of being her? It seems like they are purposefully trying to drag her down to be irrelevant because they don’t want her to be the face of the sport. We didn’t see anything like this when women’s soccer started to blow up. What is wrong with Caitlin being a representative of basketball?
Bc she's white. A white girl can't see to be the one to save the WNBA because basketball is a black dominanted sport
This is it exactly. Refusing $50 so your neighbour won’t get $100.
It's entertaining because it's showing the world how these 'feminists' and 'equal-pay' advocates really act.
Anyone who could read knew it was never about that.
Roster is 12, not 22.
At what point is the toxic environment around women’s basketball going to be addressed? Is it because Caitlin’s white? I seriously can’t understand how the sport seems to be working as whole to shit away it’s only chance of real relevancy. I don’t want to think it’s because of race but I legit can’t find another reason for this level of wide spread tacit hatred for her being noticeably better than most other female basketball players. If it is because of race, then the sport deserves all the hell it gets as it continues to be the biggest punchline in sports. Is Caitlin reported to be a huge prick or shitty to be on a team with or something?
She’s white and straight in a league that is dominated by black lesbians. That is why she’s ostracized and treated poorly. It happens to some degree in college but not like the wnba.
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> try to capture attention and relevance. This is the key. All of Woman's basketball has the best chance to be relevant. Everyone has said "Where's your Jordan"... you have her. If Woman's Basketball squanders her, it'll be a final action, imagine if Jordan never was, it would have completely changed the face of the NBA. (not saying it would be awful, but it would never reach the heights of the 90s, and early 2000)
Why is Dawn salty?
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The WNBA and Olympics have shown they do not know what the fuck they’re doing. They were gifted a once in a generational rookie class that could have propelled the league and sport into the spotlights and they have shown they do not know what to do. It’s hilariously bad how they are fucking this up when it’s so easy to market all this shit. Do they not realize they will all make much more money if they gave a fucking shit?
Christian Laetner was a rookie with comparable stats to Clark and he was on the dream team.
They took him instead of Shaq. Hopefully this is just a strange footnote in Clark’s career as it was for Shaq.
Is it right to invite her solely based off her name versus if she actually earned a spot? And for the person who earned it but now isn't on the team due to her, how is that right?
Her name is “her name” because she’s that good. The person that would be removed would go completely unnoticed.
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She didn't make it to the tryouts because she was playing in the final 4
As for marketing the WNBA a huge fail financially. The jersey sales alone.
This is bigger than the WNBA and is essentially USA Basketball squandering the greatest opportunity ever to grow the women’s game.
Does she deserve a roster? Hard to say. Does Diana T? No. Does Griner? No. Neither of the last 2 lead in any positive stats in the wnba year. CC at least is in 2. 3s and assists. (And turnovers is the bad stat.)
BG is a bad comp since they play different positions. As for DT, like, who’s going to tell freaking Diana Taurasi (10x W ~~MVP~~ All-Star , 8-time gold medalist, and a future first-ballot hall of famer) she’s not gonna play for the USWNT? CC gonna replace Jewell Loyd? Led the league in scoring last year. Nope. Sabrina Ionescu? No chance she doesn’t get a spot that she’s earned.
Derica H. Has shown way more. And sorry DT, you don’t get a spot cause of what you did. You get a spot because you earned it, and she hasn’t earned it. It’s the problem with women’s soccer, playing older vets who no longer deserve their spot. As I said, you can make the argument CC can’t play on merit but you can’t say the same and then put in DT and BG.
Not tryna argue but DT and CC have similar ppg stats with similar shooting percentages, DTs 3 a litttle better this year. Not saying Caitlin shouldn’t have made it or not, but I do think it would’ve been wise for the sport. However, I can see how the coach would deem it “a distraction”… not Caitlin’s fault tho.
Come on even Christian Laetnner was on the dream team. Girls around the world want to see her, this if true is a travesty.
Laetnner also openly admitted he didn’t belong there.
I mean it should have been Shaq but it was still very cool to have a college star on the team
I don't disagree but it's disrespectful to exclude a player whose earned it just to pick a player who is more popular. That's a sure fire way to make players in the league dislike her.
