Yeah, there are good arguments against Arike though I love watching her play. To me, the only real Olympjc "snub" is Candace Parker in 2016.
Each Olympics, lots of the players that make the team could be argued for/against compared to an almost equally good player who missed making the squad.
I'm an Iowa alum huge CC fan, who really thinks it's fine CC didn't make the team. (We do exist ;) She's just a rookie in the league unproven internationally at the senior level. The shoe deal for her made sense to me given the huge popularity of NCAAW ball over WNBA. Nike wants bank.
But Olympic rosters should be based on best basketball played here and now and who fits the team. And I think everyone who is on the team absolutely deserves it.
I agree. She has okayed A LOT in the last 9 months, especially in the last 3 months. Let her go with the team as an alternate, enjoy being there, but getting rest on game days and the lead up to game days. Olympic play takes place at a really compressed schedule, that is a tough haul for a player who will be expected to play most minutes of a 40 game season against the best players in the world, and who has already played a brutal professional schedule.
The best reason to take CC is for experience. Many Olympic teams knowing that the last person on the roster will play very few minutes anyway, will take a young future star for future experience to help smooth the transition when the 30+ players don't return at the next Olympics. The youngest person on this Olympics roster is 26. I guess the question is do they have the room for the luxury of bringing CC mostly for experience. Maybe? But not really a snub, no.
She's just a rookie in the league unproven internationally at the senior level.
Being a rookie is a pathetic excuse when there is precedent to the contrary. Both the men and women's olympic teams have made space for a rookie/college athlete on multiple occasions, like Diana Taurasi and Breanna Stewart. The entire point is to use a slot to recognize collegiate/amateur talent of the highest pedigree, which CC has. Out of all the critiques to advocate against her inclusion, being a rookie should not be one.
There are plenty of reasons, and the team is stacked. It wasn't a bad choice either way.
There is no particular reason why they must include a non professional or amateur on each team. Quite often they do not. They have done so sometimes. They have neglected to do so sometimes.
I wasn't listing every reason to take her or not take her.
The entire point of the current Olympic team is not "to take a rookie or person who has achieved at the highest level as an amateur". They only explicitly did that for Laettner🤮 the first year that pros were allowed.
You don’t have to be a T12 player to make the USA team. Look at the mens past great teams. Dream team, redeem team and 2012 Team. Taurasi made the team before playing in the WNBA. CC might not have gotten much playing team but would’ve been a learning experience and it would’ve brought fans as well. This whole physical and no experience is BS. Was Anthony Davis a T10 player in 2012? Was Reed or prince a Top 10 player with the redeem team?
As matter of fact I’d argue CC would have an easier time scoring or passing because whatca gonna do double her? Or guard full court while leaving the other top players open?
DT's assist percentage is abysmal this year, but her career assist percentage of 25.6 is higher than Arike's 21.0 (23.6 this year). And as recently as last season, Taurasi's assist percentage was 32.1.
Edited to add: DT's field goal attempts per 100 possessions are lower than Arike's both this year and for their careers.
Edited again to add: In a comment further down in this thread, I gave some comparative shooting efficiency stats for DT, Arike, and Clark as well, in which Arike's are the worst by far. So the numbers, as well as the eye test, show that Taurasi shoots less, passes more (although this year so far is an outlier), and shoots more efficiently than Arike.
That doesn’t make sense. Paid her dues? She’s already been rewarded with 5 Olympic trips. Including 1 as a rookie before paying any dues. There are other players that this year could be their only chance.
At least you're acknowledging that it's not because of talent. If we're taking talent out of it, it's insane that the committee decided to go with "reward the 41 year old again" over "getting our games nationally televised on NBC" and "growing the game" but it was their choice to make.
She's assisting higher than her career average right now even with shooting at that insane clip. Hopefully she can get to a point where the assists are up and the shots are more efficient
You aren't wrong, although I don't know if USA basketball actually gave statements as to their rostering decisions, or if that is just speculation by the media with "unnamed sources" used to legitimize the claim. It certainly is a believable speculation, AND it is one that will provide the media with juicy engagement.
Arike's a chucker and extremely inefficient shooting the ball. Team USA is stacked and doesn't need that. Clearly the committee agrees since they left her off.
Taurasi is an Olympic legend, already a long time leader for them, and will hold people accountable.. That's invaluable for the Olympics.
It's not just about counting stats people.
You have to look deeper at eFG% which will tell you the full story.
Arike also needs high volume to be effective which she is not going to get on this Olympic team.
That doesn't really matter that much either.
The international players aren't as good as WNBA players AND the roles the players have on Team USA are abbreviated roles from what they've got on their own rosters. People are acting like the team is expecting Taurasi to shoot 14 times a game. She'll probably get 4 shots off per game.
There's plenty of vets on that squad. Taurasi's leadership qualities are redundant with other players already on roster. She was selected as a lifetime achievement award and to help her pick up some more career records, plain and simple.
Strong agree there were no snubs this year.
I think everyone on the team deserves it.
The talent pool is just so deep that of course some are comparable and feel disappointed. Let's just hope some of them don't become Russian and play for them the next Olympics ;)
*Editted to add: To clarify, I only made that play for Russia joke because Hammon played in the Olympics for Russia after missing out on the US Olympic team.
It has nothing to do with playing in the off season or what happened to poor BG in Russia. In no way do I advocate anyone going to Russia in the current climate since the government is a corrupt disgusting racist anti-LGBTQ+ invading dictatorship.
All the women in the league who are USA citizens don’t seem to have any affinity for playing on the Olympics under the Russian flag. Britney Griner was in Russia to make a living during the WNBA offseason, when she got caught up in that pot extract fiasco.
Not enough spots was what people were crying about when the WNBA was making roster cuts, some very good players were let go.
To clarify, I was only making that play for Russia joke because Hammon went and played in the Olympics for Russia after missing out on the US Olympic team.
It has nothing to do with playing in the off season or what happened to poor BG.
It'd have to be some really tone deaf players to be willing to switch over to Russian citizenship after seeing what Britney suffered through, not mention the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Honestly, to even mention that as a possibility was an act of stupidity, imo. People are so quick to question other people’s patriotism, while they themselves are ok with non-constitutional acts by people that they favor.
She was injured and just came back? Griner dominates in the Olympics due to her massive height advantage, I don’t know why she shouldn’t make the roster
(She also plays an entirely different position to CC & Arike so I’m not sure why she’s being brought up)
So you want to exclude a proven WNBA point guard who has won two titles in favor of a rookie? The people that made the selection are basketball people who sure talked to Gray’s coach and GM about where she was fitness wise. Plus Chelsea Gray on the floor makes A’ja Wilson far more dangerous due to her familiarity with and trust in Gray.
The argument for Clark is take your most popular player for the marketing purposes of the league. Team USA is going to win the gold but not taking Clark is like the NBA in 92 refusing to take Bird or Magic.
One other factor is that Gray likely improves the play of A’ja Wilson. That is huge. Even just having Gray there in practices to talk to another point guard about A’ja’s tendencies when the ball is in the point guard’s hand is a big get.
Agreed. I know basketball is basketball, but FIBA and International play are an entirely different beast from the NBA & WNBA. A lot of the international teams are made up of players who've been playing together for a long time, and as a result have great chemistry. The United States teams are always one of the teams with the least international experience all together. Have to make sure there's some chemistry there, because ISO ball more than likely will not work all the way to the gold.
The gap gets smaller every year. To the point the Men's team lost their first game in the group stage in 2020, and only winning the gold by 5 points.
Women's basketball won every game in 2020, but at a much smaller margin than they have in the past. Winning the first game in group play by 9, and winning most of their games in the 10-19 range. The gap gets smaller and smaller every Olympic year.
To just presume that the United States Olympic basketball team will gold every year isn't a sure bet. Professional basketball has evolved into a global game, and a larger and larger amount of the best players in the world come from outside of the USA.
Plus with the women, a lot of European and Australian women play for USA colleges and play in professional leagues at home that also have WNBA players playing during the WNBA offseason to make more money.
I believe that in the last Olympics, it was a real dogfight with a couple of teams and the game came down to just one quarter where the USA was clearly dominant.
