Caitlin Clark Blames “Tough Turnaround” for Olympic Snub as WNBA Rookie Offers Best Wishes for Team USA’s Final Quest for Gold

“Honestly, no disappointment.” That was Caitlin Clark’s statement when she was snubbed from the Paris Olympics team in June this year. Clark who had to face a disappointment in the NCAA Championship Finals against the South Carolina Gamecocks, had to go through another heartbreak as she failed to make a place for herself in the Team USA. Though Clark kept quiet most of the time regarding her exclusion, it sure would have pinched her heart. And now, while wishing luck to Team USA for their eighth consecutive gold, Clark has opened up on her feelings blaming the quick turnaround time for her exclusion.

“It’s a tough turnaround, and we only played 10 games in the WNBA before we picked the roster so. That team is so talented I think the USA on the women’s side is just so dominant. They’ve played for the gold medal and I really don’t see them having any trouble winning so. I think, it just shows how advanced our country is in women’s basketball and I think, it should show people how talented we are and how fun it is to watch,” Clark stated during the Yankees baseball game against the Texas Rangers from the commentary panel.

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What’s your reaction?Did Caitlin Clark just get unfairly snubbed from the Olympics? React!

Clark had to ply her trade in the NCAA 2023-24 finals against the South Carolina Gamecocks which they lost by an 87-75 margin on April 7. Clark was the mainstay for her team scoring the game’s highest 30 points along with 8 rebounds and 5 assists. Therefore she must have been tired after that. However, she didn’t get much time to rest as the WNBA 2024 season tipped off for the Indiana Fever when they faced the Connecticut Suns on May 14.

Another reason that her fans state for her exclusion was that she could not be a part of the Olympics training camp in May as she was busy in the Final Four of the NCAA. Plus, the Olympics team was announced in June when the WNBA had barely completely just a quarter of the season. Hence, at that time Clark hadn’t broken the single-game assists record of Courtney Vandsersloot or scored a triple-double against the New York Liberty, becoming the first rookie to ever score a triple-double in WNBA history.

On the Paris Olympics front, Team USA will be going for their eighth consecutive Olympics gold medal on Sunday against France. Till now the team has won 60 consecutive games and fans must be wishing them luck for their final game much like Clark, who has stated that she “just love(s) international basketball.” Therefore it’s time to unite for the nation instead of blaming selectors for Clark’s snub.

Celebrities divided over Caitlin Clark’s snubWhile Stephen A. Smith and Dave Portnoy opined that Clark should have been included given the amount of popularity she would have brought to Team USA in the Olympics, Candace Buckner and Jerry Brewer revealed that they wanted “the best players who deserve their spots have their sign” on The Sports Moments podcast on Wednesday. They had also taken a shot at the popularity angle opining “You can’t equate an American crowd with Caitlin Clark to France.”

As for Clark’s fans, they had criticized Diana Taurasi for getting a place in the Olympic team despite being 42 years old. They had even gone on to compare Taurasi’s stats with those of Clark, concluding that Clark deserved a spot.

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Whether Clark was deserving or not can be argued. But what cannot be disagreed upon is that Clark too wants Team USA to win gold. And hopefully, that will put a rest to all debate regarding her snub when the Olympics ends.

Stay tuned for more such updates and join us for the exciting second episode of the “Dual Threat Show” as our host BG12 sits down with Georgia Bulldogs star and Mountain West All-Freshman Team Selection, Asia Avinger.

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