Will Caitlin Clark make USA Olympics roster? Latest news, updates on WNBA rookie’s status for Paris 2024

It would be hard to dispute Caitlin Clark as one of the biggest names in women’s basketball.

The former Iowa star cleaned up with the unanimous National Player of the Year honors for a second straight year. She became the No. 1 scorer in Division I basketball history. She led the Hawkeyes to a second straight national championship. She wound up being drafted first overall by the Fever in the 2024 WNBA Draft.

Indiana, despite finishing near the bottom of the WNBA standings in 2023, earned more nationally broadcast games than any other team as networks prepared to highlight the sensational rookie. 

Clark will continue to have all eyes on her throughout her rookie campaign in the WNBA, but the question has quickly turned to whether she will be traveling overseas to play in the largest games in the world. The 2024 Summer Olympics run from July 26-Aug. 11. The WNBA will be on a pause for that stretch, meaning Clark will have the opportunity to play in the Olympics and not miss any pro time.

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However, there are reasons Clark might not make the Olympic roster. For starters, she is only a rookie in the WNBA. And though she has clearly been getting more comfortable in the league and is currently averaging 17.3 points per game, she is still plenty inexperienced relative to other options.

Additionally, she has already gone from playing a full season of college basketball to playing professional basketball to then possibly adding more games to her schedule, which could give her one of the heaviest workloads on the calendar.

Sporting News is tracking the latest on whether Clark will make the Olympic team. Here’s what you need to know.

Will Caitlin Clark make USA Olympics roster?There has been no word yet as to whether Clark will make the Olympic roster. USA Basketball will have until July 7 to send over the final roster.

Clark has made it clear she would play in the games if offered the opportunity. 

“I would love to be on the Olympic team and Paris in 2024, but that’s not up to me,” Clark said in her introductory press conference with the Fever. “That’s a dream. You grow up watching the Summer Olympics. I want to be on that team, I want to be an Olympic medalist one day. It’d really just be a dream come true.

“Everybody knows how competitive women’s basketball is in our country, so it’ll be hard for really anybody to make that team.”

Four-time Olympic gold medalist Lisa Leslie told Sporting News there was no doubt Clark should be among those heading to Paris.

“One hundred percent,” Leslie told Sporting News. “One thousand percent. I can’t even let you get the question out. I don’t know how you leave the country without her.” 

Clark was invited to the USA Basketball training camp in April, but she had to miss the camp with the Hawkeyes playing in the Final Four over the same span of days.

“I don’t know her path through USA Basketball, but I know USA Basketball knows who Caitlin Clark is and somehow they have to figure out how to make that work,” Leslie told Sporting News.