Given that a lot of the foreign women play at USA colleges or in European pro leagues, the gap between them and USA players has narrowed over the last five years.
Fair enough. I thought it was less competitive then it appears.
This changes my opinion on the matter. If it is indeed as competitive as they say, then they should make the best team possible.
USA Basketball didn’t give any reasoning and I’m actually cautious about those unnamed sources since the only journalist saying that is like.. very emotionally invested in the idea of Caitlin going. She’s not hiding her bias lol. You can find anyone to give a quote and we don’t know their connection to the selection process.
I believe the journalist who said it because they’ve been in the business for a long time. I just think everything is sensationalized these days and the idea of fans freaking out was like.. concern number 10 but leading with that is more interesting for everyone.
She actually opened the article with “you can love or hate her Iowa roots”. She then mentioned that she’s white, straight, has a lot of media attention, and all of these things affect how people feel about her because that’s how humans work. Maybe worth a re-read?
The journalist reporting it has been covering the US Women’s Basketball team for like 40 years - I’d challenge you to name a more dialed in reporter than Christine Brennan on this matter.
Love Christine Brennan but she’s more known for her coverage of figure skating and the Olympics as a whole. As someone who reads her a lot she really didn’t consistently cover women’s basketball until this year and she’s mostly focused on Clark.
Her experience matters. But it’s also quite telling that her entire argument for Clark to be included was Clark’s popularity, and the reporter called back to her own experiences covering Olympics where there wasn’t a full press team covering it alongside her. *That* is what she cares about, and the lens through which she views the roster construction — it’s not about basketball to her, it’s about coverage.
She hand-waved at the basketball part of it by saying Team USA will win anyway. That’s not a valid reason to actively choose a lesser player.
Folks keep bringing up experience but if you look at actual stats, her stats compare to DT and KP. By no means is she "better" but given DT was selected her rookie year for the Olympics (and so was Stewie, and so would have Sabrina if she didn't get injured I'm guessing), I am see why folks think this is the "biggest" snub.
**What I think the argument is, is do you always reserve 1-2 spots for wild cards that are either rookies or the 'next generation', or do you go full straight veteran.**
Since there has definitely been a precedent for rookies or 2nd year players making the Olympics... I can see the argument that with THE ROOKIE with the biggest eyeballs on the sport, why change your stance now?
Holdsclaw 2000 olympics, Taurasi 2004 olympics, Parker 2008, Moore 2012, Stewie 2016, Collier 2020, Sabrina arguably 2020 had she not gotten injured.
https://preview.redd.it/pgs9e5n4tk5d1.png?width=1440&format=png&auto=webp&s=afaa889f9caf120c14798f8a4c0b0f9f18216a86
Stewie was also at the training camps playing with the USA team when she was still in college. That’s something Caitlin didn’t do.
I can’t speak for the others though.
The little pictorial was hand selected by CC fans. It doesn’t include turnovers. It doesn’t include minutes played. And CC only started beating DT in point per game last game after she dropped 30 on the worst team in the league. All that to say it could flip again next week.
True, quite early to tell but point is still that DT when selected didn't play many games, and Stewie was also straight out of college. It was a hard decision nonetheless but the current roster is definitely stacked with great talent.
I think Stewie shouldn’t have been selected over Parker and it’s still the most controversial pick in history.
But both Stewie and DT participated in senior level camps and competition prior to their selection their rookie years. Caitlin did not. Why would anyone expect her to be selected if she’s never gone to camp to be evaluated against senior competition?
The last spot has historically been reserved for the reigning WNBA ROY. So that would be Boston. They chose to do away with that spot this time around. So if we’re focusing on the historical precedent of saving one spot for a young player, Boston would’ve been the more likely candidate for that.
That a snub for sure. I think the committee’s excuse was saying how Ogunbowale chucks up a lot of shots to get points (therefore she’s not as efficient in the makeup of team USA). She’s definitely averaging way more PPG than CC and outpacing most stats.
That doesn’t erase she’s emotionally invested and Caitlin going to the Olympics was something she was writing about since February. She’s sensationalized this story a lot if you go by her tweets and how she’s writing the articles about this topic.
I say this with the upmost respect for Christine for covering the US Women’s Basketball for 40 years but she said this was the worst decision ever made that she has seen and i unfollowed her , maybe she wasn’t covering it in 2016.
She thinks CC is a snub but probably couldn’t pick Arike (leading scorer in the entire WNBA) out of a line up. She claimed it’s the worst snub in history when things like Candace Parker in 2016 and Nneka Ogumike as an MVP aren’t things she’s familiar with. She’s acting like a fangirl and clearly doesn’t know the sport well by what she’s saying.
Hasn’t she been covering Olympic skating for 40 years? She just recently started covering WBB but has 40 years of Olympic experience with skating. US women’s basketball.
I feel like no one ever talks about fit and team chemistry in this decision. For CC, she never went to any of the training camps. Obviously she had a good reason why she didn’t go, but that still means she has ZERO experience playing with the rest of Team USA.
Caitlin wasn’t snubbed. The only way you could realistically think that is if you’re focusing on fans and attention.
I too would put Arike in over DT. Idk if her style of play is conducive to Olympic ball, but gunners/ball hogs typically don’t gun as much when they play with MVP caliber players.
This. Iowa fan since the Coach Stringer days. Clark will get her shot if she earns it and is one of the best 12. Right now, she isn’t. Also she can use the rest.
Arike has a legit gripe. DT was awarded 5 times for her play at the time. She is not currently one of the top 12 players and is not the future of the league.
Curious if Arike is eligible and wants to compete for Nigeria, like the Ogwumikes. I know the youngest Ogwumike is the only one that was allowed to compete in Tokyo. Idk if Arike wants to compete for Nigeria though or just wait for 2028 to hopefully compete with USA.
I’m not sure. The Ogwumikes were born in Texas, but I think they had dual citizenship. Nneka has competed for USA previously, but they released her to be selected by Nigeria. But I think FIBA intervened and banned Nigeria from selecting her.
So Arike would have to be released from the USA consideration and FIBA would have to allow Nigeria to select her. It’s probably a long shot, but worth trying if she doesn’t want to wait until 2028 to hopefully be selected by USA as a 31 year old first timer
Ah ok. Yeah that's what I was curious about. Looks like Nigeria does give dual citizenship if your parent is a citizen. That would be cool. I'd love to see her compete in the Olympics.
From *The Athletic*:
>Like many young players included on past rosters, Clark would have played a limited role off the bench had she made the team. Even then, it’s fair to wonder how she would have fit. The committee took players who know how to play together and have shown it.
>Four [Las Vegas Aces](https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/wnba/team/aces/) (Wilson, Kelsey Plum, Chelsea Gray and [Jackie Young](https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/wnba/player/jackie-young-WDyIQNIOr09FzsiC/)) made the team. Three members of the [Phoenix Mercury](https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/wnba/team/mercury/) (Taurasi, Copper and [Brittney Griner](https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/wnba/player/brittney-griner-K7QHUiRUH8AwQVrH/)) did, too. Stewart and [Sabrina Ionescu](https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/wnba/player/sabrina-ionescu-YXsg6GHEJlMJOyGs/) are teammates with the [New York Liberty](https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/wnba/team/liberty/). And more broadly than exclusive WNBA connections, the committee went for a group rich with senior USA Basketball team service who have played games around the world alongside each other.
>Clark is not a teammate of any of them and has not attended a senior national team camp because of her collegiate commitments.
>That the committee decided to go this route isn’t a total surprise. It is a reflection of some past precedent. “That chemistry really speeds up the learning curve and the process,” committee member Seimone [Augustus recently told *The Athletic*](https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/podcast/287-the-athletic-womens-basketball-show/episode-72/). Augustus speaks from playing experience as a three-time gold medal winner.
>The decision is also in line with the criteria the committee is tasked with using as a framework. Evaluations are based on several factors — attitude, adaptability to internal game, likelihood of contributing to team success. Popularity is not among them.
