Dawn Staley, coach of the NCAA women’s basketball champion University of South Carolina and a member of the U.S. Olympic selectors, said rookie WNBA star Kaitlyn Clark would be a “leading candidate” for the U.S. Olympic women’s basketball team if rosters were chosen “again.”
Clark’s exclusion from the Olympic team is widely considered one of the biggest snubs in U.S. basketball history.
NBC host Mike Tirico asked Staley about the topic earlier this week, asking, “Now that some time has passed, tell me what you think about this.”
Staley responded: “As a member of the committee, I have a responsibility to field a team with the best players, the best talent. Kaitlyn is just a rookie in the WNBA.” [She] It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t like how I play now.”
And Staley Admitted “If I had to do it all over again, the way she’s playing, I think she has a good chance of making the team because she’s so much better than the other players and she shoots the ball really well. She’s a top-notch passer. She has a high basketball IQ and has some experience in the professional game.”
Clark has taken the sports world by storm since her final year at the University of Iowa, and since turning professional earlier this year, she has proven time and time again that she is the hottest player in WNBA history. Not only is the young player showcasing talent never before seen in the women’s league, but she is also drawing nearly triple the viewership and double the attendance wherever she plays.
According to a June 2024 report, Clark’s Indiana Fever’s lowest attendance game was higher than the average home attendance of any other team.
For these reasons, many were confused as to why the Olympic team did not capitalize on Clark’s popularity.
“Hey, dumbass, for the first time in the history of basketball, we have the most popular player in the world. I would say that Caitlin Clark is the most talked about, most discussed, most popular and most back-to-the-seat basketball player in the world right now,” said Dave Portnoy, founder of Barstool Sports. I said at the time.
“So you’re taking her off the Olympic team?” he asked. “This isn’t just a show for her. This is a show for the sport and the other WNBA players on this team.”
Staley herself is no stranger to controversy: after winning the NCAA championship, Staley was asked whether a man who believes he is a woman should be allowed to compete in women’s basketball.
“I believe women should play. If you identify as a woman and you want to play sport, or vice versa, you should be able to play. That’s my opinion,” she replied.
The U.S. team defeated Japan, 102-76, in their first Olympic game and will play Belgium on Thursday and Germany on Sunday.
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