Not Such a Dream Team

Checking in on the Caitlin Clark v everyone else in women’s basketball saga: it was announced over the weekend that Clark would be left off the 12 person Olympic team roster.

Clark took the high road Sunday, calling the team the “toughest” to make. Some have said Clark wasn’t denied, just delayed (assuming she’ll be on the next Olympic team in 2028). 

You can think back to when Michael Jordan, due to bitterness, left Isiah Thomas off the Olympic team three decades ago and draw parallels to this situation. It seems everyone not named Caitlin Clark has real bitterness towards her.

Clark’s WNBA coach, Christie Sides, said her player told her that this “woke a monster.”  Despite this, the news might be a blessing in disguise for Clark, who, theoretically, will play on a handful of olympic teams over the course of her career.

But as a rookie, she just went from finishing a long college basketball season, to diving right into her first professional season, where the complaints have been about how rough she’s been treated. Then, in the middle of that season, she would have to go overseas to play in the Olympics.

Maybe a few weeks off for Clark this summer will actually do her some good. More so than playing in the Olympics in her first year.