We have a very deep bench of talent here in the US, and as someone else noted, we could field three teams and sweep the medals if such a thing were allowed. Cailin will get her shot, and she will excel in the Olympics. It's just not her chance this cycle. She'll get a chance to prove her mettle against the Olympic squad at the All-Star Game, and then play for Team USA in future tournaments as they work her into the program.
Similar to NBA’s ASG, the starters are voted on by the general public. So, that said, I see no world in where Caitlin Clark is not an all star this season.
Maybe it’s controversial but roster spots should go to your current level of play and the investment in the player to the USA team going forward. In short DT has neither. She took the sport far, but she is taking this ship no farther. It’s time to move on. Her inclusion is nothing more than the last Kobe Laker contract. An irrationally big thank you gift. On the leadership front this team has captains, gold medal winners, and wnba champs on it. If there’s one thing we’re not missing it leadership. That’s not even taking into account how ridiculously overmatched the world is against USA anyways
That's the thing where I do think USA Basketball is being very hypocritical with the "Clark snub." If it's just about basketball and that's why Clark is off the team, than Taurasi (and maybe Grey too) really shouldn't be selected. But if in DT's case it's a "she's done so much for us" selection, then frankly, Clark should be selected too for bringing new eyes to the women's game.
It can't be "just basketball" if that's not the case for other selections.
If you can’t even spell Gray right you probably know nothing about her play. She’s the best point guard the US has and she played in all the camps and lead up FIBA tournaments prior to her injury. Shes a WNBA finals MVP. She will be a starter. We aren’t talking about a bench player. And there is no way they’d be replacing her with someone who doesn’t primarily play PG, hasn’t played senior level international tournaments or who has a high turnover rate.
In fairness DT has done a lot for the USA Women’s Bball team specifically, in my opinion that’s not really the same as CC getting more people to watch the sport.
I also doubt either player would get significant minutes on the team anyways, and would more people really tune into the Olympic Games to see Clark play maybe 10 MPG at best?
>would more people really tune into the Olympic Games to see Clark play maybe 10 MPG at best?
20,000 attended Mystics Fever and they have 3 combined wins. People would lose their minds to see Clark get 1 shot attempt in a team USA jersey
Yeah they don’t run everyone. For example, in the 2020 Olympic finals Vs Japan (a decisive blowout), the end of bench players (Fowles, Phee, Atkins, Diggins-Smith) barely played. Out of that group Fowles led in MPG with 10
Guard is also insanely stacked this year. Ionescu / Plum / Jackie / Jewell / Chelsea Gray is a ridiculous rotation. Whoever the 6th guard is isn’t going to play much at all
Given this, if I was CC I’d actually be happy not play on the team. She can focus on getting in the gym, getting stronger, and probably playing more men to get at the speed - rather than having to do the Olympic tour.
Having a great rookie season will be more important than being the tenth person on a USA team that will cruise to gold as usual.
You know, that makes sense but it’s not like the nba where the season is 8 months and she has quick turnaround. WNBA doesn’t start till late spring anyway so it’s not like 1-2 months that she’ll have off will make a huge difference - she would’ve had like 6 even if she played in the Olympics.
It’s a combination of things including current and past level of play. Here’s how the selection committee selects the team
https://www.nbcchicago.com/paris-2024-summer-olympics/how-the-usa-womens-basketball-team-for-the-2024-paris-olympics-is-determined/3458668/#
Seeing her on the list made me angry tbh. She’s so old and has done this so many times. They wanna “grow the game” and then do every single thing possible to not do that. Fucking hell
If we're being real, the real snubs are Rhyne Howard, Betnijah Laney and Allisha Gray. These are all guards who I would take over DT. They can all score but more importantly provide more perimeter defense.
FWIW, Rhyne was already announced to the 3x3 Olympic team. That said, I’m not sure what the rules are for participation in both/if Rhyne had indicated a preference for which team she wanted to compete with.
But looking at it straight up and not taking the aforementioned into account, I agree that she’d be the true snub in my book.
I already know about the 3x3 with Rhyne. You can't participate in both teams at the Olympics. The 5x5 is the most prestigious team and I thought she earned it especially after the Olympic qualifiers. Rhyne and Phee were by far the best 2 players there. But Rhyne will do great in 3x3 her game is perfect for it
Ah, thanks for clarifying. See, I assumed you couldn’t, but didn’t actually know what the rules were. Yeah, I agree on the 5x5 being the more prestigious of the teams and I definitely think she deserves a spot on that roster. But to your last point, I absolutely concur that her game is perfect for the 3x3. Super excited to watch that 3x3 team go crazy this summer
I love Arike but she would have had to replace Chelsea Grey or DT.
DT is way too important to the program, that if she wants to come , you do not say no. It's just how it works. She's way too respected in that program.
Listen I get that DT is old, but if we’re going to talk about CC and what she has done and will do for women’s basketball, it’s also worth acknowledging what DT has done for women’s basketball for the last 25 years. Particularly the Olympics have always been a big deal for her, giving her a final Olympics when she is still a very good player, if well past her peak, is fine in my book. There’s only 12 spots there’s always going to be “snubs.”
It should be just about basketball. Bron is on the Olympic team but earned his spot. It might be Arike's last chance to make the team for all we know. No one can predict the future.
Arike will probably lose out on sponsorship deals by not being on the team. We know that's not a problem for the other player that everyone seems to care about more. A lot of Nigerians (including the Nigerian diaspora) are avid sports fans. They would be excited to see her play. Fever fans alone can't sustainably grow the popularity of the WNBA.
The committee may have been concerned about Caitlin turning the ball over. When defeating a top team may come down to two possessions, you don’t want a point guard turning the ball over 5 or more times.
BTW, toast when you hit 50, you seemed really pissed about that thought. 😂
I wish she would have just made the team so we could go a couple days without Caitlin Clark discourse, going to be even worse after First Take and Pat McAfee show tomorrow
Ill always Stand by the fact that if you have enough time on your hands to complain about privilege, you're privileged.
We're all privileged. But for some reason people think that only applies to white people, which is so funny but also shows how uneducated people can be.
Around 9 million people die of starvation every single year, none of those people are the ones crying on social media about privilege, because they're fucking dying.
We're all privileged, and anyone trying to dance around that needs to get their head out of the unwashed ass.
JFC just leave it alone CC is at peace with it why isn't everyone else and I am saying that to both the die hard CC nutjob fans and the die hard haters all of you all STFU and move on!
I don’t think she was on the selection committee’s radar, but Kayla McBride of the Lynx is shooting 48.6 percent from 3 this season and playing an all-around game. She was the MVP of the recent EuroLeague Final Four and is a seasoned international player.
At 31, a player like her makes more sense for the Olympic team than erratic, grumpy, injury-prone Diana Taurasi, age 42.
>I think the committee did itself ZERO, *and I mean ZERO,* favors with their reasoning for leaving CC off the team - justifying her omission on how her "fans would react to limited playing time"
I see someone bought the bullshit Brennan has been peddling. If someone has a source that has a name and is actually involved in the decision making process I’ll be happy to believe it. Until then, it’s just someone with an axe to grind looking to bloat their social media views.
being that this is basically the last spot on the roater anyway wouldnt you want a more efficient shooter? like you said theres no shortage of leadership and its not like they need another point guard they have 3. dt’s probably going to be playing a catch and shoot role, on limited minutes
that’s what people are not understanding. clark and dt don’t play the same position any more. she doesn’t play pg so if they are already booked and pg, why pick arike and cc when you don’t need anyone else in that position.
>Has Diana Taurasi "earned" a spot of this team one more time? Yes. Will her experience and leadership provide an angle that both CC and AO didn't bring to the table? Yes. Was her inclusion on the roster a purely basketball motivated move? I don't think so. But that's okay.
>If this was about basketball, I think Arike was the biggest snub.
I 100% agree. I've been a Taurasi fan since my dad started taking me to games in 2004 and will almost always defend her to her haters (which is half the fun of being a DT fan imo), but I don't think there's any arguing that she is on the roster partially for her experience and skills and partially as a legacy pick.
In no way outside of media coverage do I think Caitlin Clark has indicated that she's a better pick for an Olympic roster. If we were picking purely based on great players in their physical prime, Arike is absolutely the one who should take that spot. I'd take McBride over CC too, at this particular moment.
