Caitlin Clark hopes to play for the US Olympic team one day. It just won’t be in Paris next month. The Indiana Fever rookie confirmed on Sunday that she isn’t on the roster for this year’s Olympics.
“I think it just gives you something to work for,” Clark told reporters after practice. “It’s a dream. Hopefully one day I can be there. I think it’s just a little more motivation. You remember that. Hopefully when four years comes back around [at the LA Olympics in 2028], I can be there.”
Clark has averaged 16.8 points, 5.3 rebounds and 6.3 assists for the struggling Fever so far in her young professional career.
While Clark misses out, the US roster includes WNBA stars such as A’ja Wilson, Breanna Stewart and Diana Taurasi, who is going for a record sixth Olympic gold medal. The youngest players on the roster are Sabrina Ionescu and Jackie Young who, at 26, are four years older than Clark.
“I’m excited for the girls that are on the team,” Clark said. “I know it’s the most competitive team in the world, and I know it could have gone either way of me being on the team or me not being on the team. I’m excited for them. Going to be rooting them on to win gold. I was a kid that grew up watching the Olympics. It’ll be fun to watch them.”
Team USA have won every gold medal in women’s basketball starting with the 1996 Atlanta Games.
Clark said she received a phone call letting her know she wasn’t chosen for this year’s team.
“They called me and let me know before everything came out, which was really respectful of them, and I appreciate that,” Clark said. “They did the same for every girl that made the team or every girl that didn’t make the team. There’s a lot of players in the Olympic pool. It wasn’t like I was the only one they had to call. They had to make quite a few calls.”
Beginning with her record-breaking collegiate career at Iowa, Clark has brought millions of new fans to women’s basketball. The US Olympic team has specific selection procedures in determining who is on the national team that include availability, position played and versatility.
Based on her inclusion in the US national team pool, Clark could be chosen as an alternate if one of the 12 players is injured and can’t play in Paris. Anyone in the pool is eligible to be an alternate.