Ready for the most logical solution in the history of the planet? Clark and Ogunbowale over Griner and Gray. Done. Everybody is happy
USA Basketball won't address tweets from coach Cheryl Reeve that referenced Caitlin Clark
- Thread starter NorthernHawkeye
- Start date
If CC hadn't played for Iowa the majority of you wouldn't give two squirts of piss about her so quit whining.
Look at you, participating in a sports thread for the first time in your life. Congrats! Now back you go to whining about politics 24/7, it’s what you do best.
Disht realize the population of the state if Iowa tripled in size during Clark's run to the finals this year. 12m viewers
To look at this another way. Is it better if a small number of people watch the WNBA with the team win gold or is it better if millions more people watch the women win Olympic gold because one of the players is at max popularity right now.
I can't imagine that the women winning gold with the fewest possible viewers trumps the enjoyment of millions of people also sharing on it because CC22 is on the team.
I can't imagine that the women winning gold with the fewest possible viewers trumps the enjoyment of millions of people also sharing on it because CC22 is on the team.
Right. And what are they going to say she doesn't have enough international experience in 2028 since she didn't play in 2024?
It seems like it would be wise to get her feet wet this Olympics (when a gold is very likely whether she's on the roster or not) so she is more comfortable in 2028 when the buildup is going to be massive. Further, she's not a token add this year, her ability to stretch the floor with her shooting could be useful pending matchups.
Here’s the thing. If women’s basketball hadn’t proven themselves to be jealous and vindictive from the start, and the two USA bball vets hadn’t come out and said she was left off bc of her fan following’s reaction to playing time, it wouldn’t have been a big deal.
Is CC played for UConn, this wouldn't even be a discussion.
If CC had played for UConn I wouldn’t give two squirts of piss about her. But I guarantee Diana Taurasi would have an entirely different view of her as well. DT was pretty salty about Iowa beating her alma mater.
90% change that if Caitlin Clark did not exist, Taurisi and Ol' Stewie would be rigging it so Paige Bueckers using same reasons for Clarke being on team.
What are the attendance records or TV ratings for her games? That shouldn't matter here I admit, unless you're trying to grow the game and gain exposure for a sport that until 2 months ago like 10,000 people tuned into watch and even fewer showed up to games.
Lately I have been trying to ignore this subject since the fringes of the conservative and liberal wings of the political party’s have co-opted this as a rallying point for their side. Caitlin doesn’t deserve to be used as a pawn for others political grievances.
As coach Bluder and others in this post have pointed out the Olympic team has picked a rookie rising star to be on the team to show them the ropes and take under their wings so to speak so when they are no longer rookies they can do the same and have the experience to lead the National team.
DT could pass the torch to Caitlin if she wanted to. Griner has only play one game this year so far, Gray hasn’t played since last year. I agree Arike should be on the team, as should Clark.
There is definitely gate keeping this year for whatever reason. It doesn’t matter what the reasoning is it’s wrong and others in the W and Olympic committee should speak out against it.
They have won 7 Olympic golds in a row, it has not helped grow the women’s game. Hell I believe I read they have only lost 1 Olympic game since 1992? Having Clark on the team isn’t going to lose them the gold. It’s an excuse.
How often is arike getting blitzed? Caitlin isn't ready and sucks so bad the entire wnba has adopted a uniform high pressure defense against her. No one in the league now or ever before has faced this level of defensive pressure and Caitlin is still setting rookie records.
Arike isn't better than Caitlin.
They left her off because her being on the team would expose how shitty they have treated Caitlin. If she all of sudden dropped 50 points on the international stage because she isn't facing that kind of defensive attention what would it make the wnba look like?
Let him roll. He never knew what “blitz” meant in basketball until four days ago, so he’s feeling himself on it.
I'm not sure what's worse some of the political takes or sports takes on these boards. CC is great, but there are easy reasons to demonstrate why others are on the team or would have a better argument if they replaced an injured Gray. FTR idc if they would add CC... but I'm not crying about it either.