That being said, I'm very excited to watch DT probably ride the bench for a good portion of this Olympics and hopefully give us another classic moment like her holding the ball above one of Japan's players in '21 looking like she's 7 feet tall lmao.
I think DT is well deserving of the spot. What people forget about these loaded Olympic teams is that you need an experienced game manager on the floor to help spread the ball around. This team doesn't need prime-scoring DT given how stacked it is.
All these national teams, especially the successful ones, have internal politics led by athletes that can be very petty and protective of their status and fiefdoms they've created. US Women's soccer has very much been that and is perhaps finally getting over it with the exit of an old generation and the beginnings of a new one.
Seems particularly noticeable that the UConn ladies haven't loved the attention of the Caitlin Clark show for a while, so it isn't a surprise she isn't on the national team. Luckily for them, women's basketball hasn't caught up to the US like it did in soccer, so they won't receive the same level of scrutiny when the tourney gets going because they will win regardless.
I first want to say I am fine with CC not being included. I personally wouldn't have included her for a number of reasons.
Let's got on with the spice.
People talk about CC not being efficient but Arike is even less efficient, granted I would pick Arike over CC for the roster.
I haven't been able to watch Arike play yet, so can someone tell me why this sub is thirsty about someone 24 shots per game and only hitting 36% of them?
Why is it thirsty about someone who shoots 18 a game and only hits 36% of them while turning the ball over 1.3 times more than the next closest player and being a defensive turnstile?
Arike is useless on the Olympic team. An inefficient shot chucker doesn't really add anything to the team and is hard to integrate into an offense (aka she would be riding the bench if added) because there's other players who are not only better scorers, but understand how to play within the confines of a team offense.
Caitlin at least brings new dimensions to the team with her elite passing, deep three point range, and gravitational effects. Like Stephen Curry, there's not a team Caitlin wouldn't be additive to. Meanwhile, Arike is like Tyler Herro and will shoot you out of games.
> If this is about politics, team chemistry, and representing the USA well, this team is perfect.
this is right on.
if the main concern was getting eyeballs on the game, and more people watching women's sports?
the biggest snub was CC
if it's about skill and talent and finding the most skilled and talented players at their peak?
then it's ogunbowale
yeah it’s definitely not “right” that it’s not all about basketball, but it’s not shocking. decisions like these always have politics at play. and i wouldn’t say anyone necessarily got snubbed - there’s only 12 spots available and more than 12 olympic-qualified athletes. it doesn’t mean someone’s not a talented player if they can’t make this very limited roster.
I legit was looking for her name specifically because jeff Teague always props her up on his pod and the way he talks I was kinda shocked to not see her name
Agreed Arike is putting up some great numbers. But one thing critics harp on about Carlin is her FGs. Here’s Arike’s:
Arike= 8-21, 7-30 (!),11-24,8-20,9-28,10-23.
Not great numbers…….
Not saying Arike isn’t deserving but Caitlin is under a HUGE microscope and doesn’t take nearly as many shots.
USA Basketball is not the WNBA. Sure they choose American players who mostly play in the W, but they are not the same organization. Their only obligations are to choose the best players, not who people think are the most popular.
It’s about money and viewership. You get the viewership because that leads to more people playing and more superstars which make more money happen etc. since you win gold either way, it’s brain dead to not maximize the reach of a potential star. And one who already has brought millions more eyeballs to the sport.
Arike is way too selfish of a player to make an Olympic roster. They value teamwork, experience, and proven individual efficiency/results in those who make the team. Arike is neither a team player, nor an efficient shooter. She just chucks em up and they either go in or they don't. She's absolutely a clutch player for her team, but that's not good enough when there's this much talent in the US.
Olympics used to be about amateur competitors playing each other. I would love to see a team of rookies playing a competitive FIBA competition. Including CC would increase brand awareness and exposure. I think they should move the rules like soccer. A couple exceptions, but mainly up and coming talent. Team USA is likely to win regardless so why not include new comers? Does DT need another appearance in the Olympics?
The only time I would argue that there was a legitimate snub was when Candace Parker was left off the roster. I’ve never looked at the committee or the process the same again. I’m also not a fan of DT being on the roster yet again but I don’t have much arguments against it that aren’t rooted in pettiness.
This can be forgiven but until they recognize their mistake, this organization should not talk about anything related to making money for the league and players.
The list of rookies who have made the team is a short list. Not a snub. The problem remains that the majority of her big fans don’t know enough about the WNBA and talent so in their mind she = women’s basketball, she’s on a pedestal. The bad takes I’m seeing are “if she’s not on the team I’m not watching”. That is not growing the game. Chelsea Gray will be the butter question mark.
To the edit. That “quote” was allegedly from other players and I’m not buying that shit at all.
I think leaving CC off the roster is a big blunder. The WNBA can't seem to figure out what to do with their new star. People are watching now and want to see CC play on the world stage. A significant number of people watching CC don't know \*a single other WNBA player\*. CC brings eye balls to the sport. With how poorly it seems the WNBA is handling her now, there's no guarantee that this interest CC has drummed up in the WNBA survives four years. Failing to keep the pedal on the floor right now with CC and capitalizing on her current fame is a huge waste.
i disagree cause she would not make me watch the women's olympic team and cc would. it really is that simple. at this point they are just costing themselves money for pride.
She also doesn’t pass the ball lol. 25+ shots a game isn’t pretty when you’re not even that efficient
Yeah, there are good arguments against Arike though I love watching her play. To me, the only real Olympjc "snub" is Candace Parker in 2016. Each Olympics, lots of the players that make the team could be argued for/against compared to an almost equally good player who missed making the squad. I'm an Iowa alum huge CC fan, who really thinks it's fine CC didn't make the team. (We do exist ;) She's just a rookie in the league unproven internationally at the senior level. The shoe deal for her made sense to me given the huge popularity of NCAAW ball over WNBA. Nike wants bank. But Olympic rosters should be based on best basketball played here and now and who fits the team. And I think everyone who is on the team absolutely deserves it.
Same, huge iowa fan and I just want the woman to get some rest.
Same here. That woman needs a break and a sandwich.
I agree. She has okayed A LOT in the last 9 months, especially in the last 3 months. Let her go with the team as an alternate, enjoy being there, but getting rest on game days and the lead up to game days. Olympic play takes place at a really compressed schedule, that is a tough haul for a player who will be expected to play most minutes of a 40 game season against the best players in the world, and who has already played a brutal professional schedule.
The best reason to take CC is for experience. Many Olympic teams knowing that the last person on the roster will play very few minutes anyway, will take a young future star for future experience to help smooth the transition when the 30+ players don't return at the next Olympics. The youngest person on this Olympics roster is 26. I guess the question is do they have the room for the luxury of bringing CC mostly for experience. Maybe? But not really a snub, no.
She's just a rookie in the league unproven internationally at the senior level. Being a rookie is a pathetic excuse when there is precedent to the contrary. Both the men and women's olympic teams have made space for a rookie/college athlete on multiple occasions, like Diana Taurasi and Breanna Stewart. The entire point is to use a slot to recognize collegiate/amateur talent of the highest pedigree, which CC has. Out of all the critiques to advocate against her inclusion, being a rookie should not be one.
There are plenty of reasons, and the team is stacked. It wasn't a bad choice either way. There is no particular reason why they must include a non professional or amateur on each team. Quite often they do not. They have done so sometimes. They have neglected to do so sometimes. I wasn't listing every reason to take her or not take her. The entire point of the current Olympic team is not "to take a rookie or person who has achieved at the highest level as an amateur". They only explicitly did that for Laettner🤮 the first year that pros were allowed.
You don’t have to be a T12 player to make the USA team. Look at the mens past great teams. Dream team, redeem team and 2012 Team. Taurasi made the team before playing in the WNBA. CC might not have gotten much playing team but would’ve been a learning experience and it would’ve brought fans as well. This whole physical and no experience is BS. Was Anthony Davis a T10 player in 2012? Was Reed or prince a Top 10 player with the redeem team? As matter of fact I’d argue CC would have an easier time scoring or passing because whatca gonna do double her? Or guard full court while leaving the other top players open?
