USA Basketball is firm on its decision to not include Caitlin Clark on the women’s national team for the 2024 Olympics in Paris.
The organization officially announced the roster Tuesday, confirming reports over the weekend that Clark will not be part of its quest for an eighth consecutive gold medal. Like other storylines involving Clark since the beginning of the WNBA season, it’s proven to be a divisive issue. Some believe that Clark’s role as the sport’s most popular women’s player should have warranted her inclusion, while others argue that USA Basketball made the right decision by picking the best players with the goal of winning.
Speaking to the Associated Press, USA Basketball selection committee chair Jen Rizzotti said it would have been “irresponsible” to take into account Clark’s popularity when considering her for a roster spot.
“It would be irresponsible for us to talk about her in a way other than how she would impact the play of the team,” Rizzotti said. “Because it
wasn’t the purview of our committee to decide how many people would watch or how many people would root for the U.S. It was our purview to create the best team we could for [USA Basketball coach Cheryl Reeve].”
Rizzotti added that other players who didn’t make the team were even harder to leave off.
“And when you base your decision on criteria, there were other players that were harder to cut because they checked a lot more boxes,” she said. “Then sometimes it comes down to position, style of play for Cheryl, and then sometimes a vote.”