BETTER CAIT THAN NEVER
Caitlin Clark handed shock Paris Olympics lifeline and preparing for call up with key Team USA player an injury fear
USA Basketball's executive director has distanced himself from the roster selection
WNBA superstar Caitlin Clark may get a last-gasp invite to Paris.
The Indiana Fever rookie, 22, controversially missed out on Team USA's Olympic roster.
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But head coach Cheryl Reeve named her as an alternate, meaning Clark has a shot at getting called up as a replacement.
Six-time Olympian Diana Taurasi, 42, is struggling with an injury.
The Phoenix Mercury guard has missed four WNBA games with back and leg issues.
Taurasi, who has five Gold medals, will miss today's clash against Clark's Fever, leaving her Olympic spot at risk.
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As Clark is also a guard, she could be the logical replacement if the Team USA veteran cannot recover.
Taurasi has averaged 16.6 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game this season.
Clark is posting 16.7 points, 5.9 rebounds and 7.6 assists - enough to earn a spot in the WNBA All-Star Game.
USA Basketball's executive director Grant Hill has distanced himself from the decision not to pick Clark on Fox Sports.
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Hill joined Gus Johnson and Bill Raftery during live Fox coverage of the USA men's team taking on Canada, with the Paris Olympics fast approaching.
"So I'm the managing director of the men's national team," he said.
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"I'll tell you this, I think our young rookies from the WNBA are fantastic and they have a bright future ahead of them.
"Our whole team is going to be pretty dominant as it is.
"But I had nothing to do with it."
After an initial period of silence last month following the decision not to include Clark on the Olympic roster, USA Basketball did address the matter.
"When you base your decision on criteria, there were other players that were harder to cut because they checked a lot more boxes," Women's National Team Committee chair Jennifer Rizzotti told The Associated Press.
'A wasted opportunity?'
By Damian Burchardt, Assistant US Sports Editor
CAITLIN Clark’s omission from the Team USA roster can be easily justified from a purely basketball perspective.
The Indiana Fever star had an up-and-down start to the 2024 WNBA season, leading the league in turnovers while shooting under 30% for 3 through the first three weeks of the campaign.
She didn’t outplay the likes of Kelsey Plum, Sabrina Ionescu, and Jewell Loyd to earn the nod.
A little break could actually aid Clark’s transition from college basketball to the pros.
The 6-foot guard hardly had time to rest between Iowa’s run to the March Madness final, the 2024 NBA Draft, and the WNBA season tip-off.
On the other hand, Clark’s absence could be viewed as a wasted opportunity to promote the Olympic women’s basketball team in Paris.
Considering the humongous hype her first week in the W generated, she would definitely boost viewership figures of Team USA’s games.
"Then sometimes it comes down to position, style of play for coach Cheryl [Reeve], and then sometimes a vote."
WNBA star A'ja Wilson says the league is not the same place thanks to superstars like Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese.
Wilson appeared on First Take on Thursday, speaking with returning host Molly Qerim, who compared Clark's Las Vegas Aces team with Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs.
Just like the Chiefs will be going for an historic three-peat of Super Bowl triumphs, the Aces are aiming for a third WNBA title in succession.
"Our roster is pretty similar to last year, but it's completely different," Wilson admitted.
"Our league has gotten obviously got a lot better. All eyes are on us at this point.
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"So you have to be on your A game every single possession and that's hard, that's hard to maintain.
"We have enough in our locker room to keep the main thing the main thing and that's what we're going to continue to do."