Except the number one draft picks generally make the team. Even old lady Tuarasi made it
DT is on the team
DT's assist percentage is abysmal this year, but her career assist percentage of 25.6 is higher than Arike's 21.0 (23.6 this year). And as recently as last season, Taurasi's assist percentage was 32.1. Edited to add: DT's field goal attempts per 100 possessions are lower than Arike's both this year and for their careers. Edited again to add: In a comment further down in this thread, I gave some comparative shooting efficiency stats for DT, Arike, and Clark as well, in which Arike's are the worst by far. So the numbers, as well as the eye test, show that Taurasi shoots less, passes more (although this year so far is an outlier), and shoots more efficiently than Arike.
dt is more efficient than arike
Barely. It's simply not a good enough reason to keep her off the team
36% is above avg and 30% is below so i would just go with the higher number. its the last spot probably just a catch and shoot type of role
Honestly if you’re mad about CC or anyone else, DT makes it clear that making this team was not about merit.
You get it
DT has five gold medals, this is probably her last time to represent team USA before she retires. She’s paid her dues to have one last go at gold
That doesn’t make sense. Paid her dues? She’s already been rewarded with 5 Olympic trips. Including 1 as a rookie before paying any dues. There are other players that this year could be their only chance.
At least you're acknowledging that it's not because of talent. If we're taking talent out of it, it's insane that the committee decided to go with "reward the 41 year old again" over "getting our games nationally televised on NBC" and "growing the game" but it was their choice to make.
She's assisting higher than her career average right now even with shooting at that insane clip. Hopefully she can get to a point where the assists are up and the shots are more efficient
What i came to say… she’s an inefficient chucker. Olympic team can’t afford to let her get 18 pts on 22 shots every game
Arike shoots 36% from the field and 30% from 3 which isn't very good
You aren't wrong, although I don't know if USA basketball actually gave statements as to their rostering decisions, or if that is just speculation by the media with "unnamed sources" used to legitimize the claim. It certainly is a believable speculation, AND it is one that will provide the media with juicy engagement.
USA could win Gold, Silver, and possibly bronze if you could field multiple teams
I’ve always thought it’s weird that team sports don’t let you do that but one country can sweep the podium in any individual sport.
Arike's a chucker and extremely inefficient shooting the ball. Team USA is stacked and doesn't need that. Clearly the committee agrees since they left her off. Taurasi is an Olympic legend, already a long time leader for them, and will hold people accountable.. That's invaluable for the Olympics. It's not just about counting stats people.
I see people say this a lot about her being inefficient but she is shooting 36% Lloyd is at 34% plum 37% and taurasi is at 37%.
You have to look deeper at eFG% which will tell you the full story. Arike also needs high volume to be effective which she is not going to get on this Olympic team.
That doesn't really matter that much either. The international players aren't as good as WNBA players AND the roles the players have on Team USA are abbreviated roles from what they've got on their own rosters. People are acting like the team is expecting Taurasi to shoot 14 times a game. She'll probably get 4 shots off per game.
All women are inefficient shooters 😂
There's plenty of vets on that squad. Taurasi's leadership qualities are redundant with other players already on roster. She was selected as a lifetime achievement award and to help her pick up some more career records, plain and simple.
There were no snubs. It's a 12 person roster. There are more than 12 people able to play at the Olympic level. That means some people don't get to go.
Strong agree there were no snubs this year. I think everyone on the team deserves it. The talent pool is just so deep that of course some are comparable and feel disappointed. Let's just hope some of them don't become Russian and play for them the next Olympics ;) *Editted to add: To clarify, I only made that play for Russia joke because Hammon played in the Olympics for Russia after missing out on the US Olympic team. It has nothing to do with playing in the off season or what happened to poor BG in Russia. In no way do I advocate anyone going to Russia in the current climate since the government is a corrupt disgusting racist anti-LGBTQ+ invading dictatorship.
All the women in the league who are USA citizens don’t seem to have any affinity for playing on the Olympics under the Russian flag. Britney Griner was in Russia to make a living during the WNBA offseason, when she got caught up in that pot extract fiasco. Not enough spots was what people were crying about when the WNBA was making roster cuts, some very good players were let go.
To clarify, I was only making that play for Russia joke because Hammon went and played in the Olympics for Russia after missing out on the US Olympic team. It has nothing to do with playing in the off season or what happened to poor BG.
It'd have to be some really tone deaf players to be willing to switch over to Russian citizenship after seeing what Britney suffered through, not mention the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Honestly, to even mention that as a possibility was an act of stupidity, imo. People are so quick to question other people’s patriotism, while they themselves are ok with non-constitutional acts by people that they favor.
I do, fundamentally, agree.
Brittney Griner was selected and has played a grand total of 21 minutes this season for a total of 11 points
She was injured and just came back? Griner dominates in the Olympics due to her massive height advantage, I don’t know why she shouldn’t make the roster (She also plays an entirely different position to CC & Arike so I’m not sure why she’s being brought up)
So how about Gray who's still injured and hasn't played at all? She also plays the exact same position as Clark.
So you want to exclude a proven WNBA point guard who has won two titles in favor of a rookie? The people that made the selection are basketball people who sure talked to Gray’s coach and GM about where she was fitness wise. Plus Chelsea Gray on the floor makes A’ja Wilson far more dangerous due to her familiarity with and trust in Gray.
The argument for Clark is take your most popular player for the marketing purposes of the league. Team USA is going to win the gold but not taking Clark is like the NBA in 92 refusing to take Bird or Magic.
They probably expect her to be ready by then, and if not then someone will fill in for her.
One other factor is that Gray likely improves the play of A’ja Wilson. That is huge. Even just having Gray there in practices to talk to another point guard about A’ja’s tendencies when the ball is in the point guard’s hand is a big get.
Same thing that’s happened with Griner, Gray is the USA’s best point guard when healthy and she’ll be healthy by the Olympics
Brittney and DT are legacy choices. They EARNED their spots.
Brittney Griner is there because some of the chicks these places trot out are like 6'10. You're not playing a 6'4 center on any of those girls.
Well if I was putting together an American women's team BG and DT would be my first two selections simply for their international experience.
Agreed. I know basketball is basketball, but FIBA and International play are an entirely different beast from the NBA & WNBA. A lot of the international teams are made up of players who've been playing together for a long time, and as a result have great chemistry. The United States teams are always one of the teams with the least international experience all together. Have to make sure there's some chemistry there, because ISO ball more than likely will not work all the way to the gold.
Does anyone threaten the United States? I thought they just wiped everyone out by 60
The gap gets smaller every year. To the point the Men's team lost their first game in the group stage in 2020, and only winning the gold by 5 points. Women's basketball won every game in 2020, but at a much smaller margin than they have in the past. Winning the first game in group play by 9, and winning most of their games in the 10-19 range. The gap gets smaller and smaller every Olympic year. To just presume that the United States Olympic basketball team will gold every year isn't a sure bet. Professional basketball has evolved into a global game, and a larger and larger amount of the best players in the world come from outside of the USA.
Plus with the women, a lot of European and Australian women play for USA colleges and play in professional leagues at home that also have WNBA players playing during the WNBA offseason to make more money.
I was referring to women. I know the men's will be tough. I didn't realize the gap had closed with women as well
I believe that in the last Olympics, it was a real dogfight with a couple of teams and the game came down to just one quarter where the USA was clearly dominant. Given that a lot of the foreign women play at USA colleges or in European pro leagues, the gap between them and USA players has narrowed over the last five years.
Fair enough. I thought it was less competitive then it appears. This changes my opinion on the matter. If it is indeed as competitive as they say, then they should make the best team possible.
I was actually intending to reply to the person above you. My bad. 😅
Yeah. You can't really ever argue against height in basketball
Some will try.
USA Basketball didn’t give any reasoning and I’m actually cautious about those unnamed sources since the only journalist saying that is like.. very emotionally invested in the idea of Caitlin going. She’s not hiding her bias lol. You can find anyone to give a quote and we don’t know their connection to the selection process.
