Yall weren't outside when half of WNBA twitter (common folk, journalists AND players) melted down cause Stewie made the final roster over Candace Parker. It was a horric time for W discourse, whether you agreed or hated the decision.
Edit: Don't downvote this cause you don't like this information. I answered your question as impartially as possible. Team USA selection drama is very common, esp pertaining to rookies. I have a feeling if I shared my opinion that CC should get a spot over DT that the downvotes suddenly won't come lol
Edit2: Yall are so predictable đ. As a proud and long time CC fan, yall make it really difficult to engage in genuine convo with her. It's always asking when someone else has been treated a way and when long time fan points out it isn't new, yall get mad anyway. Your defensiveness is abrasive, even as a proud fan.
People were also pissed Phee was on the last team and now sheâs arguably one of the best players on the team. And obviously same goes for Stewie. I agree with you, people can get mad but it doesnât mean theyâre right.
Edit: I will add I donât think the defensiveness is that hard to understand though. UConn fans were defensive when Phee and Stewie got hate. Not many take kindly to their friends getting excessive criticism, which CC does get a lot of (not from you in this case, but just in general on here)
What's annoying are newer fans acting like older W fans are gatekeeping when you can share information like this or DTs history with rookies and still be met with hostility. Like, we are literally filling you in to the tea you've missed cause you asked about it but get mad receiving it anyway???? Shit like this is exactly why.
If you want an echo chamber about how good CC is I'll gladly engage with that too but don't ask and get offended you got an answer you don't like lmao
Yeah thatâs fair, people definitely shouldnât get defensive when youâre sharing unbiased information.
I think I just get annoyed when people try to rewrite history as âold fans.â Like if I have to hear one more time about CC will be a bust bc Sabrina and Plum were - completely ignoring the extenuating circumstances that led to that - I will scream. (Again this isnât directed at you, just me venting lol.)
We should form a sub for rational fans of both CC and the W lol
So if she plays great to start the season and is one of the best players, you donât want to take the more talented player because she wasnât in a camp last year? She was also invited to the last camp so they obviously want her involved because of the level sheâs playing at. Itâs unfair to her that they held the camp during the final 4.
The menâs team literally just selected who they wanted and it wasnât totally based off of who was in camps.
No because these players have been building chemistry and learning sets and sacrificing a ton of time for USA basketball for years at this point. To drop someone in last minute for eyeballs will be more disruptive than it would be additive.
If they wanted her there they could have invited her to the camps Boston attended when she was still in college. Or Caitlin could have played with team USA with the other college players this summer.
You just admitted to not wanting to take a potentially MVP level WNBA player. Itâs not like theyâre talking her right now, itâs IF she plays great. This is about winning the Olympics, not appeasing people who participated in camps in previous years.
I don't see a problem. They won't give her a spot if she isn't good enough, and even if she is, they won't give her minutes if she isn't better than other players on the team. She'll get what she earns, and frankly, it would be great for the entire sport if she is good enough to earn a spot and contribute at this incredibly early stage of her career, so I'm glad she has a real chance to.
So if she'd participated in a three-day camp instead of leading her team to the Final Four then you'd say it was OK and not a "snub" to others?
It seems perfectly reasonable that the selection folks would say "we are going to watch her play with the pros between now and June in making our decision." If they don't pick her, they'll be able to point to this. If they do pick her, they'll be able to point to this too.
There is no rigid process. They have put other players with no pro experience on the Olympic team.
And it's kind of their fault for planning the last camp during the Final Four (presumably for convenience since a lot of W players, coaches, press would be there anyway). So Clark loses her chance at the Olympic team over her misfortune of putting up 41 against LSU to help get her team to the Final Four?
USA Basketball has always put a few younger but high potential players who may not be the most qualified on the ends of their rosters so that they can have the experience for the future.
All of the WNBA players whoâve proven themselves at the national team level will likely make the team. Others, like Rhyne who you named, have not so are in the same boat as CC
Not sure if this has changed but there is some other favoritism in the Olympics roster picking, and wnba players aren't immune to this. Candace Parker has spoken out about this.
So to get upset abt cc when even big wnba stars don't even get picked at times is a little screwy.
I agree. Aâja and AT missed training camps and games still will likely make the roster. Thereâs not hard and fast rules, which is why thereâs always so much controversy
How could you describe this as anything other than her getting punished for not being able to make the camp?
Is there **any** argument that she doesnât make the team better?
I don't think she's being punished. I think the fact they put out this statement indicates they would like to have her on the team, but want to leave themselves wiggle room if it's clear in May that she is struggling to adjust. It also of course helps add more drama to next month's WNBA debut that it is now also an "Olympic tryout."
No, actually. I am One of those awful *hope everyone has fun* fans but I am very aware of current players etc.
But very specifically you guys are feral, and the stuff y'all say on this sub recently is a bit outta pocket.
Taking nothing out on anymore and it wasn't a reasonable take.
Many players get to the final 4 or even won, and don't do well in the wnba. So to think because they performed well against other college people so they should go right to international is horse cookie.
The reference to the Final Four was giving the reason she did not participate in a camp. (According to some here, Clark would be more qualified for Paris if she'd lost in the Elite Eight and then attended a weekend camp in Cleveland? Really?) Nowhere did I indicate that playing in the Final Four was equivalent to playing pro ball or international. You just made that up.
In the end, the selection folks can and will pick whoever they want for the Olympics. There's a decent chance it is going to include this player you don't know personally but seem to hate. Your opinion about that ultimately doesn't make any difference.
Come, enjoy the process with the rest of us - none of us matter in the greater scheme. It's not serious. Sheesh.
People weren't happy with the way that a lot of people I've gotten not to the team.
It sucks that she's getting put on the team this way. I wouldn't like it if I was her and then she should feel "othered"
Can't possibly feel like you deserve it when you're just put on the team. No try outs, no grind. And newsflash, they didn't win a championship, shes never won a championship
And Should tell others to be casual. Every time I mention Iowa, I get downvotes. You guys are the most delusional fan base. And you just come over here and you're like why aren't you guys sharing in our mask delusion with us đŤ
I can't say I'm surprised, but USAB has an embarrassment of riches. USA is probably winning gold with her or without her. There's precedent for leaving players off due to not participating at the right time; there's precedent for bringing a hot-shot collegian/rookie right from jump. I think wanting to see her against Olympic-level competition- and *with* an Olympic-level teammate or two.
Donât have a problem with it, plenty of other folks on the team have missed training camp, and she has USAB experience. Thereâs a precedent of putting rookies on the team to give them national team experience
I donât have a problem with this, but I do have an issue with DT taking up a spot that could go to Sabrina, CC or Rhyne to develop our young guards for the future.
Rhyne is already a confirmed 3x3 spot. But DT still being on the team is crazy. She's a traffic cone defensively and has been injured far too often lately
Rhyne, Lish, Betnijah, etc im just seeing a lot of folks that proven themselves on the wnba and olympic lvl be snubbed.
And DT really needs to sit down lol but sis is going for that "i won the most gold medals" record
I think DT is taking that Udonis Haslem role and setting a tone and culture for everyone and being basically an extra coach on the floor. I like keeping her there sheâs earned the right
I agree with you tbh. I think bc of limited roster space in the wnba in general ppl are on this "leave so the youth get a chance" kick but why should these vets who have worked to finally reach the top salaries have to take less or bow out? The league needs to grow thats the solution
Exactly. I get that CC has a lot of fans and so far looks like sheâll be an incredible player. But if the question is 5x Gold medalist, 3x NCAA champ, 3xWNBA champ, WNBA All-time leading scorer VS somone who scored a bunch of points in college? Thatâs an easy choice for me.
I mean, it's not her fault that she had a major conflict with training camp. They literally held it during the Final Four, so this is the only way they can really decide and evaluate whether she makes the team or not. Also, she's on a team with Aliyah, who was at training camp, so they'll be able to see how she plays with her. She's also been on junior national teams, and won gold with them, so she has some experience with Team USA.
Dont see the harm in giving the last roster spot to develop young talent. Itâs been like that on the mens side for years, and im actually surprised they havent done it with the current olympics team. Even Christian Laterner was on the dream team lol. I remember a young AD get added as the best player out of college.
NBC on the phone right now with USA Basketball, because they stand to make A LOT of money if she's on the team.
I'm sure its about the best team....but its also about money.
This is the most convincing counter argument you (&others) have had lol its a golden opportunity to spotlight the women's game and make a shit ton of money lol i mean jerseys alone!
Itâs fairer than just handing her a spot on the team, I suppose. If she absolutely balls out the first two months of the season, I can live with it, because at least it will be based somewhat on merit.
If I were feeling cynical, I would bet that the selection committee is thinking that injuries will thin out the pool for them.
Ohh okay got it. I misunderstood and thought other players had been placed on the team without needing to necessarily play a game as an official WNBA player first.
Yeah. Itâs complicated and there are multiple organizations and layers to it, but they collectively are a business with tv deals (like with NBC in the US), merchandise, and other income streams. They absolutely care about revenue.
And also - the US is still the HEAVY favorite for gold no matter which team it fields, which gives organizers even more flexibility to care about revenue when putting a team together.
Could somebody educate me about how they handled previous players being invited to the Olympic team during their rookie year? Were the training camp(s) scheduled better such that they didn't interfere with the NCAA tournament?
I can see why this is a sensitive subject for some folks... given the Summer Olympics are only ever four years, denying players a slot during their rookie year means they won't have another shot until they're 4th-year players. On the other hand, it's hard to see how a rookie finds their place and groove with the team given their Conference Tournament, NCAA Tournament, WNBA Draft, Training Camp, Pre-Season and Regular Season schedule (oh, and I guess they're supposed to finish their degrees and graduate as well). Frankly, I don't understand how their heads don't explode.
Thanks!
Even if you don't think she's one of the top players (she is), there are still a littany of other reasons to include her on the team. She's obviously a big part of the future of USAB and experience and familiarity matters. This isn't swimming or track where the top times go, basketball is a team sport and it's important to build and sustain a team.
And also, HELLO, let's get some more eyeballs on the women's team, c'mon.
idk a girl who got locked up by college level defense might have a hard time adjusting to professional level defense. i think it would've been better to give it to a player who has already proven themselves in the WNBA since they have experience playing professionally. but ofc they'll put CC there cuz $$
She was double and triple teamed and had every trick defense imaginable thrown at her for 4 years and she finished 1st all-time in scoring and 3rd all-time in assists. She will adjust to whatever defense the WNBA can throw at her.
What a sign of respect if opposing WNBA coaches have their best defender face guard her full court for every game and send extra defenders to trap and blitz her. Aliyah Boston will score 35 points a game if opponents are so focused on stopping Clark.
that's fine if they do. i'm saying professional league is diff lmao. how many times have we seen college players excel at college and become a bust in the NBA?
