NO BITTERNESS
Caitlin Clark sends classy message to USA team after beating them in WNBA All-Star Game and makes Tokyo comparison
US star insists the game will help team enormously come Paris
WNBA superstar Caitlin Clark was full of class as she addressed her omission from the US Olympic team after helping the All-Star team to victory over the players heading to Paris.
It was a hugely controversial moment when Clark was left off the American women's basketball team that will compete at the Olympic Games, which starts this week.
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The superstar rookie helped the WNBA All-Stars to a 117-109 victory over the Olympic team in Phoenix, Arizona.
After the game, she was asked directly by a reporter whether the result offered her any sense of vindication.
"No," the Indiana Fever point guard said pointedly.
"They're really good. They have plenty of talent on that team," Clark said.
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"Four years prior I'm pretty sure Team WNBA beat Team USA, [and] they were perfectly fine in the Olympics.
"If anything, it shows how good this league is. It shows how much talent is in this league and how you have to show up and prepare every single night.
"There's a lot of players that aren't even here tonight that could be here too. It just shows the amount of talent we have."
Clark has been pure class since the announcement of the Olympic team didn't include her name.
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Indeed, she has made it quite clear that she'll be cheering the team on.
"For myself, from my standpoint, this is a great opportunity to help prepare them for Paris," Clark said.
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"I'm going to be supporting them and cheering them on. I love the Olympics. I've loved the Olympics ever since I was a little kid.
"They're going to be just fine. They're going to win gold and dominate."
Clark has helped to propel her sport to a new period of great popularity.
Crowds and television audiences were massive as Clark impressed with the Iowa Hawkeyes at March Madness.
And that excitement has continued into this WNBA season.
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Clark has turned in a series of brilliant performances for Fever, as she has almost become a household name in the US.
Despite the defeat, Breanna Stewart, who scored 31 points to lead the US, said the game would benefit them enormously come the Games.
"This is going to help us tremendously. We don’t get that many game opportunities," she said.
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"We can go back and watch the film and focus on how we can continue to be better.
"It was like a little bit of deja vu feeling but just locking in.”