Caitlin Clark’s Team USA snub is defended by US Olympic CEO: ‘They know what they’re doing’
Sarah Hirshland, CEO of the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee, defended Team USA’s rejection of Caitlin Clark, calling the process that led to her exclusion “very disciplined.”
The WNBA rookie was controversially cut from the U.S. basketball roster in June after 42-year-old guard Diana Taurasi stepped up to take the spot.
While some found it odd that Clark was left off the 12-player roster, Hirshland is confident that USA Basketball made the right choice.
“I would say that when you look at the whole picture, USA Basketball has had a very disciplined process with people who know more about the game of women’s basketball than anyone else in the world,” she said in the Bloomberg Business of Sports podcastthrough Terrible announcement.
“And I trust that they know exactly what they’re doing. The women have consistently won the gold medal and we hope that they do well again and that we win gold again.”
Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark has not been selected to Team USA women’s basketball team
Sarah Hirshland defended the ‘very disciplined’ process that led to Clark’s Team USA rejection
Hirshland also noted the fact that Clark was not part of the team’s qualifying round, calling the selection process a “multi-year process.”
“That team of people has to actually qualify for the Games. It’s not a given that the U.S. has qualified for the Games,” Hirshland added. “And that happens over a considerable period of time.”
Clark represented the USA at the 2019 and 2021 U19 FIBA World Championships.
She was also mentioned as a reserve for this summer’s selection, but she was ultimately dropped.
After some initial struggles in the WNBA, Clark is now in form and has already set records in the W.
Team USA’s A’ja Wilson, Diana Taurasi and Chelsea Gray high-five during a practice match against Germany
She is already the Indiana Fever’s single-season assist leader, setting a rookie record with 19 dimes against the Dallas Wings.
Clark is averaging 17.1 points per game and dishing out 8.2 assists, the highest in the league as the league heads into its Olympic hiatus.
The US women’s basketball team opens its Olympic Games against Japan on Monday after beating Germany in an exhibition game.
The Americans will play Belgium and Germany later in the group stage and will try to win their eighth consecutive gold medal.