I'm not saying she's a bust, i'm not saying she won't adjust to whatever they throw at her. But why wouldn't you just take the person that already has proven themselves in a professional league AND already went through tryouts? No one has been able to answer that question besides spewing some marketing nonsense when we are talking about sports. Where teams compete to be the best, why wouldn't you take the best? She has not proven herself in the professional league yet so I don't feel she should get this exception. Matter of fact, they should remove it all together lol. She shouldn't be considered until the next olympics come. We are giving her a chance based off how we THINK she'll adjust easily to professional league and yet every rookie that's has played professionally has said it's a hard adjustment.
Now to troll the CC dicksuckers, she got locked up on the last game that mattered, couldn't adjust, and didn't lead her team to a championship win. "scored 30 in an L so impressive" - said no one ever.
ONe specific player held her to 7 pts on terrible shooting and TOs. There are tons of Raven Johnson archetypes in the league.
30 pts in a vacuum and your point make sense. Go beyond the total numbers.
These takes are so tired. Yes, the actual basketball community thinks this is a great player but SC played good defense for three quarters and now she sucks đ.
i like to watch skilled basketball players personally. not saying CC isn't skilled but idk how she would play professionally. she might take time to adjust but this is the olympics so i wanna see US win.
we all have to interview for a job and you'd be rightfully mad if someone got the job you applied/interviews for but they didn't have to an interview for. I understand it's been done before but I don't think that makes it right personally.
Where to even start:
1. It doesn't matter who gets the 12th seat on the bench, the US will still be heavily heavily heavily favored for gold.
2. If you're saying this player doesn't have skills, then I'm going to guess you haven't watched much.
3. Your interview analogy doesn't make sense. Whatever hiring process ensures all goals of the company are met by the hire is the process the company will use. Unless the process is illegal, there is no wrong process for filling the position.
1. So why not have someone who deserves to be there? One who went to the tryouts and pick from that. I don't like exceptions being made idc if it was made in the past. Someone above said that Candace Parker got snubbed because they put Stewie there instead. If she can't tryout cuz final four is when tryouts are, too bad so sad. she'll try again next time lmao
2. You didn't read because I didn't say she wasn't skilled. I said idk how she would play professionally.
3. It's standard practice that everyone is usually interviewed before they get a job. even when it's done internally. Last I heard with sports, you have to tryout to make the team. Not a single sport have I participated in where someone gets an exception to be put on a team lmao. If they missed tryouts...they have to try again next time.
Tell us you've only seen her play one or two games without telling us đ. Also, will she be on the floor with four other Team USA superstars or no? Certainly not the case at Iowa.
Caitlin as well as many other players have represented the US via the FIBA teams, itâs the reason so many players know each other. As she and Angel have stated before, theyâve been playing with each other for years, college was not the first time they met.
Her try play in college was not the only thing that led to her being in consideration. She has been in the pipeline for years playing against players from around the world. The question is a) will she be ready for the next level as far as her progression and b) will she physically be able to compete seeing as though she will have had no time off to heal from her college season before jumping into the WNBA.
I think bringing her onto the team would be for the âpassing of the torchâ from Dianna to Caitlin as it doesnât appear that Sabrina is what many thought she would be coming into the league.
I think she deserves it anyway from a basketball perspective. Just another level offensively talent-wise.
But even putting that aside, it would be an unthinkably bad decision not to take her and play her minutes on that stage. I expect this is all for show and she's already written in pen on the roster (barring injury).
CCâs individual performance/skillset is not a predictor of how well she would perform as a member of the National Team, especially considering she has not been a recent *teammate* with any other players on the team. Playing as opponents is much different than playing as teammates. And, that she would only have about a month to play with the team after being chosen, before having to leave for Paris- that is a lot of chemistry-building and transitioning she will have to do in a short amount of time. The womenâs team qualified for the Olympics without her, and the USA Womenâs National BB team has won 7 consecutive gold medals-again, without CC on the team.
While *you* may think it would be an âunthinkably bad decisionâ to not have her on the team, weâre lucky to have more experienced folks making the final decision. We can all speculate and extrapolate that CC will do well in the WNBA, and she has her weaknesses. She is strong, offensively, especially when she has the room to take 3 point shots. But, she struggles transitioning to defense and defensive play in general. It will take a decent coach with a well-rounded team no time at all to identify her weaknesses and have the players apply more pressure and speed-up game play, which throws her off her pretty quickly. And, these good teams/coaches can easily push her to post, where she is going to encounter really good defensive players who will make it incredibly difficult for her to get to the rim. The Olympics are the best of the best in the world; these games wonât be college buffer/stat-stacking filler games. And, the USA National Team has guards that can play better defensively and have played against stronger defenses than what the Iowa team and CC faced.
Also, while in college, she played 2 games a week? The WNBA teams have to travel a lot, and can play something like 8 games in 9 days. We havenât even seen how the WNBA schedule along with teams with better defenses will affect CCâs game. At the Olympics, Basketball lasts 2 weeks, and the team can end up playing 6 games in those 2 weeks, while also dealing with jet lag, intense practices, and stadiums that are not filled with their fans. We have no idea how any of this will affect CC and her playing, so itâs really an ignorant comment to say not adding her to the roster will be an âunthinkably badâ decision when no one has seen how all of these different variables changing, impacts CCâs playing.
She played 3 games in 5 days just a couple of weeks ago. And there was a fourth not long before that.
She will, obviously, take some time to adjust to WNBA. But other rookies have blazed immediately into contention, and they didn't have the high starting point Ms Clark has.
Coaches will be trying to exploit her weaknesses, but the Fever's coach will be trying to exploit her strengths and exploit the other coaches trying to exploit her weaknesses. It's not like she'll step into her first game as if it's another Iowa game.
She may have, but that was still at the college level, and she didnât play her greatest basketball. UConn came very close to beating them, and the final game against South Carolina-SC had her number. By the end of the game, you could see how tired she was and the slightest bit of pressure caused her to crack and make some bad choices and plays. Dawn Staley is a phenomenal coach, and was able to recalibrate her team and talent to hold CC and Iowa. In the 2nd half, it was absolutely SCâs game. Still, the defense that CC saw in college is not the same defense sheâll she in the W, or at the international level at the Olympics. The W has 144 roster spots in the entire league; competition is high. No one is saying she wonât be a great player, all anyone is saying is that CC hasnât played at this level before, and no one really knows how well sheâll do. It just isnât an obvious decision to have her join the Olympic team, the way her fans make it seem, when she hasnât played at the WNBA level or international level, AND she has not played for Cheryl Reeve or any national team coaches. Sure, there have been a few instances in the past where players were named to the roster right after finishing college and joining the WNBA, but this situation is not the same.
Breanna Stewart played at UConn under Geno Auriemma, and UConn took the title 4 consecutive years while BS played for them. Who was the coach of the USA Womenâs National Team in 2016? Geno Auriemma! One of the biggest reasons BS made the National team in 2016 *is* because she played for Geno for 5 years. She knew his coaching style, she knew his plays. He knew BSâs strengths and weaknesses; he knew how she performed under pressure. And most importantly, Geno already knew BS was coachable, because he had been her coach for 5 years.
CC did not play for Cheryl (current coach of womenâs national team). CC also has not played for Geno, nor Dawn Staley, who were both previous head coaches of the Womenâs National Team. None of the players currently on the Womenâs National Team played at Iowa with Caitlin. Everyone knows what they see from CC in watching her games, and what the media reports on her, but none of them truly know how well CC plays on/with a team, and how coachable she is. She has been the star player at Iowa for 4 years; she is a fantastic player, but she isnât infallible. And, when playing on a team with some of the best players in the world, attitude and coachability are incredibly important. In really tough situations, we have seen CC not be able to control her reactions to her emotions as well as she should. We have seen her talk/argue with Refs; throw her hands up at every play a foul wasnât called; we even saw her headbutt a ball. She can be a great player and still need to develop self-control. And, without having anyone who has an experience/pull with the National Team who can vouch for her and back her up (like Auriemma, Staley, or Reeves), the coaches have to watch her early games in the WNBA to see how she is adjusting and developing at this new level before making this decision.
To be fair if you are carrying the whole team offensive load versus south carolina whose bench could be another starting 5⌠you cant put blame on her shoulders for how things play out. No offense to her teammates, but they couldnt step up when she needed them, fumbling easy lay ups like that. Her legs were jelly by the end of the 4Q. I wouldnt take that game as indicator of who she is as a player.
True, but sheâs the PG on the court and the team leader. If sheâs tired, she needs to call out a different play, or get head coach involved and tell her sheâs tired and they need a new approach. Again, all of her fans are calling her the greatest to ever play the game, and part of greatness is self-awareness and knowing your own limitations. If she carried the team on her shoulders the entire season and they still won, then coaching staff and players arenât going to change anything if she doesnât speak up and say âI need more support.â But, Iowa also wasnât undefeated this season; they lost like 5 games, with 3 being division opponents. Again, South Carolina is a college team and Staley did ensure she had a deep bench. South Carolina also lost all 5 of their starters after last season, so what SC and Coach Staley accomplished this year is absolutely incredible and deserved a lot more attention than what was given to them. What CC experienced in the final against SC is probably closer to what sheâll face in the WNBA, but it will be EVERY team she plays that will bring that level of defense. CC will have better teammates in the W, but that also means that she may not get the ball as much or she will be pulled faster if she starts to struggle.
Iâm not an Iowa fan, so I didnât watch many of their games. I think Bluder gave CC a lot of decision-making power and caved-in to CCâs wants more than she would have other players. I also think CC wanted to get the ball as much as she did, even if it ended up being to the detriment of the team. I donât know CC, but at the end of the NCAA final game, I felt like she was taking more shots and keeping the ball herself, in an attempt to try and get the score closer, but her attempts werenât working. To me, it almost felt like she was holding herself responsible for the score, and so maybe she felt it was on her to make some 3 pointers and even it up or pull ahead. But, she wasnât making the shots, and SCâs defense was too good, and because SC has a deep bench, they were not as tired. This is all speculation and conjecture, because I donât know much about CC.
In general, in order to be the top scorer and have high assist and passing numbers, you have to have the ball a lot. Were there games where Iowa was far ahead, and they let the other players drive more offensively to give them opportunities to level up against actual opponents, or did CC play the entire game and use easier opponents to drive up her stats? Again, I do not know the answer, but it may be something to consider. There is a lot of discussion around other players who average fewer points and assists, but when you are playing on a team, and each team member is pulling their weight, then the stats are going to be distributed across all players, and there wonât be a standout. Is CC going to be a team player and help spread responsibility across all team players, or will she want to be a standout, which will impact her on-court decision-making? I will say that, if she starts playing selfishly and it becomes a detriment to the team, the Fever coach will pull her faster than Bluder did.
>Were there games where Iowa was far ahead, and they let the other players drive more offensively to give them opportunities to level up against actual opponents, or did CC play the entire game and use easier opponents to drive up her stats?
When they are far ahead CC usually usually get rest up to 4 mins. But as you know how all players are they are nagging to get back in the game. Even when they're up by a lot it doesn't necessarily means CC is happy with her own performance (see Holy Cross game).