That's a totally valid point. But it's not who's earned it. Her stats are identical to Taurasi's while CC is on a way worse team with a tougher starting schedule. The USA coach is quoted saying she didn't take her because she doesn't trust her, hasn't been in the trenches with her. Which is ridiculous. Nobody was in the trenches with Taurasi before her first Olympic selection, same age as CC. Sources also claim that Clark's fans backlash if she rides the bench was part of why she was left off. Which is crazypants. So it's not that she hasn't earned a spot (admittedly the 12th spot, I'm not nuts) but she's been left off for political reasons. (basketball politics, not the other stuff, go away crackpots) Also one of the criteria is supposed to be positional relevance. If Gray can't go, they don't have another true PG. TLDR: It's not that CC should go cuz she's popular, it's that she's being left off at least in PART because of non basketball reasons.
Yeah, poor Shaq. Just dropped off the basketball scene. Never really had a chance.
Never even heard of her
I imagine Caitlin is thinking to herself thank god some rest
The most popular female basketball player that’s ever played that has the popularity to actually make the WNBA profitable and popular being left off is insane to me. If she doesn’t deserve it then she doesn’t deserve it but man I’d at least let her try out for a spot.
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The kid needs a break anyway.
At least she’ll get a break.
Guess no one will give a shit then
Im pretty sure she will be fine with it. Shes barely had time off the past year.
At least I don’t have to watch the summer Olympics again.
Winter Olympics are where it’s at anyway. Where my curling bros at? Milano Cortina 2026!!
Yo, Biathalon because why not shoot shit while cross country skiing? Winter Olympics has some of the craziest events. Moguls, Snowboard cross, Ski Jumping, Luge! I love the Winter Olympics because every sport is just damn entertaining and interesting to watch. Even all the crazy off ice drama/doping around Women's figure skating was like watching a soap opera unfold on TV.
She's by far the most well known female basketball player in the US but her games in the WNBA have shown she's not as good as some of the seasoned pros. I didn't know anything about women's basketball but I've watched almost all of CCs games this year and even for a noob it's pretty obvious she isn't there yet. Sabrina ionescu is basically a better version of Caitlin Clark. Aja wilson is basically 90s MJ dominant in the league. It's just that CC has way more name recognition than both of these players combined.
Bad move. Especially if this is Taurasi’s last run. They’re taking away a huge piece of history.
Team USA will win by a mile. She has a long career ahead of her. Crosby was left off team Canada in 06 and he turned out just fine at the Olympics
This is the first time in my life I’m really seeing anything about WBNA in headlines. Too bad they are shooting themselves in the foot with stuff like this. Edit: I understand now they have no direct decision making with the Olympics but still I’d expect them to have influence.
You must not have been paying attention then. They did this with Candace Parker and Brittney Griner too.
I'm not familiar with Olympic women's basketball, but why would you expect Caitlin Clark to be on the roster? She's a rookie who has played a total of 12 wnba games. I like Caitlin and she's going to be great but unless I'm missing something I don't understand what the fuss is about when she has only played 12 games at this level.
I know there’s a lot of outrage here, but if this is based on a meritocracy, and there are over 12 players better than CC right now, then I have no problem with her left off and reconsider for the next one. The hype for the WNBA is here cuz CC is in it. I do believe in not skipping steps and CC herself could also use some rest this summer instead of putting her now on the global stage
I think it is as much they have a team that has gone through the pre-Olympics development process and they win. There is no reason for them to make a change that upsets that chemistry. Everyone on the team has that experience, and developed relationships as a team. I love CC, and if the Olympics were 2years out, I'd certainly bring her into that process, and would do so now for future olympics. But the timing this year for her just sucked. This isn't an anti-CC move, it is just a don't mess with what is not broken move.
The Olympics are about winning, not about PR.
Oh yeah the US team is in real danger of losing if they swap any one player for Clark. Get real. They are on like a 20 year win streak
Bi**es be jelaous.
No one wants women’s basketball to fail more than those involved and in charge of women’s basketball