Caitlin Clark, the WNBA rookie sensation and all-time college scoring leader, is expected to stay home when the U.S. team travels to the Paris Olympics, a source familiar with the decision told NBC News on Saturday.
A formal announcement of the U.S. team roster has not been announced, but the team heading to the international competition will include 12 veterans, the source said.
The roster is expected to include WNBA stars such as Phoenix Mercury center Brittney Griner, Las Vegas Aces center A’ja Wilson and New York Liberty forward Breanna Stewart, the source told NBC News.
“We have not made any official announcement yet,” said a Team USA spokesperson.
The decision was first reported by Atlético.
Clark is coming off his best game in his short professional career, spilling 30 points and hit seven 3-pointers in the Indiana Fever’s 85-83 victory over the Washington Mystics on Friday.
She was named the WNBA Rookie of the Month for May, although her time so far in the league hasn’t been completely smooth. Her long-range shooting has been inconsistent, making 32% of her three-point attempts, and she has been plagued by an average of more than five turnovers per game.
Therefore, the absence from the squad of Team USA, which will be seeking an eighth consecutive gold medal for America, can certainly be justified from a purely on-court perspective.
But by leaving Clark at home, USA Basketball is taking the opportunity to add even more to the competition.
Her mere presence in the WNBA turned the league into a success and must-see TV.
The teams were moving to bigger arenas when Indiana visits to accommodate new fans eager to spend their money on WNBA games.
Teams are even flying charters this season, a long-sought privilege for players that has finally arrived at this time of explosive growth in women’s football.
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