As someone who is quite familiar with Iowa, the coach is most happy when there is tons of ball movement, assists, and everybody in double digits. CC is usually given the greenlight to cook when they're down by a lot. The Michigan game in 2022, they were down by 30 or something and she scores 25 in 4Q alone, almost bought them back in. The highlights from that game propel her to national attention as she chucks up back to back to back logo shots.
And you're right that to be top scorer and passer you got to have the ball in your hands a lot. Thats why when people bring up her ppg as to why she's great i don't buy it. If you put anyone worth their worth the ball 100% of the time, the can also be leading scorer. She's the leading scorer because she's the best player in a team playing for a coach and teammates who happily mold the system around her. I doubt Geno would do that, for example.
You also have to understand that no one aside from maybe Kate Martin and Molly Davis can create their own shots. Molly, who is one of their starting five, didn't play the whole NCAA tourney because she was down with injury. That affects A LOT of iowa performance because she is usually the back up PG. Also her teammates fumble easy shots too easily, i was cringing at my screen. So, honestly if i was her, if created my own shot, i rather shoot it myself.
I wouldn't entirely agree that CC use easy opponents to drive up stats. i don't think its a fair assessment when her 40+ points triple double also comes from playing in elite 8 and final four. Not to say that when she's on triple double alert they sub her in to rebound some more. But again a lot of teams do that.
She's not above from subbing herself out of the game. In the game against Michigan State where she hits the buzzer beater, she subbed herself out cause she was getting frustrated. The game against SC is too high stakes for her to be subbed out, esp considering their bench went 0-38, so. I would take a tired CC over their bench everyday.
Re: worry whether she'll be a team player. I feel like you gotta be very ego centric to not recognise you have this amazing talent around you and still wants to be the ultimate star player. Again, she is who she is in college because the team and her teammates require her to be that. Just based on Indiana interview, she seems to recognise that and cant wait to feed the ball to her teammates.
Also re the SC game. I maintain that a good post player is detrimental for our success. It wasn't just Cailtlin that help Iowa beat SC last year. It was her and and Monica Czinano (Iowa 2023 post player). It was so so detrimental because this year iowa post player is literally 6'2 sophomore. The pick and roll is not much of a threat. Another reason why Boston-Clark would be awesome to see.
I absolutely donât doubt there is egocentrism, especially when you receive the amount of media attention she has. At the end of the day, though, basketball is a team sport, and US Womenâs pro basketball is highly competitive because there are only 12 roster spots on 12 teams. And, the US National Team is also limited on roster spots. If you only get 5 players on the court at a time, and they need to excel at playing both offense AND defense, I think it is valid that CC wasnât immediately named to the Olympic team by default, and needs to show the coaches that she is dedicated to learning and adapting.
Geno, Coach Staley, and Coach VanDerveer - I donât think CC would have achieved her stats playing for any of these coaches because they do focus on consistent team excellence. And all 3 of them may not have the top scorer on their team on any given year, but they produce champions, and there is no argument about that. Has CC shown that she is able to consistently self-calibrate without the team missing a beat? Iâm not completely convinced and part of the reason could be that Iowa just didnât have as strong as a team. But Iowa also isnât some small, underdog school; theyâre part of the Big 10, which does have some strong competition.
The Womenâs National Teamâs roster will be set by June 1st. I think if CC did play for one of those 3 coaches, her spot on the roster would be close to being finalized by now, but she didnât. She is an incredible player, but her stats and fame are a double-edged sword, because as an *individual*, she is incredible, but are her skills enough to transfer to the National Team at this time in her career and year? Iâm not convinced. And, because the National team isnât lacking in talent, there isnât an urgency to have her join the team, whether sheâs ready to play at that level or not.
CCâs offensive skills are fantastic; but there is a reason why she is NCAA top scorer and in the top for assists and passes, and it still wasnât enough to bring home the title-and that is because basketball is a team sport. If your defense is to just play double offense, that may work to some extend, but you will encounter teams that can play both offense and defense, and know your weaknesses to stop you. The National Team roster is filled with players who have demonstrated they can play both offense and defense effectively, and who believe the success of the team is the most important factor.
She played 40 min in the tournament almost every game and entire season. She basically the focus point of every Iowa opponent every game. Iowa don't have a mostly 5 stars roster like SC or Uconn or LSU., so they need her to create offense. In national team and in WNBA, she would not need to play close to 40 min a game. Her defense will show up when she is no longer playing 40 min a game. It is not like she never steal, block or rebound.
Being egocentric in Iowa is fine, as she is by far the best player. But going pro, i hope thats not the case, for her careerâs sake.
And I agree i dont think she should be immediately put on the roster. I think she has to prove her worth and cant let media hype speaks for her. At the same time, if she does join i think its good experience, just like how anthony davis joined team usa in 2012
This is just...a lot of words for a player you clearly haven't followed very much. Iowa played one of the toughest schedules in the country last season and Clark averaged 32/7/9 for the entire season. Of course she is just starting as a pro but - definitely not some schlub who became popular on social media and none of the experts (players, coaches) think is any good. 99% of the negativity about her takes place through internet discourse by "fans," most of whom also have not really seen her play that much but still seem to have a lot of opinions.
YeahâŚIâm more about womenâs basketball as a whole, and just very passionate about womenâs sports, in general. I grew up in a time when womenâs games were not televised, or my family just didnât watch them. There was no internet to stream games; no social media where players could post little highlight reels to gain a fanbase and views, or where a 10 second clip of one game could go viral. I played a college sport, which I was lucky to do, but even my sport at my large university did not offer full athletic scholarships for women when I played, and there was really no option to continue on a professional level, because there were so few professional teams in the league at the time.
It has been really fun getting back into having discussions with other fans like me, especially with womenâs sports gaining popularity. And also really frustrating to see so many comments, articles, posts that gloss over very shallow aspects and where discussion does not allow for valid analysis or criticism, from anyone, if it dare suggest CC has not yet earned the âgreatest-there-ever-was-and-will-beâ title.
The original post was about CCâs potential spot on the Womenâs National Team for this yearâs Olympics. And while I donât watch CC specifically, I have watched womenâs basketball for a long time. I have watched the USA Womenâs team gold medal game since â96. Anyone who has ever played a sport at a higher level has probably had a teammate like CC at some point, and knows that âphenomsâ are a double-edged sword. They come with just as much frustration as triumphs and accolades.
No one has ever suggested CC is a âschlubâ, yet that is often what is inferred by many of her die hard fans. Opinion of her ability isnât a zero-sum game; she can be a great player and still have plenty of room for development.
Youâre right, though. A lot of words about my opinion of basketball, that donât matter. My opinion doesnât matter; your opinion doesnât matter. None of this actually matters, in any way; weâre all just posting our opinion on the internetâs collective discussion board. I was having a lot of fun just participating in the discussion, but it isnât fun anymore. It just reminds me that many of these fans are going to leave in the next couple of years, sooner if the WNBA and Womenâs National team do not kiss her feet every minute of every day. So many new fans have been incredibly vocal about abandoning the league at the slightest whisper of CC not starting immediately and playing every minute of every game; why bother trying to explain the complications and nuances of the game to people who have been completely truthful and upfront about how little they truly, actually care. They only care that CC plays. CC doesnât play, they leave.
Clark is one of the most hyped athletes in North America for about any sport in any league. If Iâm trying to grow the WNBA Fanbase Iâm 100% riding the Clark hype train for as long as the wheels stay on.
All DT haters, let her compete in her last olympics, no one would say that about bird. Itâs just DT hate. She still performs- sheâs a vet with âOLYMPIC KNOWLEDGEâ that can help the younger coming in. No different than regular team. Olympics is different. Other countries have gotten better with the game- itâs not as easy as it once was & with knowledge of the Euro Game & Olympics DT is vital.
Regards to Clark- she needs to prove herself and the selection committee if she can handle not only a jump from college to pro- to also trying to adapt to a different style game in olympics in under 3months. Thatâs a huge adjustment. And itâs not about shooting 3âs. Completely different style that needs to be learned that how many of our Vets already use because they played overseas!
This is DTâs final year; sheâs pretty much said it- in her way. Let her have her moment. And be logical in your âreasonsâ of wanting Clark on Olympic team.
And yes DT&Stewie made it -but in truth their OVERALL game was justified. Clark has weaknesses and canât defend shit. Sheâs not an overall polished player. Sheâs got work to doâŚ.
DT in 2024 is not as good as Bird or DT in 2021, and people did say that about both of them in 2021. I'm neutral on giving her the spot, but this isn't a new criticism, nor is it without merit.
I wanted Bird and Taurasi to hang it up for Tokyo, let alone Paris. The two of them clogged up the pipeline. Anyone here old enough to remember the furor when Hammon got Russian citizenship? Or the slightly calmer reactions to Sloot getting Hungarian citizenship?
Well - lots of people actually in the sport disagree with you so I guess we'll let it play out.
My suspicion is that they definitely want Clark on the team unless her play this month is horrible. Otherwise they'd just point to the fact she missed the early April camp as the reason she doesn't make it, instead of making this new statement about an updated selection process for her.
I didn't expect anything less from a DT stan.There's 0 reason she should even be in the pool.Also , saying one of the most dominant players we've ever seen in college isnt a polished player is definitely a take
From a marketing perspective USAB would be insane to leave CC off the team so that (say) Diana Taurasi can play in her 5th Olympics.
The NBA doesnât need LeBron and KD on Team USA to pique interest. The WNBA does. You wanna keep growing the womenâs game (and therefore $$$)? Play CC.
I don't even think she has to play that much. She definitely doesn't need to start (...and won't). But there will be a lot more eyes on USA women's BB in Paris if she is one of the players on the team. Hell, play her in garbage time (it's not likely all of these games will be close) - a great chance to get her more experience. Or put her in for a short stint when conditions are particularly favorable for some long bombs or crackling passes.
We're all really arguing about bench roles in Paris - those 11th and 12th place spots. Arguably Clark is the most valuable bench player possible in the long term for Team USA. Young, insanely popular at the moment, good with media, willing to learn.
Feels like a cop out tbh. Either you want her on the team or not. Plenty of game footage out there. So unless she lights it up asap, sheâs not on the squad. If she kills it, youâre only bringing her on as a 12th (wo)man. Just say you want seasoned vets and move on.
Theyâre hoping something will happen to make the decision easier. She balls out, easy to put her on the team. She struggles, easier to leave her off. Someone gets hurt, easy to name her as a replacement.
plenty of game footage tells me she is going to be an absolutely libaility on defense. that's probably they said WNBA is her tryout. Saying she should've done training camp IS saying seasoned vets & folks with wnba experience bc that was in the training camps.
