Report: Caitlin Clark will not be representing her nation in competition.
It seems that Caitlin Clark will not be able to represent the United States in the Summer Olympics in Los Angeles in 2028. The Athletic reported on Saturday that the WNBA rookie is not expected to be among the 12 players selected to represent Team USA in Paris when the 2024 Summer Games begin next month. Instead, a group of seasoned athletes from the United States, led by 42-year-old Diana Taurasi, will travel to Paris to compete for a sixth gold medal. The source claims that in addition to previous WNBA Most Valuable Players, Taurasi will be joined by A’ja Wilson, Breanna Stewart, Jackie Young, Brittney Griner, Napheesa Collier, Jewell Loyd, Sabrina Inoescu, Chelsea Gray, Alyssa Thomas, and Kahleah Copper.
In Paris, only the last three will be competing in their first Olympics. In the event that one of the players is unable to suit up in Paris, Brionna Jones, Clark, and her Indiana Fever colleague Aliyah Boston will probably make up the pool of alternates, according to The Athletic.
Although Clark received an invitation to the March training camp of the U.S. national team, she was unable to attend because her college team, Iowa, was competing in the NCAA Tournament. Clark broke the NCAA scoring record while at Iowa and led the Hawkeyes to consecutive trips to the title game, both of which ended in defeat. Clark’s WNBA career has had an uneven start, with averages of 16.8 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 6.3 assists per game. She had just scored her career-low three points in a loss to the New York Liberty on Sunday when she scored 30 points on Friday night in an 85-83 victory against the Washington Mystics. In women’s basketball, the United States has won every gold medal since the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta.