This is helpful. Thank you. I hope its a soundbite that got lost in translation
I believe the journalist who said it because they’ve been in the business for a long time. I just think everything is sensationalized these days and the idea of fans freaking out was like.. concern number 10 but leading with that is more interesting for everyone.
when she opened the article with “you can love or hate her for being white” i tapped out
She actually opened the article with “you can love or hate her Iowa roots”. She then mentioned that she’s white, straight, has a lot of media attention, and all of these things affect how people feel about her because that’s how humans work. Maybe worth a re-read?
i was paraphrasing, i know it wasn’t the first line. i just think it’s crazy, no one hates her as a person for being straight or white
The journalist reporting it has been covering the US Women’s Basketball team for like 40 years - I’d challenge you to name a more dialed in reporter than Christine Brennan on this matter.
Love Christine Brennan but she’s more known for her coverage of figure skating and the Olympics as a whole. As someone who reads her a lot she really didn’t consistently cover women’s basketball until this year and she’s mostly focused on Clark.
Her experience matters. But it’s also quite telling that her entire argument for Clark to be included was Clark’s popularity, and the reporter called back to her own experiences covering Olympics where there wasn’t a full press team covering it alongside her. *That* is what she cares about, and the lens through which she views the roster construction — it’s not about basketball to her, it’s about coverage. She hand-waved at the basketball part of it by saying Team USA will win anyway. That’s not a valid reason to actively choose a lesser player.
Folks keep bringing up experience but if you look at actual stats, her stats compare to DT and KP. By no means is she "better" but given DT was selected her rookie year for the Olympics (and so was Stewie, and so would have Sabrina if she didn't get injured I'm guessing), I am see why folks think this is the "biggest" snub. **What I think the argument is, is do you always reserve 1-2 spots for wild cards that are either rookies or the 'next generation', or do you go full straight veteran.** Since there has definitely been a precedent for rookies or 2nd year players making the Olympics... I can see the argument that with THE ROOKIE with the biggest eyeballs on the sport, why change your stance now? Holdsclaw 2000 olympics, Taurasi 2004 olympics, Parker 2008, Moore 2012, Stewie 2016, Collier 2020, Sabrina arguably 2020 had she not gotten injured. https://preview.redd.it/pgs9e5n4tk5d1.png?width=1440&format=png&auto=webp&s=afaa889f9caf120c14798f8a4c0b0f9f18216a86
Stewie was also at the training camps playing with the USA team when she was still in college. That’s something Caitlin didn’t do. I can’t speak for the others though.
The little pictorial was hand selected by CC fans. It doesn’t include turnovers. It doesn’t include minutes played. And CC only started beating DT in point per game last game after she dropped 30 on the worst team in the league. All that to say it could flip again next week.
True, quite early to tell but point is still that DT when selected didn't play many games, and Stewie was also straight out of college. It was a hard decision nonetheless but the current roster is definitely stacked with great talent.
I think Stewie shouldn’t have been selected over Parker and it’s still the most controversial pick in history. But both Stewie and DT participated in senior level camps and competition prior to their selection their rookie years. Caitlin did not. Why would anyone expect her to be selected if she’s never gone to camp to be evaluated against senior competition?
The last spot has historically been reserved for the reigning WNBA ROY. So that would be Boston. They chose to do away with that spot this time around. So if we’re focusing on the historical precedent of saving one spot for a young player, Boston would’ve been the more likely candidate for that.
Boston showed up this season out of shape and has played terribly until very recently.
Wait rookies CAN be selected to the team?
Yup. First year there’s no rookie or second year player. All vets.
Now do CC vs Ogunbowale
That a snub for sure. I think the committee’s excuse was saying how Ogunbowale chucks up a lot of shots to get points (therefore she’s not as efficient in the makeup of team USA). She’s definitely averaging way more PPG than CC and outpacing most stats.
That doesn’t erase she’s emotionally invested and Caitlin going to the Olympics was something she was writing about since February. She’s sensationalized this story a lot if you go by her tweets and how she’s writing the articles about this topic.
I say this with the upmost respect for Christine for covering the US Women’s Basketball for 40 years but she said this was the worst decision ever made that she has seen and i unfollowed her , maybe she wasn’t covering it in 2016.
She thinks CC is a snub but probably couldn’t pick Arike (leading scorer in the entire WNBA) out of a line up. She claimed it’s the worst snub in history when things like Candace Parker in 2016 and Nneka Ogumike as an MVP aren’t things she’s familiar with. She’s acting like a fangirl and clearly doesn’t know the sport well by what she’s saying.
Hasn’t she been covering Olympic skating for 40 years? She just recently started covering WBB but has 40 years of Olympic experience with skating. US women’s basketball.
I think CC needs rest right now more than the Olympic experience.
I feel like no one ever talks about fit and team chemistry in this decision. For CC, she never went to any of the training camps. Obviously she had a good reason why she didn’t go, but that still means she has ZERO experience playing with the rest of Team USA.
Caitlin wasn’t snubbed. The only way you could realistically think that is if you’re focusing on fans and attention. I too would put Arike in over DT. Idk if her style of play is conducive to Olympic ball, but gunners/ball hogs typically don’t gun as much when they play with MVP caliber players.
This. Iowa fan since the Coach Stringer days. Clark will get her shot if she earns it and is one of the best 12. Right now, she isn’t. Also she can use the rest. Arike has a legit gripe. DT was awarded 5 times for her play at the time. She is not currently one of the top 12 players and is not the future of the league.
You may be the most sensible Fever fan I have seen here....I like you...
Curious if Arike is eligible and wants to compete for Nigeria, like the Ogwumikes. I know the youngest Ogwumike is the only one that was allowed to compete in Tokyo. Idk if Arike wants to compete for Nigeria though or just wait for 2028 to hopefully compete with USA.
Does Arike have Nigerian citizenship? Her parents are from Nigeria but she was born in Milwakee.
I’m not sure. The Ogwumikes were born in Texas, but I think they had dual citizenship. Nneka has competed for USA previously, but they released her to be selected by Nigeria. But I think FIBA intervened and banned Nigeria from selecting her. So Arike would have to be released from the USA consideration and FIBA would have to allow Nigeria to select her. It’s probably a long shot, but worth trying if she doesn’t want to wait until 2028 to hopefully be selected by USA as a 31 year old first timer
Ah ok. Yeah that's what I was curious about. Looks like Nigeria does give dual citizenship if your parent is a citizen. That would be cool. I'd love to see her compete in the Olympics.
From *The Athletic*: >Like many young players included on past rosters, Clark would have played a limited role off the bench had she made the team. Even then, it’s fair to wonder how she would have fit. The committee took players who know how to play together and have shown it. >Four [Las Vegas Aces](https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/wnba/team/aces/) (Wilson, Kelsey Plum, Chelsea Gray and [Jackie Young](https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/wnba/player/jackie-young-WDyIQNIOr09FzsiC/)) made the team. Three members of the [Phoenix Mercury](https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/wnba/team/mercury/) (Taurasi, Copper and [Brittney Griner](https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/wnba/player/brittney-griner-K7QHUiRUH8AwQVrH/)) did, too. Stewart and [Sabrina Ionescu](https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/wnba/player/sabrina-ionescu-YXsg6GHEJlMJOyGs/) are teammates with the [New York Liberty](https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/wnba/team/liberty/). And more broadly than exclusive WNBA connections, the committee went for a group rich with senior USA Basketball team service who have played games around the world alongside each other. >Clark is not a teammate of any of them and has not attended a senior national team camp because of her collegiate commitments. >That the committee decided to go this route isn’t a total surprise. It is a reflection of some past precedent. “That chemistry really speeds up the learning curve and the process,” committee member Seimone [Augustus recently told *The Athletic*](https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/podcast/287-the-athletic-womens-basketball-show/episode-72/). Augustus speaks from playing experience as a three-time gold medal winner. >The decision is also in line with the criteria the committee is tasked with using as a framework. Evaluations are based on several factors — attitude, adaptability to internal game, likelihood of contributing to team success. Popularity is not among them. We have a very deep bench of talent here in the US, and as someone else noted, we could field three teams and sweep the medals if such a thing were allowed. Cailin will get her shot, and she will excel in the Olympics. It's just not her chance this cycle. She'll get a chance to prove her mettle against the Olympic squad at the All-Star Game, and then play for Team USA in future tournaments as they work her into the program.