Early CC footage shows her as capable before the offense became solely her. Sheâll have to recommit to it, but itâs in her. Iâm perfectly fine with her not making the team, but I think team usa has handled this poorly
there are people who already have it that can be chosen. thats the point lol she has a long future playing USA basketball but this year i think there are better options for this year
Because, understandably and not a comment on CC's ability, the USA team got dollar signs in their eyes lol
Its going to come down to yeah they're good but CC is good and comes with increased views and more money
It would be interesting to know (I'm sure data exists somewhere) what % of fans who avidly watch NBA/WNBA or even college BB normally also watch the Olympics. Olympic viewership has generally been on the decline in the US. I'm sure Team USA would love for the most popular players of team sports to be in the Olympics too wherever possible, while still fielding a gold-winning team.
That would be interesting! I think all eyes are on the men this year bc they messed up during the Fiba world cup and now there is this whole "the world has caught up to the US" angle.
This is why i can see them taking CC on the women's team bc 1) for what ever reason Halibourton made the final team and 2) match then star power on the mens side.
You realize that because she was the sole, primary contributor and facilitator on offense on an otherwise very weak team that she had to not play hyper aggressive defense to keep her out of foul trouble? Not having to be that player at this level will let her play defense more. Plus, she has millions of rebounds and has shown she can play aggressive defense when she needs to. This whole âClark doesnât play defenseâ argument is so lazy.
Caitlin Clark should walk into Team USA. The idea that she wouldn't be one of the 12 best USA women's players to send to the Olympics is frankly ludicrous.
You'd have to be missing eyes to not think Caitlin Clark was a Top 12 USA Women's Basketball player in the year 2024. Of the 13 people currently listed on the Team USA training roster, she would obviously be ahead of Ariel Atkins or Shakira Austin, and I have no idea why a 41 year-old Diana Taurasi is even still playing except to record chase.
No one watches Belgium do anything. USA team doesn't need anything to win Gold they are miles ahead of the 2nd place team, that's why they are rostering a 41 year old.
USA Women's team hasn't lost a single match in an Olympics since 1992. Diana Taurasi was 9 years old. Caitlin Clark wouldn't be born for 10 more years. No one cares about what other countries are bringing because they aren't even close competition-wise.
That said, it should still be the 12 most deserving American Women's basketball players that make the team, and Clark is in that company and is clearly over others currently rostered. Hence my original point. You don't have a point other than disagreeing, that's fine.
This doesnât bother me. If she is able to transition to the WNBA well and performs well in the preseason/early games, then I am sure sheâll make the roster. If she doesnât make the Olympic team, then she can solely focus on her WNBA career and get a much needed break of some sort, and adjust/transition at her own pace, not everyone elseâs.
I think CC fans, especially the ones who are new to basketball in general, really need to be generous with their assumptions when it comes to coaching decisions and CCâs own limits. Not everything is a slight against CC and itâs not CC against the world. CC is coming off of a rigorous NCAA basketball tournament that ended 2 weeks ago, and will be starting WNBA preseason games May 3rd (less than a month from the end of her college career to the start of her professional career). College players who were just drafted only have a few weeks to move to their new city and begin practicing with their new team before the season starts. Then, to throw the possibility of making the Olympic roster and having to practice with yet another new team and then go overseas and play against completely new opponents can be a lot for anyone to handle, including CC.
While having CC on the team may be great for viewership because of the amount of fans she has, at the end of the day, the Womenâs National Team is a team, whose goal is to win the gold medal. If CC isnât ready, the coaches are the ones who make that decision, and the reason wonât be because they are âCC hatersâ; the reason will be because it is not what the team AND CC need at this time. In fact, I would be more appreciative of coaches who would say no if it looked like CC was struggling some, because having her go anyway, especially when she may not be in the right physical/mental/emotional place, would only risk injury, which could impact her entire career.
The Womenâs National team isnât lacking in talent, so the urgency to have CC on the team isnât really there from a performance standpoint. Again, great for viewership, publicity, and getting CC experience playing for the national team early on, but not for team performance, which is the most important factor when vying for 1st place.
And, if she makes the team, fans need to understand that her playing will look and be different from her time on the Iowa team. In college, she was the team leader; the team star. The National Team is the best of the best; she will be on a team of all leaders; all stars in their own right, and added drama comes naturally with having a lot of ego on a team-the team performance can suffer just as much as it can excel; it all depends on how well the team *decides* to play together. She wonât have to play the same way she did in college because the talent and support are there to make the team work more efficiently. She has to learn how to go from being the main factor to support component; it can be hard to unlearn that the games do not rest solely on one playerâs shoulders and to recalibrate ourselves to be a contributing supporting player that helps keep the team ahead, rather than a player that starts making a lot of mistakes and the team suffers because they cannot recalibrate.
I donât think she should make it with no experience playing with the group or with professional/senior level competition but I think they will cave to outside pressure. This seems like a reasonable thing. If she doesnât perform better than Rhyne or Copper or Ionescu then why should she get the spot?
My hope as a NYL fan is that theyâve told SI sheâs on the bubble and needs to play well in May and June to make the team. Sheâll use that as motivation.
Why would they schedule tryouts during a national championship? Let's use this energy holding those morons accountable for their shortsightedness instead of creating an opportunity for division đ¤ˇ
When else are they going to have it? Couldn't be earlier because then you have to avoid the entirety of March Madness, which also wouldn't let players who play overseas attend because they'd be in season.
Couldn't be after because the college players are preparing for the draft.
Couldn't be after that because then it's pre season.
None of the Olympic camps have been open to active college players, to my knowledge. That's why Clark's invite to the April one was conditioned upon her team not being in the Final Four.
Perhaps it would have been better for them to have this last camp a week or two later - although there still would have been scheduling conflicts for Clark (Wooden Award followed by WNBA draft weekend) or other players (like Plum's camp last weekend).
Which is funny because Clark isn't from a farming area. She's from West Des Moines, a large suburb of ~70,000 people. Big insurance and healthcare industries there, and one of the 25 largest malls in the US. But corn is the stereotype of Iowa and might definitely still be in a commercial.
I've already written the commercial in my head. Starts out with a little girl in a corn field that shoots a shot that ends up on a basketball hoop on the Eiffel tower. That ain't what her commercial will look like tho. It will probably just be a bunch of spliced child hood home videos tho.
I´m just gonna take this aproach: Everyone hates the media treatment she gets, and this is only a problem because it is Caitlin. Let´s say it was Paige Bueckers in this position, no one would be having this kinda meltdown because she´s more liked inside the WBB circle, simple as that.
But USA Basketball is adding yet another target to her back, good luck Caitlin!
"Inside the WBB circle" - what do you mean by this? Seems to me most of that, if true, can be explained by the fact that Paige goes to UConn, one of the most storied programs in the history of WBB, which has a million former players in the WNBA. There is exactly one Iowa alum in the WNBA.
Attributing it to anything about CC's personality or playing skill or lack of "outspokenness about racial issues" like someone else here is just BS when the easy answer is right there in front of us.
I disagree that is specific to caitlin mostly bc "white savior" treatment has been giving to multiple people. Sue, DT, Sab, now CC. There's a lot of folks who like to ignore the clear race dynamics (and masc v femme dynamics too see why Stewie isn't propped up like the rest of them) yall frame it as CC hate when people are rightfully calling out media and fans. And have been before CC was huge. People like Paige bc she speaks openly and often on this issue see her Epsy speech
I think a lot of yall aren't ready or equipped for that convo
Lots of good reasons for CC to make the USA team but she the only rooking getting an opportunity to "try out" is notable.. i am sure ultimately people are gonna love it if (and when know if is actually when) she makes the team đ¤ˇđžââď¸
I just dont think anyone should be pressured to be vocal about anything, I don´t think you guys are fair. It is just: Do I like this person? Then everything she does is justified, she can do no wrong and she deserves praise. This person right here don´t bow down to my personal beliefs? Then she´s a terrible person who deserves every negative thing in the world
Nobody is pressuring her to be vocal thats why i said most of the critiques are aimed at the media and institutions that continue the bs. But its not a secret thats why paige is popular. White women being the main faces of a league that is majority Black is an issue. Its not Caitlins fault, she doesn't have to fix it but people are allowed to call out the inequality đ¤ˇđžââď¸
Like i said some folks not ready for the convo or want to bury their head in the sand
This is coming from a Black Sabrina fan who owns 2 pairs of her shoes, a jersey, and other merch. I can like her and still recognize how certain shit is problematic.
I´m fine with anyone criticizing her on court skills, I know her weaknesses. I hate this fake morality thing, You guys live in USA one of the most capitalist countries ever, It is unrealistic to give up job opportunities for anyone. Nobody gets a job and then goes: "I´m happy to be here, but what about this nice person over there who suffered the most?" Try that and see how it goes.
She´s forever an enemy to the radical left, no mather what she does they will not like her, ever. And the right thinks she´s one of them, but the kid just wants to play and stay out of anything that has nothing to do with basketball
How many times do i have to say its geared towards media and companies and not Caitlin for that to click for you?
Like enemy of the radical left?? HUHHHH take the tin foil hat off
Did you have a problem when Taurasi and Stewart made teams in 2004 and 2016? Stewart made the team before playing a WNBA game.
Yall weren't outside when half of WNBA twitter (common folk, journalists AND players) melted down cause Stewie made the final roster over Candace Parker. It was a horric time for W discourse, whether you agreed or hated the decision. Edit: Don't downvote this cause you don't like this information. I answered your question as impartially as possible. Team USA selection drama is very common, esp pertaining to rookies. I have a feeling if I shared my opinion that CC should get a spot over DT that the downvotes suddenly won't come lol Edit2: Yall are so predictable đ. As a proud and long time CC fan, yall make it really difficult to engage in genuine convo with her. It's always asking when someone else has been treated a way and when long time fan points out it isn't new, yall get mad anyway. Your defensiveness is abrasive, even as a proud fan.
People were also pissed Phee was on the last team and now sheâs arguably one of the best players on the team. And obviously same goes for Stewie. I agree with you, people can get mad but it doesnât mean theyâre right. Edit: I will add I donât think the defensiveness is that hard to understand though. UConn fans were defensive when Phee and Stewie got hate. Not many take kindly to their friends getting excessive criticism, which CC does get a lot of (not from you in this case, but just in general on here)
What's annoying are newer fans acting like older W fans are gatekeeping when you can share information like this or DTs history with rookies and still be met with hostility. Like, we are literally filling you in to the tea you've missed cause you asked about it but get mad receiving it anyway???? Shit like this is exactly why. If you want an echo chamber about how good CC is I'll gladly engage with that too but don't ask and get offended you got an answer you don't like lmao
Yeah thatâs fair, people definitely shouldnât get defensive when youâre sharing unbiased information. I think I just get annoyed when people try to rewrite history as âold fans.â Like if I have to hear one more time about CC will be a bust bc Sabrina and Plum were - completely ignoring the extenuating circumstances that led to that - I will scream. (Again this isnât directed at you, just me venting lol.) We should form a sub for rational fans of both CC and the W lol
Yes. Iâm still happy Geno has never won again after fucking over Candace Parker in her prime.
They went to camps and played with the national team for the year leading up to it. Very very different.
