Caitlin Clark will not attend the Paris Olympics, according to a person with knowledge of the decision.
The person, who provided the full roster to The Associated Press, spoke on condition of anonymity Saturday because no official announcement has been made.
The decision was first reported by The Athletic.
Clark does have some international experience with USA Basketball at a younger level, but she wasn’t able to make it national training camp in Cleveland after being invited for leading Iowa to the Final Four. Clark finished her career as the NCAA’s all-time Division I scoring leader.
Clark, now a rookie with the Indiana Fever, has attracted millions of new fans to women’s basketball in her college career and also in her young WNBA career.
Although Clark will not go to Paris, the US is expected to bring five-time gold medalist Diana Taurasi for a sixth Olympic Games. Taurasi is joined by Phoenix Mercury teammate Brittney Griner.
This will be Griner’s first time play internationally since she was held in a Russian prison for ten months in 2022. She said she will only play abroad with USA Basketball.
The duo is joined by Olympic veterans Breanna Stewart, A’ja Wilson, Napheesa Collier, Jewell Loyd and Chelsea Gray. Kelsey Plum and Jackie Young, who helped the U.S. win its first 3×3 gold medal at the 2021 Tokyo Games, will also be on the team.
There will be a number of Olympians on the team for the first time, along with Alyssa Thomas, Sabrina Ionescu and Kahleah Copper. All three played on the American team that won the 2022 World Cup in Australia.
The U.S. women have won every gold medal in women’s basketball since the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta.
Taurasi, who will turn 42 before the Paris Games begin, will break the record for most Olympic Games played in basketball. Five players, including former teammate Sue Bird, have participated in five.
The US team will meet for a few days of training in Phoenix in July. It then heads to London for a friendly against Germany before heading to France.
The Americans will play in the group against Japan, Belgium and Germany at the Olympic Games.
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Olympic coverage from AP Paris https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games