WNBA rookie sensation Caitlin Clark was notably snubbed from Team USA’s Olympic roster in June. Now, selection committee member Dawn Staley said Clark may have been worthy of a spot on the national team.
“Caitlin is just a rookie in the WNBA, wasn’t playing bad, but wasn’t playing like she’s playing now,” Staley said Sunday on NBC. “If we had to do it all over again, the way that she’s playing, she would be in really high consideration of making the team because she is playing head and shoulders above a lot of people.”
The South Carolina coach highlighted rapid improvement in Clark’s game, despite the rookie phenom’s early inconsistencies.
“[Clark is] shooting the ball extremely well, I mean she is an elite passer, she’s just got a great basketball IQ,” the WNBA Hall of Famer said. “She’s a little more seasoned in the pro game in a couple of months than she was two months ago.”
Team USA officials were widely criticized when Clark, the No. 1 pick in April’s WNBA draft, was left off the Olympic roster in June. Though she leads the league in assists, selection committee members outlined concerns about Clark’s limited experience at the professional and international levels.
“When you base your decision on criteria, there were other players that were harder to cut because they checked a lot more boxes,” USA Basketball selection committee chair Jen Rizzotti said of Clark’s omission last month. “Then sometimes it comes down to position, style of play and then sometimes a vote.”
Team USA is chasing its eighth consecutive gold medal at the Paris Olympics. Its campaign begins Monday with a group play match against Japan.
This article is based in part on wire service reports.
• Liam Griffin can be reached at lgriffin@washingtontimes.com.
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