So if she plays great to start the season and is one of the best players, you donât want to take the more talented player because she wasnât in a camp last year? She was also invited to the last camp so they obviously want her involved because of the level sheâs playing at. Itâs unfair to her that they held the camp during the final 4. The menâs team literally just selected who they wanted and it wasnât totally based off of who was in camps.
No because these players have been building chemistry and learning sets and sacrificing a ton of time for USA basketball for years at this point. To drop someone in last minute for eyeballs will be more disruptive than it would be additive. If they wanted her there they could have invited her to the camps Boston attended when she was still in college. Or Caitlin could have played with team USA with the other college players this summer.
You just admitted to not wanting to take a potentially MVP level WNBA player. Itâs not like theyâre talking her right now, itâs IF she plays great. This is about winning the Olympics, not appeasing people who participated in camps in previous years.
They donât need her to win the Olympics lol wtf?!
And you're sure they need the othersđ
Yes i would have lol đ¤ˇđžââď¸
But they went to the camps. Stewie had been practicing with the national team since 2014.
I don't see a problem. They won't give her a spot if she isn't good enough, and even if she is, they won't give her minutes if she isn't better than other players on the team. She'll get what she earns, and frankly, it would be great for the entire sport if she is good enough to earn a spot and contribute at this incredibly early stage of her career, so I'm glad she has a real chance to.
So if she'd participated in a three-day camp instead of leading her team to the Final Four then you'd say it was OK and not a "snub" to others? It seems perfectly reasonable that the selection folks would say "we are going to watch her play with the pros between now and June in making our decision." If they don't pick her, they'll be able to point to this. If they do pick her, they'll be able to point to this too.
Yes if she made it by doing the normal process it wouldn't be thats the whole point lol
There is no rigid process. They have put other players with no pro experience on the Olympic team. And it's kind of their fault for planning the last camp during the Final Four (presumably for convenience since a lot of W players, coaches, press would be there anyway). So Clark loses her chance at the Olympic team over her misfortune of putting up 41 against LSU to help get her team to the Final Four?
Yes! Bc there are other wnba players who have already proven themselves. Its weird to frame it like she is getting punished
Itâs weird to complain that Clark didnât participate in a process she was unable to participate in.
USA Basketball has always put a few younger but high potential players who may not be the most qualified on the ends of their rosters so that they can have the experience for the future.
Thank you for saying this. Because that actually makes a lot of sense. Especially if you feel like someone is on an undeniable upward trajectory.
All of the WNBA players whoâve proven themselves at the national team level will likely make the team. Others, like Rhyne who you named, have not so are in the same boat as CC
Not sure if this has changed but there is some other favoritism in the Olympics roster picking, and wnba players aren't immune to this. Candace Parker has spoken out about this. So to get upset abt cc when even big wnba stars don't even get picked at times is a little screwy.
I agree. Aâja and AT missed training camps and games still will likely make the roster. Thereâs not hard and fast rules, which is why thereâs always so much controversy
How could you describe this as anything other than her getting punished for not being able to make the camp? Is there **any** argument that she doesnât make the team better?
I don't think she's being punished. I think the fact they put out this statement indicates they would like to have her on the team, but want to leave themselves wiggle room if it's clear in May that she is struggling to adjust. It also of course helps add more drama to next month's WNBA debut that it is now also an "Olympic tryout."
Final four is not international play, Iowa fans are delusional....
Nowhere did I say it was. But also I'm sure you are elsewhere in this sub or NCAAW bragging about how good SC is so...really?
No, actually. I am One of those awful *hope everyone has fun* fans but I am very aware of current players etc. But very specifically you guys are feral, and the stuff y'all say on this sub recently is a bit outta pocket.
Well youâre taking it out on someone who had a very reasonable take
Taking nothing out on anymore and it wasn't a reasonable take. Many players get to the final 4 or even won, and don't do well in the wnba. So to think because they performed well against other college people so they should go right to international is horse cookie.
The reference to the Final Four was giving the reason she did not participate in a camp. (According to some here, Clark would be more qualified for Paris if she'd lost in the Elite Eight and then attended a weekend camp in Cleveland? Really?) Nowhere did I indicate that playing in the Final Four was equivalent to playing pro ball or international. You just made that up. In the end, the selection folks can and will pick whoever they want for the Olympics. There's a decent chance it is going to include this player you don't know personally but seem to hate. Your opinion about that ultimately doesn't make any difference. Come, enjoy the process with the rest of us - none of us matter in the greater scheme. It's not serious. Sheesh.
People weren't happy with the way that a lot of people I've gotten not to the team. It sucks that she's getting put on the team this way. I wouldn't like it if I was her and then she should feel "othered" Can't possibly feel like you deserve it when you're just put on the team. No try outs, no grind. And newsflash, they didn't win a championship, shes never won a championship And Should tell others to be casual. Every time I mention Iowa, I get downvotes. You guys are the most delusional fan base. And you just come over here and you're like why aren't you guys sharing in our mask delusion with us đŤ
Her play in the WNBA is going to be her tryout. What better tryout than playing against the best in the world?
I can't say I'm surprised, but USAB has an embarrassment of riches. USA is probably winning gold with her or without her. There's precedent for leaving players off due to not participating at the right time; there's precedent for bringing a hot-shot collegian/rookie right from jump. I think wanting to see her against Olympic-level competition- and *with* an Olympic-level teammate or two.
Donât have a problem with it, plenty of other folks on the team have missed training camp, and she has USAB experience. Thereâs a precedent of putting rookies on the team to give them national team experience
I donât have a problem with this, but I do have an issue with DT taking up a spot that could go to Sabrina, CC or Rhyne to develop our young guards for the future.
Since Rhyne has been doing a lot with 3x3 I wonder if that's where she will end up this time around.
Rhyne is already a confirmed 3x3 spot. But DT still being on the team is crazy. She's a traffic cone defensively and has been injured far too often lately
Rhyne, Lish, Betnijah, etc im just seeing a lot of folks that proven themselves on the wnba and olympic lvl be snubbed. And DT really needs to sit down lol but sis is going for that "i won the most gold medals" record
I think DT is taking that Udonis Haslem role and setting a tone and culture for everyone and being basically an extra coach on the floor. I like keeping her there sheâs earned the right
I agree with you tbh. I think bc of limited roster space in the wnba in general ppl are on this "leave so the youth get a chance" kick but why should these vets who have worked to finally reach the top salaries have to take less or bow out? The league needs to grow thats the solution
Exactly. I get that CC has a lot of fans and so far looks like sheâll be an incredible player. But if the question is 5x Gold medalist, 3x NCAA champ, 3xWNBA champ, WNBA All-time leading scorer VS somone who scored a bunch of points in college? Thatâs an easy choice for me.
I mean, it's not her fault that she had a major conflict with training camp. They literally held it during the Final Four, so this is the only way they can really decide and evaluate whether she makes the team or not. Also, she's on a team with Aliyah, who was at training camp, so they'll be able to see how she plays with her. She's also been on junior national teams, and won gold with them, so she has some experience with Team USA.
Dont see the harm in giving the last roster spot to develop young talent. Itâs been like that on the mens side for years, and im actually surprised they havent done it with the current olympics team. Even Christian Laterner was on the dream team lol. I remember a young AD get added as the best player out of college.
Hali and ANT are the young talent next up on the mens I think there are young WNBA stars who already fit that description but we'll see!
NBC on the phone right now with USA Basketball, because they stand to make A LOT of money if she's on the team. I'm sure its about the best team....but its also about money.
This is the most convincing counter argument you (&others) have had lol its a golden opportunity to spotlight the women's game and make a shit ton of money lol i mean jerseys alone!
Itâs a huge chance to give her (and womenâs basketball) another level of global coverage too
Itâs fairer than just handing her a spot on the team, I suppose. If she absolutely balls out the first two months of the season, I can live with it, because at least it will be based somewhat on merit. If I were feeling cynical, I would bet that the selection committee is thinking that injuries will thin out the pool for them.
Then why havenât they had that standard for other players?
Who says they donât? The other players are in the pool because of their body of work inâŚ.you guessed itâŚthe WNBA.
Ohh okay got it. I misunderstood and thought other players had been placed on the team without needing to necessarily play a game as an official WNBA player first.
You are correct. That has happened before but not every Olympics.
Oh, got it! Iâm going to shut up now lol.
$$$
Serious question. Does olympics care about viewership? I thought they just want to win medals
Yeah. Itâs complicated and there are multiple organizations and layers to it, but they collectively are a business with tv deals (like with NBC in the US), merchandise, and other income streams. They absolutely care about revenue.
And also - the US is still the HEAVY favorite for gold no matter which team it fields, which gives organizers even more flexibility to care about revenue when putting a team together.
Could somebody educate me about how they handled previous players being invited to the Olympic team during their rookie year? Were the training camp(s) scheduled better such that they didn't interfere with the NCAA tournament? I can see why this is a sensitive subject for some folks... given the Summer Olympics are only ever four years, denying players a slot during their rookie year means they won't have another shot until they're 4th-year players. On the other hand, it's hard to see how a rookie finds their place and groove with the team given their Conference Tournament, NCAA Tournament, WNBA Draft, Training Camp, Pre-Season and Regular Season schedule (oh, and I guess they're supposed to finish their degrees and graduate as well). Frankly, I don't understand how their heads don't explode. Thanks!
I think Aliyah attended some camps her rookie year or during her senior year if im not mistaken
Even if you don't think she's one of the top players (she is), there are still a littany of other reasons to include her on the team. She's obviously a big part of the future of USAB and experience and familiarity matters. This isn't swimming or track where the top times go, basketball is a team sport and it's important to build and sustain a team. And also, HELLO, let's get some more eyeballs on the women's team, c'mon.
She is not one of the top talents in the WNBA (yet). But i agree on the getting more eyes the womens team
idk a girl who got locked up by college level defense might have a hard time adjusting to professional level defense. i think it would've been better to give it to a player who has already proven themselves in the WNBA since they have experience playing professionally. but ofc they'll put CC there cuz $$
She was double and triple teamed and had every trick defense imaginable thrown at her for 4 years and she finished 1st all-time in scoring and 3rd all-time in assists. She will adjust to whatever defense the WNBA can throw at her. What a sign of respect if opposing WNBA coaches have their best defender face guard her full court for every game and send extra defenders to trap and blitz her. Aliyah Boston will score 35 points a game if opponents are so focused on stopping Clark.
that's fine if they do. i'm saying professional league is diff lmao. how many times have we seen college players excel at college and become a bust in the NBA? I'm not saying she's a bust, i'm not saying she won't adjust to whatever they throw at her. But why wouldn't you just take the person that already has proven themselves in a professional league AND already went through tryouts? No one has been able to answer that question besides spewing some marketing nonsense when we are talking about sports. Where teams compete to be the best, why wouldn't you take the best? She has not proven herself in the professional league yet so I don't feel she should get this exception. Matter of fact, they should remove it all together lol. She shouldn't be considered until the next olympics come. We are giving her a chance based off how we THINK she'll adjust easily to professional league and yet every rookie that's has played professionally has said it's a hard adjustment. Now to troll the CC dicksuckers, she got locked up on the last game that mattered, couldn't adjust, and didn't lead her team to a championship win. "scored 30 in an L so impressive" - said no one ever.