This is well said. Will she make the All-Star game? How does it work?
Similar to NBA’s ASG, the starters are voted on by the general public. So, that said, I see no world in where Caitlin Clark is not an all star this season.
I hope so… THATd be the biggest snub…
Oh, totally but I really don’t think there’s any way in hell that she doesn’t end up tallying the most All Star votes in the league
All star is fan voted so more than likely she will
Maybe it’s controversial but roster spots should go to your current level of play and the investment in the player to the USA team going forward. In short DT has neither. She took the sport far, but she is taking this ship no farther. It’s time to move on. Her inclusion is nothing more than the last Kobe Laker contract. An irrationally big thank you gift. On the leadership front this team has captains, gold medal winners, and wnba champs on it. If there’s one thing we’re not missing it leadership. That’s not even taking into account how ridiculously overmatched the world is against USA anyways
That's the thing where I do think USA Basketball is being very hypocritical with the "Clark snub." If it's just about basketball and that's why Clark is off the team, than Taurasi (and maybe Grey too) really shouldn't be selected. But if in DT's case it's a "she's done so much for us" selection, then frankly, Clark should be selected too for bringing new eyes to the women's game. It can't be "just basketball" if that's not the case for other selections.
If you can’t even spell Gray right you probably know nothing about her play. She’s the best point guard the US has and she played in all the camps and lead up FIBA tournaments prior to her injury. Shes a WNBA finals MVP. She will be a starter. We aren’t talking about a bench player. And there is no way they’d be replacing her with someone who doesn’t primarily play PG, hasn’t played senior level international tournaments or who has a high turnover rate.
In fairness DT has done a lot for the USA Women’s Bball team specifically, in my opinion that’s not really the same as CC getting more people to watch the sport. I also doubt either player would get significant minutes on the team anyways, and would more people really tune into the Olympic Games to see Clark play maybe 10 MPG at best?
> and would more people really tune into the Olympic Games to see Clark play maybe 10 MPG at best? Yes lol
Is the Olympics that desperate for viewers?
NBC sinks a lot of money into their Olympics coverage so maybe lol
>would more people really tune into the Olympic Games to see Clark play maybe 10 MPG at best? 20,000 attended Mystics Fever and they have 3 combined wins. People would lose their minds to see Clark get 1 shot attempt in a team USA jersey
We'd have 5 threads bitching about her playing time and another 5 showing the 2 shots she made on her average 3 for 10 night.
Why would neither player get significant minutes? Very few of the games would be close. Do they play a small rotation even in these blow outs?
Yeah they don’t run everyone. For example, in the 2020 Olympic finals Vs Japan (a decisive blowout), the end of bench players (Fowles, Phee, Atkins, Diggins-Smith) barely played. Out of that group Fowles led in MPG with 10 Guard is also insanely stacked this year. Ionescu / Plum / Jackie / Jewell / Chelsea Gray is a ridiculous rotation. Whoever the 6th guard is isn’t going to play much at all
Given this, if I was CC I’d actually be happy not play on the team. She can focus on getting in the gym, getting stronger, and probably playing more men to get at the speed - rather than having to do the Olympic tour. Having a great rookie season will be more important than being the tenth person on a USA team that will cruise to gold as usual.
You know, that makes sense but it’s not like the nba where the season is 8 months and she has quick turnaround. WNBA doesn’t start till late spring anyway so it’s not like 1-2 months that she’ll have off will make a huge difference - she would’ve had like 6 even if she played in the Olympics.
In just meant getting a month to train while not being in the spotlight, between the first and second half of the season.
It’s a combination of things including current and past level of play. Here’s how the selection committee selects the team https://www.nbcchicago.com/paris-2024-summer-olympics/how-the-usa-womens-basketball-team-for-the-2024-paris-olympics-is-determined/3458668/#
Don’t forget a players fan reaction as a qualifier
Seeing her on the list made me angry tbh. She’s so old and has done this so many times. They wanna “grow the game” and then do every single thing possible to not do that. Fucking hell
If we're being real, the real snubs are Rhyne Howard, Betnijah Laney and Allisha Gray. These are all guards who I would take over DT. They can all score but more importantly provide more perimeter defense.
FWIW, Rhyne was already announced to the 3x3 Olympic team. That said, I’m not sure what the rules are for participation in both/if Rhyne had indicated a preference for which team she wanted to compete with. But looking at it straight up and not taking the aforementioned into account, I agree that she’d be the true snub in my book.
I already know about the 3x3 with Rhyne. You can't participate in both teams at the Olympics. The 5x5 is the most prestigious team and I thought she earned it especially after the Olympic qualifiers. Rhyne and Phee were by far the best 2 players there. But Rhyne will do great in 3x3 her game is perfect for it
Ah, thanks for clarifying. See, I assumed you couldn’t, but didn’t actually know what the rules were. Yeah, I agree on the 5x5 being the more prestigious of the teams and I definitely think she deserves a spot on that roster. But to your last point, I absolutely concur that her game is perfect for the 3x3. Super excited to watch that 3x3 team go crazy this summer
I love Arike but she would have had to replace Chelsea Grey or DT. DT is way too important to the program, that if she wants to come , you do not say no. It's just how it works. She's way too respected in that program.
Considering Chelsea hasn't played a game since last October, I think Arike would be a better choice.
If she's healthy she's on the team. She's been practicing just not playing games yet.
The first game is in 6 weeks. She has been out 8 months and is still not playing games. I'm skeptical that's enough time for her to be Olympics ready.
Well you don't get to make that decision 🤷🏿♂️
Okay, weird response. Never thought I did. It's just an opinion. 🙄
Listen I get that DT is old, but if we’re going to talk about CC and what she has done and will do for women’s basketball, it’s also worth acknowledging what DT has done for women’s basketball for the last 25 years. Particularly the Olympics have always been a big deal for her, giving her a final Olympics when she is still a very good player, if well past her peak, is fine in my book. There’s only 12 spots there’s always going to be “snubs.”
It should be just about basketball. Bron is on the Olympic team but earned his spot. It might be Arike's last chance to make the team for all we know. No one can predict the future. Arike will probably lose out on sponsorship deals by not being on the team. We know that's not a problem for the other player that everyone seems to care about more. A lot of Nigerians (including the Nigerian diaspora) are avid sports fans. They would be excited to see her play. Fever fans alone can't sustainably grow the popularity of the WNBA.
The committee may have been concerned about Caitlin turning the ball over. When defeating a top team may come down to two possessions, you don’t want a point guard turning the ball over 5 or more times. BTW, toast when you hit 50, you seemed really pissed about that thought. 😂
I wish she would have just made the team so we could go a couple days without Caitlin Clark discourse, going to be even worse after First Take and Pat McAfee show tomorrow
Ironic, isn't it.
You sweet summer child, there’s always going to be discourse no matter what happens.
If she made the team then Mondays discourse would have been about white privilege. There is no escaping it.
Ill always Stand by the fact that if you have enough time on your hands to complain about privilege, you're privileged. We're all privileged. But for some reason people think that only applies to white people, which is so funny but also shows how uneducated people can be. Around 9 million people die of starvation every single year, none of those people are the ones crying on social media about privilege, because they're fucking dying. We're all privileged, and anyone trying to dance around that needs to get their head out of the unwashed ass.
JFC just leave it alone CC is at peace with it why isn't everyone else and I am saying that to both the die hard CC nutjob fans and the die hard haters all of you all STFU and move on!
I don’t think she was on the selection committee’s radar, but Kayla McBride of the Lynx is shooting 48.6 percent from 3 this season and playing an all-around game. She was the MVP of the recent EuroLeague Final Four and is a seasoned international player. At 31, a player like her makes more sense for the Olympic team than erratic, grumpy, injury-prone Diana Taurasi, age 42.
