‘But wasn’t playing like…’– Dawn Staley explains the reason behind not selecting Caitlin Clark for USA Women’s Basketball team for Olympics 2024

For the Paris Olympics 2024 selecting USA women’s basketball team was a big task due to the many talented players it’s hard to get into the USA squad. There are many players that want to get into the squad but due to limited chance, it’s tough to get in. Because of this, there are some controversies related to the team. In the past also there were many tough decisions taken which led to discussions and controversies. 

In June when USA women’s basketball was announced and many basketball fans noticed that Caitlin Clark, a rookie for Indiana Fever name was missing out from the team and fans were disappointed. This choice demonstrated every detail of the choosing process. However, the star's road has not been simple. 

Since being picked as the No.1 draft by Indiana Fever Caitlin Clark has shown why she is the best in WNBA. During her college days while playing for Lowa she has been a standout player in basketball. In May Caitlin Clark had a rough start to her career in WNBA as she took time to adjust in WNBA. Later she managed it as Indiana Fever played nine names in two weeks times which was a tough schedule for a rookie player.

Clark's performance throughout this time span was impressive, although there were areas where he might have improved. Her average was off 17.6 points, 5.1 rebounds, 6.6 assists, 1.2 steals, and 1.1 blocks per game, but she has battled with shooting efficiency and ball security, scoring only 37 percent of her field goals and 32 percent of her three-pointers, while also committing 5.7 turnovers.

Head coach of South Carolina and part of the USA NBA team committee Dawn Staley clarified that the main reasons for Clark's removal were preparation and time. As per Pink Villa, "Caitlin is just a rookie in the WNBA, wasn’t playing bad, but wasn’t playing like she’s playing now," Staley mentioned.

She would be in really high consideration of making the team - Dawn Staley

So far Caitlin Clark has played 26 games for Indianan Fever in WNBA and has improved a lot. In the last 9 games, she has an average of 18.8 points and 11.9 assists per game. Her shooting accuracy is 41% and her impact in each game is also improving.

While acknowledging this change, Staley pointed out that Clark would have been a strong contender for the Olympic squad given her current form. "If we had to do it all over again, the way that she's playing, she would be in really high consideration of making the team because she is playing head and shoulders above a lot of people," Staley stated.

Clark has established herself as one of the league's emerging stars though she missed out in USA women’s basketball team for the Paris Olympics 2024.