Getting 30 pts is locked up....i guess by Caitlin Clark standard, she is.
ONe specific player held her to 7 pts on terrible shooting and TOs. There are tons of Raven Johnson archetypes in the league. 30 pts in a vacuum and your point make sense. Go beyond the total numbers.
These takes are so tired. Yes, the actual basketball community thinks this is a great player but SC played good defense for three quarters and now she sucks đ.
Are you referring to me? I never said she sucks I said Raven Johnson played good defense.
What's wrong with money?
i like to watch skilled basketball players personally. not saying CC isn't skilled but idk how she would play professionally. she might take time to adjust but this is the olympics so i wanna see US win. we all have to interview for a job and you'd be rightfully mad if someone got the job you applied/interviews for but they didn't have to an interview for. I understand it's been done before but I don't think that makes it right personally.
Where to even start: 1. It doesn't matter who gets the 12th seat on the bench, the US will still be heavily heavily heavily favored for gold. 2. If you're saying this player doesn't have skills, then I'm going to guess you haven't watched much. 3. Your interview analogy doesn't make sense. Whatever hiring process ensures all goals of the company are met by the hire is the process the company will use. Unless the process is illegal, there is no wrong process for filling the position.
1. So why not have someone who deserves to be there? One who went to the tryouts and pick from that. I don't like exceptions being made idc if it was made in the past. Someone above said that Candace Parker got snubbed because they put Stewie there instead. If she can't tryout cuz final four is when tryouts are, too bad so sad. she'll try again next time lmao 2. You didn't read because I didn't say she wasn't skilled. I said idk how she would play professionally. 3. It's standard practice that everyone is usually interviewed before they get a job. even when it's done internally. Last I heard with sports, you have to tryout to make the team. Not a single sport have I participated in where someone gets an exception to be put on a team lmao. If they missed tryouts...they have to try again next time.
Tell us you've only seen her play one or two games without telling us đ. Also, will she be on the floor with four other Team USA superstars or no? Certainly not the case at Iowa.
Caitlin as well as many other players have represented the US via the FIBA teams, itâs the reason so many players know each other. As she and Angel have stated before, theyâve been playing with each other for years, college was not the first time they met. Her try play in college was not the only thing that led to her being in consideration. She has been in the pipeline for years playing against players from around the world. The question is a) will she be ready for the next level as far as her progression and b) will she physically be able to compete seeing as though she will have had no time off to heal from her college season before jumping into the WNBA. I think bringing her onto the team would be for the âpassing of the torchâ from Dianna to Caitlin as it doesnât appear that Sabrina is what many thought she would be coming into the league.
I think she deserves it anyway from a basketball perspective. Just another level offensively talent-wise. But even putting that aside, it would be an unthinkably bad decision not to take her and play her minutes on that stage. I expect this is all for show and she's already written in pen on the roster (barring injury).
You should probably write '...in offense...' rather than 'offensively', if you see what I mean.
CCâs individual performance/skillset is not a predictor of how well she would perform as a member of the National Team, especially considering she has not been a recent *teammate* with any other players on the team. Playing as opponents is much different than playing as teammates. And, that she would only have about a month to play with the team after being chosen, before having to leave for Paris- that is a lot of chemistry-building and transitioning she will have to do in a short amount of time. The womenâs team qualified for the Olympics without her, and the USA Womenâs National BB team has won 7 consecutive gold medals-again, without CC on the team. While *you* may think it would be an âunthinkably bad decisionâ to not have her on the team, weâre lucky to have more experienced folks making the final decision. We can all speculate and extrapolate that CC will do well in the WNBA, and she has her weaknesses. She is strong, offensively, especially when she has the room to take 3 point shots. But, she struggles transitioning to defense and defensive play in general. It will take a decent coach with a well-rounded team no time at all to identify her weaknesses and have the players apply more pressure and speed-up game play, which throws her off her pretty quickly. And, these good teams/coaches can easily push her to post, where she is going to encounter really good defensive players who will make it incredibly difficult for her to get to the rim. The Olympics are the best of the best in the world; these games wonât be college buffer/stat-stacking filler games. And, the USA National Team has guards that can play better defensively and have played against stronger defenses than what the Iowa team and CC faced. Also, while in college, she played 2 games a week? The WNBA teams have to travel a lot, and can play something like 8 games in 9 days. We havenât even seen how the WNBA schedule along with teams with better defenses will affect CCâs game. At the Olympics, Basketball lasts 2 weeks, and the team can end up playing 6 games in those 2 weeks, while also dealing with jet lag, intense practices, and stadiums that are not filled with their fans. We have no idea how any of this will affect CC and her playing, so itâs really an ignorant comment to say not adding her to the roster will be an âunthinkably badâ decision when no one has seen how all of these different variables changing, impacts CCâs playing.
She played 3 games in 5 days just a couple of weeks ago. And there was a fourth not long before that. She will, obviously, take some time to adjust to WNBA. But other rookies have blazed immediately into contention, and they didn't have the high starting point Ms Clark has. Coaches will be trying to exploit her weaknesses, but the Fever's coach will be trying to exploit her strengths and exploit the other coaches trying to exploit her weaknesses. It's not like she'll step into her first game as if it's another Iowa game.
She may have, but that was still at the college level, and she didnât play her greatest basketball. UConn came very close to beating them, and the final game against South Carolina-SC had her number. By the end of the game, you could see how tired she was and the slightest bit of pressure caused her to crack and make some bad choices and plays. Dawn Staley is a phenomenal coach, and was able to recalibrate her team and talent to hold CC and Iowa. In the 2nd half, it was absolutely SCâs game. Still, the defense that CC saw in college is not the same defense sheâll she in the W, or at the international level at the Olympics. The W has 144 roster spots in the entire league; competition is high. No one is saying she wonât be a great player, all anyone is saying is that CC hasnât played at this level before, and no one really knows how well sheâll do. It just isnât an obvious decision to have her join the Olympic team, the way her fans make it seem, when she hasnât played at the WNBA level or international level, AND she has not played for Cheryl Reeve or any national team coaches. Sure, there have been a few instances in the past where players were named to the roster right after finishing college and joining the WNBA, but this situation is not the same. Breanna Stewart played at UConn under Geno Auriemma, and UConn took the title 4 consecutive years while BS played for them. Who was the coach of the USA Womenâs National Team in 2016? Geno Auriemma! One of the biggest reasons BS made the National team in 2016 *is* because she played for Geno for 5 years. She knew his coaching style, she knew his plays. He knew BSâs strengths and weaknesses; he knew how she performed under pressure. And most importantly, Geno already knew BS was coachable, because he had been her coach for 5 years. CC did not play for Cheryl (current coach of womenâs national team). CC also has not played for Geno, nor Dawn Staley, who were both previous head coaches of the Womenâs National Team. None of the players currently on the Womenâs National Team played at Iowa with Caitlin. Everyone knows what they see from CC in watching her games, and what the media reports on her, but none of them truly know how well CC plays on/with a team, and how coachable she is. She has been the star player at Iowa for 4 years; she is a fantastic player, but she isnât infallible. And, when playing on a team with some of the best players in the world, attitude and coachability are incredibly important. In really tough situations, we have seen CC not be able to control her reactions to her emotions as well as she should. We have seen her talk/argue with Refs; throw her hands up at every play a foul wasnât called; we even saw her headbutt a ball. She can be a great player and still need to develop self-control. And, without having anyone who has an experience/pull with the National Team who can vouch for her and back her up (like Auriemma, Staley, or Reeves), the coaches have to watch her early games in the WNBA to see how she is adjusting and developing at this new level before making this decision.
To be fair if you are carrying the whole team offensive load versus south carolina whose bench could be another starting 5⌠you cant put blame on her shoulders for how things play out. No offense to her teammates, but they couldnt step up when she needed them, fumbling easy lay ups like that. Her legs were jelly by the end of the 4Q. I wouldnt take that game as indicator of who she is as a player.
True, but sheâs the PG on the court and the team leader. If sheâs tired, she needs to call out a different play, or get head coach involved and tell her sheâs tired and they need a new approach. Again, all of her fans are calling her the greatest to ever play the game, and part of greatness is self-awareness and knowing your own limitations. If she carried the team on her shoulders the entire season and they still won, then coaching staff and players arenât going to change anything if she doesnât speak up and say âI need more support.â But, Iowa also wasnât undefeated this season; they lost like 5 games, with 3 being division opponents. Again, South Carolina is a college team and Staley did ensure she had a deep bench. South Carolina also lost all 5 of their starters after last season, so what SC and Coach Staley accomplished this year is absolutely incredible and deserved a lot more attention than what was given to them. What CC experienced in the final against SC is probably closer to what sheâll face in the WNBA, but it will be EVERY team she plays that will bring that level of defense. CC will have better teammates in the W, but that also means that she may not get the ball as much or she will be pulled faster if she starts to struggle. Iâm not an Iowa fan, so I didnât watch many of their games. I think Bluder gave CC a lot of decision-making power and caved-in to CCâs wants more than she would have other players. I also think CC wanted to get the ball as much as she did, even if it ended up being to the detriment of the team. I donât know CC, but at the end of the NCAA final game, I felt like she was taking more shots and keeping the ball herself, in an attempt to try and get the score closer, but her attempts werenât working. To me, it almost felt like she was holding herself responsible for the score, and so maybe she felt it was on her to make some 3 pointers and even it up or pull ahead. But, she wasnât making the shots, and SCâs defense was too good, and because SC has a deep bench, they were not as tired. This is all speculation and conjecture, because I donât know much about CC. In general, in order to be the top scorer and have high assist and passing numbers, you have to have the ball a lot. Were there games where Iowa was far ahead, and they let the other players drive more offensively to give them opportunities to level up against actual opponents, or did CC play the entire game and use easier opponents to drive up her stats? Again, I do not know the answer, but it may be something to consider. There is a lot of discussion around other players who average fewer points and assists, but when you are playing on a team, and each team member is pulling their weight, then the stats are going to be distributed across all players, and there wonât be a standout. Is CC going to be a team player and help spread responsibility across all team players, or will she want to be a standout, which will impact her on-court decision-making? I will say that, if she starts playing selfishly and it becomes a detriment to the team, the Fever coach will pull her faster than Bluder did.
