Caitlin Clark, the NCAA basketball all-time leading scorer, the top pick in the WNBA draft and tying the rookie record in her first month as a pro, was in top form in 2024 and looked set to continue that into the upcoming Olympics. The news reported When it was reported this weekend that Clark had not been selected for the national team, it came as a shock to many basketball fans who were hoping to see her represent the U.S. national team on the biggest stage in sports.
But Clarke took the news in stride, saying he understood the selections could have gone either way and that he was ultimately thrilled with the players who were selected.
“[There’s] I’m not disappointed, to be honest,” Clark said. Said IndyStar Reporter After a training session in Indianapolis on Sunday, she revealed that she got a call from the United States Basketball Association “before everything was revealed.” “I think it gives me a reason to keep trying…Hopefully I’ll be there one day. I think this is a little bit of motivation, to remember that, and hopefully four years from now, when the four years come, I’ll be there.”
Despite her 2024 resume, making the Olympic team at age 22 was always going to be a tall order. First, she was invited to USA Basketball’s training camp in April but wasn’t able to attend. That was when the Iowa Hawkeyes were competing in the Final Four. As former WNBA player and ESPN announcer Rebecca Lobo explained, get upand the training camp (which actually started three The training camps held a few years ago are crucial because they allow players to play together, learn the coaches’ systems and get used to playing against international opponents. “Caitlin Clark, through no fault of her own, missed out on any of those training camps,” Lobo said. “So she never got the chance.”
The official members have yet to be announced by the United States Olympic Committee. Athletic Reports have said that the team is prioritizing players with professional experience when selecting players, and in fact, 26-year-old Sabrina Ionescu is set to be the youngest player on the team.
Clark described the omission as “motivation” heading into the next Olympic cycle, but it’s another silver lining. Any The WNBA is on a break from mid-July to mid-August, meaning there will be very few WNBA games played this season, which means a lot for Clark, who transitioned seamlessly from college March Madness to Fever training camp with little time in between.
“I loved every second of competing, but first of all, this is going to be a great month for my body to just rest, get healthy and kind of get away from basketball and all the craziness that’s going on these days,” Clark told reporters.[It’s] For me, it’s a great opportunity to get in the weight room, get on the court and work on the things I want to get better at that I may not have had time to do going from college to the pro season.”
Essentially, she’s looking forward to some “personal peace and quiet,” and part of that might come from being an occasional basketball spectator.
“I’m excited about the girls on my team,” Clark told reporters. “I was a kid that grew up watching the Olympics, so it’s going to be fun to watch them.”
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