First paragraph is correct, second isn't. You're giving the WNBA way too much credit to think about how a decision would affect something. They left her off because they're morons who don't like her and that's pretty much it
Millions do watch the Olympic team. I’m not sure I buy the argument that Clark playing 5-10 minutes per game is moving the ratings that much.
I'm more thinking Americans overall watching. The WNBA just set new viewership records, the Olympic viewership wouldn't be static with previous years, it would be increased, guaranteed. I'm sure internationally, where there seems to be more women's basketball interests that there would also be an increase. I honestly don't care as much about the ratings.
I just think if they want to grow the WNBA and women's game, the "powers that be" could have done a hell of a lot better with their handling of Clark.
They're blowing a golden opportunity.
They seemed to think they should just treat this season like any other, and not have to do anything extra, despite having 6 months of evidence about how Clark drove media coverage.
If nothing else, they needed to do a better job with vets of handling the PR side of it better. The hazing stuff which is mostly typical of any high profile rookie imo looks petty when combined with the comments they’ve made publicly.
It just amazes me that a huge portion of the WNBA seems to have succumbed to petty jealously instead of realizing that her celebrity can raise all of their boats.
Ultimately dumb and counterproductive.
What a stupid response by you. Tell me genius. Why is she facing that level of defensive pressure coming into the league to a team that lost almost all their games the last two years? Explain it basketball genius
The precedent has never been the top 12 players. Taurasi was taken her rookie season with lesser numbers than Caitlin.
Caitlin should be there instead of Taurasi. Way better numbers this season if you're talking talent based.
Way bigger draw to help the game grow if we are leaving out talent. The same reason Magic and Bird were on the Dream Team in '92. Huge names to help grow the game internationally. There were far better players that could have had their spot.
I mean, I can semi get it from the perspective of the older generation of players - the swoopes, taurasis, etc. they were there at the birth of the WNBA, did all the groundwork…but never really got their due from the avg American sports fan, and sports media didn’t do much. So I get them not being happy with this spunky 22 year old whose accomplished more in the last 2 years of driving greater interest in women’s basketball than they did the previous 30.
What they seem unable to do is realize their frustration ought to be with the sports media who largely weren’t paying attention not Clark, who has said all the right things publicly at every opportunity, credited the previous generations of players, etc.
And too many in sports media are completely blind to the fact they’re part of the problem.
Tired of this argument. Taursi has emeritus status, is still playing well and has earned the right to have one last run thru the Olympics. League was also in its infancy when she was a rookie compared to now, not really a fair comparison when looking at stats.
The only player there an argument for imo is the Chelsea gray player who’s still recovering from injury and hasn’t played yet.
What is the argument to make the team? Career resume? 2024 resume? Experience? Or is it just who's better?
If its career resume, then everything they've said is bullshit. Experience is BS because #1 picks have been on the team before. 2024 resume? Griner, Gray, Taurasi don't have an argument. If it's just who's a better player that list gets bigger. Im sure this will get blowback but Does anyone really think Plum is a better player than Clark? I'd take CC 100 out of 100 times. Have them switch teams and get back to me
If its career resume, then everything they've said is bullshit. Experience is BS because #1 picks have been on the team before. 2024 resume? Griner, Gray, Taurasi don't have an argument. If it's just who's a better player that list gets bigger. Im sure this will get blowback but Does anyone really think Plum is a better player than Clark? I'd take CC 100 out of 100 times. Have them switch teams and get back to me
Bill Burr? That bit is years old and came way before Caitlin Clark was in the public eye. He was taking the piss out of some ESPN pudents saying that women athletes should be paid as much as men.
There is no "emeritus" status for the argument of "We have to select the 12 best players" which is what one camp is claiming for the omission of Caitlin.
Further, if we are putting people on the team based on "status" other than their top 12 standing then you should certainly put CC on the team for her "superstar" status.
The fact that these aren't the top 12 players is the very reason CC should be on the team. But the selection committee is too dumb to do that.
Lastly, they're going to win gold by a mile regardless of who the 9-12 players are so, again, you add players that are going to bring eyeballs. Just like Christian Laettner in '92.
So has WNBA leadership apparently
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Good for you.
But those running the league have to think about it every single day and try to execute it.