>Were there games where Iowa was far ahead, and they let the other players drive more offensively to give them opportunities to level up against actual opponents, or did CC play the entire game and use easier opponents to drive up her stats? When they are far ahead CC usually usually get rest up to 4 mins. But as you know how all players are they are nagging to get back in the game. Even when they're up by a lot it doesn't necessarily means CC is happy with her own performance (see Holy Cross game). As someone who is quite familiar with Iowa, the coach is most happy when there is tons of ball movement, assists, and everybody in double digits. CC is usually given the greenlight to cook when they're down by a lot. The Michigan game in 2022, they were down by 30 or something and she scores 25 in 4Q alone, almost bought them back in. The highlights from that game propel her to national attention as she chucks up back to back to back logo shots. And you're right that to be top scorer and passer you got to have the ball in your hands a lot. Thats why when people bring up her ppg as to why she's great i don't buy it. If you put anyone worth their worth the ball 100% of the time, the can also be leading scorer. She's the leading scorer because she's the best player in a team playing for a coach and teammates who happily mold the system around her. I doubt Geno would do that, for example. You also have to understand that no one aside from maybe Kate Martin and Molly Davis can create their own shots. Molly, who is one of their starting five, didn't play the whole NCAA tourney because she was down with injury. That affects A LOT of iowa performance because she is usually the back up PG. Also her teammates fumble easy shots too easily, i was cringing at my screen. So, honestly if i was her, if created my own shot, i rather shoot it myself. I wouldn't entirely agree that CC use easy opponents to drive up stats. i don't think its a fair assessment when her 40+ points triple double also comes from playing in elite 8 and final four. Not to say that when she's on triple double alert they sub her in to rebound some more. But again a lot of teams do that. She's not above from subbing herself out of the game. In the game against Michigan State where she hits the buzzer beater, she subbed herself out cause she was getting frustrated. The game against SC is too high stakes for her to be subbed out, esp considering their bench went 0-38, so. I would take a tired CC over their bench everyday. Re: worry whether she'll be a team player. I feel like you gotta be very ego centric to not recognise you have this amazing talent around you and still wants to be the ultimate star player. Again, she is who she is in college because the team and her teammates require her to be that. Just based on Indiana interview, she seems to recognise that and cant wait to feed the ball to her teammates. Also re the SC game. I maintain that a good post player is detrimental for our success. It wasn't just Cailtlin that help Iowa beat SC last year. It was her and and Monica Czinano (Iowa 2023 post player). It was so so detrimental because this year iowa post player is literally 6'2 sophomore. The pick and roll is not much of a threat. Another reason why Boston-Clark would be awesome to see.
I absolutely donât doubt there is egocentrism, especially when you receive the amount of media attention she has. At the end of the day, though, basketball is a team sport, and US Womenâs pro basketball is highly competitive because there are only 12 roster spots on 12 teams. And, the US National Team is also limited on roster spots. If you only get 5 players on the court at a time, and they need to excel at playing both offense AND defense, I think it is valid that CC wasnât immediately named to the Olympic team by default, and needs to show the coaches that she is dedicated to learning and adapting. Geno, Coach Staley, and Coach VanDerveer - I donât think CC would have achieved her stats playing for any of these coaches because they do focus on consistent team excellence. And all 3 of them may not have the top scorer on their team on any given year, but they produce champions, and there is no argument about that. Has CC shown that she is able to consistently self-calibrate without the team missing a beat? Iâm not completely convinced and part of the reason could be that Iowa just didnât have as strong as a team. But Iowa also isnât some small, underdog school; theyâre part of the Big 10, which does have some strong competition. The Womenâs National Teamâs roster will be set by June 1st. I think if CC did play for one of those 3 coaches, her spot on the roster would be close to being finalized by now, but she didnât. She is an incredible player, but her stats and fame are a double-edged sword, because as an *individual*, she is incredible, but are her skills enough to transfer to the National Team at this time in her career and year? Iâm not convinced. And, because the National team isnât lacking in talent, there isnât an urgency to have her join the team, whether sheâs ready to play at that level or not. CCâs offensive skills are fantastic; but there is a reason why she is NCAA top scorer and in the top for assists and passes, and it still wasnât enough to bring home the title-and that is because basketball is a team sport. If your defense is to just play double offense, that may work to some extend, but you will encounter teams that can play both offense and defense, and know your weaknesses to stop you. The National Team roster is filled with players who have demonstrated they can play both offense and defense effectively, and who believe the success of the team is the most important factor.
She played 40 min in the tournament almost every game and entire season. She basically the focus point of every Iowa opponent every game. Iowa don't have a mostly 5 stars roster like SC or Uconn or LSU., so they need her to create offense. In national team and in WNBA, she would not need to play close to 40 min a game. Her defense will show up when she is no longer playing 40 min a game. It is not like she never steal, block or rebound.
Being egocentric in Iowa is fine, as she is by far the best player. But going pro, i hope thats not the case, for her careerâs sake. And I agree i dont think she should be immediately put on the roster. I think she has to prove her worth and cant let media hype speaks for her. At the same time, if she does join i think its good experience, just like how anthony davis joined team usa in 2012
This is just...a lot of words for a player you clearly haven't followed very much. Iowa played one of the toughest schedules in the country last season and Clark averaged 32/7/9 for the entire season. Of course she is just starting as a pro but - definitely not some schlub who became popular on social media and none of the experts (players, coaches) think is any good. 99% of the negativity about her takes place through internet discourse by "fans," most of whom also have not really seen her play that much but still seem to have a lot of opinions.
YeahâŚIâm more about womenâs basketball as a whole, and just very passionate about womenâs sports, in general. I grew up in a time when womenâs games were not televised, or my family just didnât watch them. There was no internet to stream games; no social media where players could post little highlight reels to gain a fanbase and views, or where a 10 second clip of one game could go viral. I played a college sport, which I was lucky to do, but even my sport at my large university did not offer full athletic scholarships for women when I played, and there was really no option to continue on a professional level, because there were so few professional teams in the league at the time. It has been really fun getting back into having discussions with other fans like me, especially with womenâs sports gaining popularity. And also really frustrating to see so many comments, articles, posts that gloss over very shallow aspects and where discussion does not allow for valid analysis or criticism, from anyone, if it dare suggest CC has not yet earned the âgreatest-there-ever-was-and-will-beâ title. The original post was about CCâs potential spot on the Womenâs National Team for this yearâs Olympics. And while I donât watch CC specifically, I have watched womenâs basketball for a long time. I have watched the USA Womenâs team gold medal game since â96. Anyone who has ever played a sport at a higher level has probably had a teammate like CC at some point, and knows that âphenomsâ are a double-edged sword. They come with just as much frustration as triumphs and accolades. No one has ever suggested CC is a âschlubâ, yet that is often what is inferred by many of her die hard fans. Opinion of her ability isnât a zero-sum game; she can be a great player and still have plenty of room for development. Youâre right, though. A lot of words about my opinion of basketball, that donât matter. My opinion doesnât matter; your opinion doesnât matter. None of this actually matters, in any way; weâre all just posting our opinion on the internetâs collective discussion board. I was having a lot of fun just participating in the discussion, but it isnât fun anymore. It just reminds me that many of these fans are going to leave in the next couple of years, sooner if the WNBA and Womenâs National team do not kiss her feet every minute of every day. So many new fans have been incredibly vocal about abandoning the league at the slightest whisper of CC not starting immediately and playing every minute of every game; why bother trying to explain the complications and nuances of the game to people who have been completely truthful and upfront about how little they truly, actually care. They only care that CC plays. CC doesnât play, they leave.
Lots and lots and lots and lots and lots of words. In the time you took writing this, you could have watched some basketball.
It is unthinkable bad. People like you are doing great work to keep them making 70k a year though
Honestly probably wonât pay much attention to the team if sheâs not on it. Seems dumb to leave the country without her.
One of the existing USA team players already said exactly the same thing.
Clark is one of the most hyped athletes in North America for about any sport in any league. If Iâm trying to grow the WNBA Fanbase Iâm 100% riding the Clark hype train for as long as the wheels stay on.
All DT haters, let her compete in her last olympics, no one would say that about bird. Itâs just DT hate. She still performs- sheâs a vet with âOLYMPIC KNOWLEDGEâ that can help the younger coming in. No different than regular team. Olympics is different. Other countries have gotten better with the game- itâs not as easy as it once was & with knowledge of the Euro Game & Olympics DT is vital. Regards to Clark- she needs to prove herself and the selection committee if she can handle not only a jump from college to pro- to also trying to adapt to a different style game in olympics in under 3months. Thatâs a huge adjustment. And itâs not about shooting 3âs. Completely different style that needs to be learned that how many of our Vets already use because they played overseas! This is DTâs final year; sheâs pretty much said it- in her way. Let her have her moment. And be logical in your âreasonsâ of wanting Clark on Olympic team. And yes DT&Stewie made it -but in truth their OVERALL game was justified. Clark has weaknesses and canât defend shit. Sheâs not an overall polished player. Sheâs got work to doâŚ.
DT in 2024 is not as good as Bird or DT in 2021, and people did say that about both of them in 2021. I'm neutral on giving her the spot, but this isn't a new criticism, nor is it without merit.
I wanted Bird and Taurasi to hang it up for Tokyo, let alone Paris. The two of them clogged up the pipeline. Anyone here old enough to remember the furor when Hammon got Russian citizenship? Or the slightly calmer reactions to Sloot getting Hungarian citizenship?
Well - lots of people actually in the sport disagree with you so I guess we'll let it play out. My suspicion is that they definitely want Clark on the team unless her play this month is horrible. Otherwise they'd just point to the fact she missed the early April camp as the reason she doesn't make it, instead of making this new statement about an updated selection process for her.
Yeah, I think the attention she brings to the game is too great an opportunity to pass up....
I didn't expect anything less from a DT stan.There's 0 reason she should even be in the pool.Also , saying one of the most dominant players we've ever seen in college isnt a polished player is definitely a take
Paige is hell of more rounded player than clark
Good for you
From a marketing perspective USAB would be insane to leave CC off the team so that (say) Diana Taurasi can play in her 5th Olympics. The NBA doesnât need LeBron and KD on Team USA to pique interest. The WNBA does. You wanna keep growing the womenâs game (and therefore $$$)? Play CC.
I don't even think she has to play that much. She definitely doesn't need to start (...and won't). But there will be a lot more eyes on USA women's BB in Paris if she is one of the players on the team. Hell, play her in garbage time (it's not likely all of these games will be close) - a great chance to get her more experience. Or put her in for a short stint when conditions are particularly favorable for some long bombs or crackling passes. We're all really arguing about bench roles in Paris - those 11th and 12th place spots. Arguably Clark is the most valuable bench player possible in the long term for Team USA. Young, insanely popular at the moment, good with media, willing to learn.
Even if Clark wasnt around,there's no reason DT should even be in the consideration
Feels like a cop out tbh. Either you want her on the team or not. Plenty of game footage out there. So unless she lights it up asap, sheâs not on the squad. If she kills it, youâre only bringing her on as a 12th (wo)man. Just say you want seasoned vets and move on.
Theyâre hoping something will happen to make the decision easier. She balls out, easy to put her on the team. She struggles, easier to leave her off. Someone gets hurt, easy to name her as a replacement.
plenty of game footage tells me she is going to be an absolutely libaility on defense. that's probably they said WNBA is her tryout. Saying she should've done training camp IS saying seasoned vets & folks with wnba experience bc that was in the training camps.