>I think the committee did itself ZERO, *and I mean ZERO,* favors with their reasoning for leaving CC off the team - justifying her omission on how her "fans would react to limited playing time" I see someone bought the bullshit Brennan has been peddling. If someone has a source that has a name and is actually involved in the decision making process I’ll be happy to believe it. Until then, it’s just someone with an axe to grind looking to bloat their social media views.
being that this is basically the last spot on the roater anyway wouldnt you want a more efficient shooter? like you said theres no shortage of leadership and its not like they need another point guard they have 3. dt’s probably going to be playing a catch and shoot role, on limited minutes
that’s what people are not understanding. clark and dt don’t play the same position any more. she doesn’t play pg so if they are already booked and pg, why pick arike and cc when you don’t need anyone else in that position.
I don’t think DT should be on the roster but that’s my opinion
It doesn’t matter USA women’s team has too much talent for any other team to even come close to beating them
>Has Diana Taurasi "earned" a spot of this team one more time? Yes. Will her experience and leadership provide an angle that both CC and AO didn't bring to the table? Yes. Was her inclusion on the roster a purely basketball motivated move? I don't think so. But that's okay. >If this was about basketball, I think Arike was the biggest snub. I 100% agree. I've been a Taurasi fan since my dad started taking me to games in 2004 and will almost always defend her to her haters (which is half the fun of being a DT fan imo), but I don't think there's any arguing that she is on the roster partially for her experience and skills and partially as a legacy pick. In no way outside of media coverage do I think Caitlin Clark has indicated that she's a better pick for an Olympic roster. If we were picking purely based on great players in their physical prime, Arike is absolutely the one who should take that spot. I'd take McBride over CC too, at this particular moment. That being said, I'm very excited to watch DT probably ride the bench for a good portion of this Olympics and hopefully give us another classic moment like her holding the ball above one of Japan's players in '21 looking like she's 7 feet tall lmao.
I think DT is well deserving of the spot. What people forget about these loaded Olympic teams is that you need an experienced game manager on the floor to help spread the ball around. This team doesn't need prime-scoring DT given how stacked it is.
All things pale compared to the 2016 snub of Candace Parker lol, so I'm just trying to ignore the noise.
All these national teams, especially the successful ones, have internal politics led by athletes that can be very petty and protective of their status and fiefdoms they've created. US Women's soccer has very much been that and is perhaps finally getting over it with the exit of an old generation and the beginnings of a new one. Seems particularly noticeable that the UConn ladies haven't loved the attention of the Caitlin Clark show for a while, so it isn't a surprise she isn't on the national team. Luckily for them, women's basketball hasn't caught up to the US like it did in soccer, so they won't receive the same level of scrutiny when the tourney gets going because they will win regardless.
I first want to say I am fine with CC not being included. I personally wouldn't have included her for a number of reasons. Let's got on with the spice. People talk about CC not being efficient but Arike is even less efficient, granted I would pick Arike over CC for the roster.
I haven't been able to watch Arike play yet, so can someone tell me why this sub is thirsty about someone 24 shots per game and only hitting 36% of them?
Her [highlight mix is crazy](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMbhBF_1x4E). She's special.
Why is it thirsty about someone who shoots 18 a game and only hits 36% of them while turning the ball over 1.3 times more than the next closest player and being a defensive turnstile?
Arike is useless on the Olympic team. An inefficient shot chucker doesn't really add anything to the team and is hard to integrate into an offense (aka she would be riding the bench if added) because there's other players who are not only better scorers, but understand how to play within the confines of a team offense. Caitlin at least brings new dimensions to the team with her elite passing, deep three point range, and gravitational effects. Like Stephen Curry, there's not a team Caitlin wouldn't be additive to. Meanwhile, Arike is like Tyler Herro and will shoot you out of games.
CC was 100% snubbed. Life changing viewership could've changed the sport for decades to come.
> If this is about politics, team chemistry, and representing the USA well, this team is perfect. this is right on. if the main concern was getting eyeballs on the game, and more people watching women's sports? the biggest snub was CC if it's about skill and talent and finding the most skilled and talented players at their peak? then it's ogunbowale
There is a possibility of a change or two due to injuries. We will just of to wait and see.
yeah it’s definitely not “right” that it’s not all about basketball, but it’s not shocking. decisions like these always have politics at play. and i wouldn’t say anyone necessarily got snubbed - there’s only 12 spots available and more than 12 olympic-qualified athletes. it doesn’t mean someone’s not a talented player if they can’t make this very limited roster.
Exactly!!!!!!
I legit was looking for her name specifically because jeff Teague always props her up on his pod and the way he talks I was kinda shocked to not see her name
My thoughts are that they pay folk to select the team. Let them do what they are paid for.
Agreed Arike is putting up some great numbers. But one thing critics harp on about Carlin is her FGs. Here’s Arike’s: Arike= 8-21, 7-30 (!),11-24,8-20,9-28,10-23. Not great numbers……. Not saying Arike isn’t deserving but Caitlin is under a HUGE microscope and doesn’t take nearly as many shots.
Baloney You aren't on the committee. A gun like Arike doesn't won in Olympics
No notes.
Good post
Arike is amazing based on what I’ve seen this year. Definitely caught my attention today holy shit
She’s shooting 33% from the field & 30% from 3pt. Lol
| CC lovers and haters, Haters? Caitlyn Clark IS the WNBA.
What do you need on the team from the 12th player? Really? Nothing. But with CC you bring a ton of viewers and press. Does that not have value?
USA Basketball is not the WNBA. Sure they choose American players who mostly play in the W, but they are not the same organization. Their only obligations are to choose the best players, not who people think are the most popular.
Arike playing on the Nigerian team in 2024 Olympics. She is from Nigeria.
Arike is a inefficient ball hog tho
No doubt. Arike is the biggest snub
It’s about money and viewership. You get the viewership because that leads to more people playing and more superstars which make more money happen etc. since you win gold either way, it’s brain dead to not maximize the reach of a potential star. And one who already has brought millions more eyeballs to the sport.
Clark brings viewers whether or not people like to admit it. The women’s team won’t get as many views because she’s not playing.
Arike is way too selfish of a player to make an Olympic roster. They value teamwork, experience, and proven individual efficiency/results in those who make the team. Arike is neither a team player, nor an efficient shooter. She just chucks em up and they either go in or they don't. She's absolutely a clutch player for her team, but that's not good enough when there's this much talent in the US.
Olympics used to be about amateur competitors playing each other. I would love to see a team of rookies playing a competitive FIBA competition. Including CC would increase brand awareness and exposure. I think they should move the rules like soccer. A couple exceptions, but mainly up and coming talent. Team USA is likely to win regardless so why not include new comers? Does DT need another appearance in the Olympics?
I feel like every game she shoots 27 times and scores 22 pts.
If they're going to win the gold by a mile, why not put the most popular player ever on the team to grow the sport.
The only time I would argue that there was a legitimate snub was when Candace Parker was left off the roster. I’ve never looked at the committee or the process the same again. I’m also not a fan of DT being on the roster yet again but I don’t have much arguments against it that aren’t rooted in pettiness.
This can be forgiven but until they recognize their mistake, this organization should not talk about anything related to making money for the league and players.
The list of rookies who have made the team is a short list. Not a snub. The problem remains that the majority of her big fans don’t know enough about the WNBA and talent so in their mind she = women’s basketball, she’s on a pedestal. The bad takes I’m seeing are “if she’s not on the team I’m not watching”. That is not growing the game. Chelsea Gray will be the butter question mark. To the edit. That “quote” was allegedly from other players and I’m not buying that shit at all.
Does Gray and Young both deserve it over Arike?
I think leaving CC off the roster is a big blunder. The WNBA can't seem to figure out what to do with their new star. People are watching now and want to see CC play on the world stage. A significant number of people watching CC don't know \*a single other WNBA player\*. CC brings eye balls to the sport. With how poorly it seems the WNBA is handling her now, there's no guarantee that this interest CC has drummed up in the WNBA survives four years. Failing to keep the pedal on the floor right now with CC and capitalizing on her current fame is a huge waste.
All facts. Great perspective.
i disagree cause she would not make me watch the women's olympic team and cc would. it really is that simple. at this point they are just costing themselves money for pride.
Arike is too much of a chucker
100% agree with the full statement