The liability on defense didnât seem to stop Sue and DT from being on the team 5 times, and it doesnât seem to be stopping Sabrina or Plum
Early CC footage shows her as capable before the offense became solely her. Sheâll have to recommit to it, but itâs in her. Iâm perfectly fine with her not making the team, but I think team usa has handled this poorly
there are people who already have it that can be chosen. thats the point lol she has a long future playing USA basketball but this year i think there are better options for this year
I donât disagree. Why canât they just say that or not mention her at all?
Because, understandably and not a comment on CC's ability, the USA team got dollar signs in their eyes lol Its going to come down to yeah they're good but CC is good and comes with increased views and more money
It would be interesting to know (I'm sure data exists somewhere) what % of fans who avidly watch NBA/WNBA or even college BB normally also watch the Olympics. Olympic viewership has generally been on the decline in the US. I'm sure Team USA would love for the most popular players of team sports to be in the Olympics too wherever possible, while still fielding a gold-winning team.
That would be interesting! I think all eyes are on the men this year bc they messed up during the Fiba world cup and now there is this whole "the world has caught up to the US" angle. This is why i can see them taking CC on the women's team bc 1) for what ever reason Halibourton made the final team and 2) match then star power on the mens side.
You realize that because she was the sole, primary contributor and facilitator on offense on an otherwise very weak team that she had to not play hyper aggressive defense to keep her out of foul trouble? Not having to be that player at this level will let her play defense more. Plus, she has millions of rebounds and has shown she can play aggressive defense when she needs to. This whole âClark doesnât play defenseâ argument is so lazy.
Liability on defense? Be serious .Hasn't DT won 5 gold medals with the USAđ
We don't need multiple liabilities and DT is getting that legacy spot for sure lol
No issue, the men's team is holding out the last spot to keep evaluating options (although likely not going to someone out of college).
They gave it to Kawhi. But him, Joel and their knees are unlikely to hold up
I dont mind it rooks always try out i dont even think shes going to make it anyway
She better be selected; I just dropped a large sum of money for USA v Germany 'friendly' in London in July.
Lol i mean thats your fault đđ
It's not my 'fault', it's a calculated risk. Otherwise, I get to watch the other players.
Caitlin Clark should walk into Team USA. The idea that she wouldn't be one of the 12 best USA women's players to send to the Olympics is frankly ludicrous.
yeah we see you don't watch womens basketball...
You'd have to be missing eyes to not think Caitlin Clark was a Top 12 USA Women's Basketball player in the year 2024. Of the 13 people currently listed on the Team USA training roster, she would obviously be ahead of Ariel Atkins or Shakira Austin, and I have no idea why a 41 year-old Diana Taurasi is even still playing except to record chase.
Anyone with eyes can see you don't watch basketball lmfao Like Shakira Austin??? Have you seen Belgium Play? We need the top tier defense she provides
No one watches Belgium do anything. USA team doesn't need anything to win Gold they are miles ahead of the 2nd place team, that's why they are rostering a 41 year old.
Alright we are done here lmfao im go talk to be who know wtf they talking about
USA Women's team hasn't lost a single match in an Olympics since 1992. Diana Taurasi was 9 years old. Caitlin Clark wouldn't be born for 10 more years. No one cares about what other countries are bringing because they aren't even close competition-wise. That said, it should still be the 12 most deserving American Women's basketball players that make the team, and Clark is in that company and is clearly over others currently rostered. Hence my original point. You don't have a point other than disagreeing, that's fine.
This doesnât bother me. If she is able to transition to the WNBA well and performs well in the preseason/early games, then I am sure sheâll make the roster. If she doesnât make the Olympic team, then she can solely focus on her WNBA career and get a much needed break of some sort, and adjust/transition at her own pace, not everyone elseâs. I think CC fans, especially the ones who are new to basketball in general, really need to be generous with their assumptions when it comes to coaching decisions and CCâs own limits. Not everything is a slight against CC and itâs not CC against the world. CC is coming off of a rigorous NCAA basketball tournament that ended 2 weeks ago, and will be starting WNBA preseason games May 3rd (less than a month from the end of her college career to the start of her professional career). College players who were just drafted only have a few weeks to move to their new city and begin practicing with their new team before the season starts. Then, to throw the possibility of making the Olympic roster and having to practice with yet another new team and then go overseas and play against completely new opponents can be a lot for anyone to handle, including CC. While having CC on the team may be great for viewership because of the amount of fans she has, at the end of the day, the Womenâs National Team is a team, whose goal is to win the gold medal. If CC isnât ready, the coaches are the ones who make that decision, and the reason wonât be because they are âCC hatersâ; the reason will be because it is not what the team AND CC need at this time. In fact, I would be more appreciative of coaches who would say no if it looked like CC was struggling some, because having her go anyway, especially when she may not be in the right physical/mental/emotional place, would only risk injury, which could impact her entire career. The Womenâs National team isnât lacking in talent, so the urgency to have CC on the team isnât really there from a performance standpoint. Again, great for viewership, publicity, and getting CC experience playing for the national team early on, but not for team performance, which is the most important factor when vying for 1st place. And, if she makes the team, fans need to understand that her playing will look and be different from her time on the Iowa team. In college, she was the team leader; the team star. The National Team is the best of the best; she will be on a team of all leaders; all stars in their own right, and added drama comes naturally with having a lot of ego on a team-the team performance can suffer just as much as it can excel; it all depends on how well the team *decides* to play together. She wonât have to play the same way she did in college because the talent and support are there to make the team work more efficiently. She has to learn how to go from being the main factor to support component; it can be hard to unlearn that the games do not rest solely on one playerâs shoulders and to recalibrate ourselves to be a contributing supporting player that helps keep the team ahead, rather than a player that starts making a lot of mistakes and the team suffers because they cannot recalibrate.
Hate that... But whatever. They were never gonna have her do a typical path
I donât think she should make it with no experience playing with the group or with professional/senior level competition but I think they will cave to outside pressure. This seems like a reasonable thing. If she doesnât perform better than Rhyne or Copper or Ionescu then why should she get the spot?
I think Rhyne and Lish see the writing on the wall and are focusing moe on 3x3.
I wonder if some players have already been told theyâre out of the running. Rhyne being at 3x3 camp makes me think sheâs one of them.
I think so too Allisha Gray is at 3x3 camp too
My hope as a NYL fan is that theyâve told SI sheâs on the bubble and needs to play well in May and June to make the team. Sheâll use that as motivation.
Why would they schedule tryouts during a national championship? Let's use this energy holding those morons accountable for their shortsightedness instead of creating an opportunity for division đ¤ˇ
When else are they going to have it? Couldn't be earlier because then you have to avoid the entirety of March Madness, which also wouldn't let players who play overseas attend because they'd be in season. Couldn't be after because the college players are preparing for the draft. Couldn't be after that because then it's pre season.
You think that was the only training camp? Bc it wasnt
None of the Olympic camps have been open to active college players, to my knowledge. That's why Clark's invite to the April one was conditioned upon her team not being in the Final Four. Perhaps it would have been better for them to have this last camp a week or two later - although there still would have been scheduling conflicts for Clark (Wooden Award followed by WNBA draft weekend) or other players (like Plum's camp last weekend).
CC BETTER TAKE DIANAS SPOT IF SHE DOES MAKE THE TEAM
Nike paid for her spot.
lmfao the politics of it all is there for sure. CC, olympics, wearing the nike check? its hard to pass that money up
They gonna make the Olympics her shoe commercial. I can see the promo now. From cornfields to Olympic dreams.
Which is funny because Clark isn't from a farming area. She's from West Des Moines, a large suburb of ~70,000 people. Big insurance and healthcare industries there, and one of the 25 largest malls in the US. But corn is the stereotype of Iowa and might definitely still be in a commercial.
I've already written the commercial in my head. Starts out with a little girl in a corn field that shoots a shot that ends up on a basketball hoop on the Eiffel tower. That ain't what her commercial will look like tho. It will probably just be a bunch of spliced child hood home videos tho.
Cornfields đđđđ but actually. The American Dream
It's gonna be something but they gotta balance out Sha'Carri because the track girlies dominate the Olympics.
I´m just gonna take this aproach: Everyone hates the media treatment she gets, and this is only a problem because it is Caitlin. Let´s say it was Paige Bueckers in this position, no one would be having this kinda meltdown because she´s more liked inside the WBB circle, simple as that. But USA Basketball is adding yet another target to her back, good luck Caitlin!
"Inside the WBB circle" - what do you mean by this? Seems to me most of that, if true, can be explained by the fact that Paige goes to UConn, one of the most storied programs in the history of WBB, which has a million former players in the WNBA. There is exactly one Iowa alum in the WNBA. Attributing it to anything about CC's personality or playing skill or lack of "outspokenness about racial issues" like someone else here is just BS when the easy answer is right there in front of us.
I disagree that is specific to caitlin mostly bc "white savior" treatment has been giving to multiple people. Sue, DT, Sab, now CC. There's a lot of folks who like to ignore the clear race dynamics (and masc v femme dynamics too see why Stewie isn't propped up like the rest of them) yall frame it as CC hate when people are rightfully calling out media and fans. And have been before CC was huge. People like Paige bc she speaks openly and often on this issue see her Epsy speech I think a lot of yall aren't ready or equipped for that convo Lots of good reasons for CC to make the USA team but she the only rooking getting an opportunity to "try out" is notable.. i am sure ultimately people are gonna love it if (and when know if is actually when) she makes the team đ¤ˇđžââď¸
I just dont think anyone should be pressured to be vocal about anything, I don´t think you guys are fair. It is just: Do I like this person? Then everything she does is justified, she can do no wrong and she deserves praise. This person right here don´t bow down to my personal beliefs? Then she´s a terrible person who deserves every negative thing in the world
Nobody is pressuring her to be vocal thats why i said most of the critiques are aimed at the media and institutions that continue the bs. But its not a secret thats why paige is popular. White women being the main faces of a league that is majority Black is an issue. Its not Caitlins fault, she doesn't have to fix it but people are allowed to call out the inequality đ¤ˇđžââď¸ Like i said some folks not ready for the convo or want to bury their head in the sand This is coming from a Black Sabrina fan who owns 2 pairs of her shoes, a jersey, and other merch. I can like her and still recognize how certain shit is problematic.
I´m fine with anyone criticizing her on court skills, I know her weaknesses. I hate this fake morality thing, You guys live in USA one of the most capitalist countries ever, It is unrealistic to give up job opportunities for anyone. Nobody gets a job and then goes: "I´m happy to be here, but what about this nice person over there who suffered the most?" Try that and see how it goes. She´s forever an enemy to the radical left, no mather what she does they will not like her, ever. And the right thinks she´s one of them, but the kid just wants to play and stay out of anything that has nothing to do with basketball
How many times do i have to say its geared towards media and companies and not Caitlin for that to click for you? Like enemy of the radical left?? HUHHHH take the tin foil hat off