You think Laettner was put on the same roster as Jordan, Bird, Magic, Barkley, etc., to add eyeballs?
It’s already been explained why he was picked, you couldn’t be more wrong.
WNBA didn’t pick the Olympic team,
USA Basketball won't address tweets from coach Cheryl Reeve that referenced Caitlin Clark
- Thread starter NorthernHawkeye
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It’s already been explained why he was picked, you couldn’t be more wrong.
Laetner was added because they chose to include an amateur player and decided giving the spot to the NCAA National Player of the Year was the most fair way of choosing. Shaq was clearly going to be the bigger star.
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Women’s basketball is run by idiots. They have no interest in growing the game or increasing viewership.
I’ll remember the brilliance of Cheryl Reeve the next time they complain about pay. Like the salary cap isn’t tied to league revenue.
I’ll remember the brilliance of Cheryl Reeve the next time they complain about pay. Like the salary cap isn’t tied to league revenue.
This is all blessing in disguise. Wouldn't surprise me a bit if the bball team travels down the same road as the soccer team, dividing America along the way.
CC should explore other options, similar to Gustafson. She'd look good in an Australian or Great Britain uniform.
CC should explore other options, similar to Gustafson. She'd look good in an Australian or Great Britain uniform.
Paris is 7 hours ahead of Iowa, so if you’re watching live, those would be approximately early to midafternoon for the medal events I’d imagine. Won’t be as bad as previous games in Tokyo.
could have been millions and one but not this year. I'm cheering for Russia.
They reserved a spot for one college player. Laettner was the biggest college star at the time. I couldn't be more right...
She definitely should not explore playing for Ireland or Italy despite her ability to do so given her heritage. This would alienate a big part of her fanbase and drive even more of a divide between her and the other WNBA players and coaches.
CC is doing everything right. That's what is so funny about the hate from other players, coaches, and fans. She just needs to continue to take the high road in all of this and continue to improve her game. 20 years from now we'll all look back and laugh at players like Taurasi for trying to ostracize Clark when CC is the all time leading scorer in WNBA history.
Heritage is a qualifier? Don't have to be a citizen? Gustafson gained citizenship.
Her going to play for a different country at this point makes her look spoiled/stuck up. She needs to keep her head down ball out the next four years in the WNBA and then be the face of the USWNT when the Olympics come around in 2028.
Not certain. I heard a discussion on one of the sports journalist shows that mentioned she could play for Ireland or Italy because of her heritage. They could have been mistaken.
According to this, you have to be a citizen. So probably not an option as I would guess gaining citizenship would take awhile.
Either way, playing for a country other than USA, would be a dumb move.
Yeah, not when they allow traitors like Griner on the team. Almost seems like they want to become the US women's soccer as far as being disliked.
I know lol. I was alluding to all the time she has spent in Russia that last few years.
You honestly think people watched the Dream Team to watch Laettner?They reserved a spot for one college player. Laettner was the biggest college star at the time. I couldn't be more right...
Some did, yes. He was coming off a tourney where he dominated and had an iconic game winner. There were strictly college fans that watched the Olympics because he was on the team.
Being in the top 20 in scoring in a league with 60 starters does not really help with your point.
Top third doesn't matter? Really? Because no one else in the history of the league has done it as a rookie in this many games.
Every sport seems to have it's own version of it, have to make those uppity rookies earn their stripes you know...
Yes, I fully realize it's stupid.
What Caitlin is going through isn't hazing though. It is deliberately malicious and toxic workplace behavior.
Every single company that has a contract with the wnba should be stepping in an stopping this.
I wonder, back in the day, whose place Larry Bird and Magic Johnson took when they were selected to the :”Dream Team”? Neither of those two were really honestly “seas-worthy” NBA players at the time of their selection to the Dream Team……But they had CREDENTIALS. So Caitlin obviously doesn’t have the CREDENTIALS that here 12 counterparts who are on the team, have. Interesting.
NOw honestly, other than the pettiness involved (on BOTH sides) here, I give a shit o if #22 is a member or not of the Olympic Team….but dont tell me that the GREATEST SCORER and one of the leading assist makers of USA women’s basketball who lead her college team the the FINALS of the NCAA Collegiate Tournament TWO years in a row, doesn’t have the credibility to be on this basketball team. These women really are cutting their nose off to spite their face. Does the WNBA use the same folks for their PR the the U of Iowa does to run their Athletic Departmenta?
NOw honestly, other than the pettiness involved (on BOTH sides) here, I give a shit o if #22 is a member or not of the Olympic Team….but dont tell me that the GREATEST SCORER and one of the leading assist makers of USA women’s basketball who lead her college team the the FINALS of the NCAA Collegiate Tournament TWO years in a row, doesn’t have the credibility to be on this basketball team. These women really are cutting their nose off to spite their face. Does the WNBA use the same folks for their PR the the U of Iowa does to run their Athletic Departmenta?
You sure about that? Also, she is the focal point of every defense she’s played and she’s on one of the worst teams. Imagine if she weren’t the focal point.
The top 12 argument is weak at best.
Having never watched the WNBA before, I have zero idea how much of the on-court stuff she's experienced is typical vs unique to her.
But that's the trouble with everyone's defense of hazing, isn't it? Be it the workplace, school, sororities/fraternities where hazing happens. It's all in good fun until it isn't.
I wonder if the rules are different for different sports because there are numerous American citizens wrestling for other countries.
Magic was actually already retired from the NBA. He had tested positive for HIV shortly after the 1991 Finals and as I recall there was some issue with players from other countries threatening to not play against Magic for fear of getting infected.
Bird was limited by a back injury. Strictly in terms of putting the best possible team on the floor, Larry Johnson or Dominique Wilkins would have been a better choice than Bird at that point in his career. And Isiah Thomas or Tim Hardaway probably were better options than Magic, although Jordan might not have played if Thomas was on the team. Kevin Johnson and Mark Price also would have been good options.
But they didn’t have to worry about putting the absolute best team possible on the court because it was a foregone conclusion that they were going to win gold with ease.
That team was assembled as much for the star power as it was the talent. They wanted the biggest names, even if they weren’t necessarily still the best players.
And that's what they should have done here for the same reason. Take the top 8 WNBA players and 4 of your favorite posters here and the US is winning the gold with ease.
They should have included CC and they could have even included Reese and maybe Brink.
The NBA took off in popularity after the Dream Team. Part of it was the international exposure and of course part of it was Michael Jordan.
Not saying CC is anywhere near MJ in popularity but she's the MJ of the WNBA right now. She could bring international eyes to the women's game. People clearly are polarized by her logo threes. Strike while the iron is hot. Who knows what the landscape will look like 4 years from now.
Team USA is going to sleepwalk to the Gold Medal. They don’t need to pick the 12 best to win it. They need relevancy.
They decided to give Taurasi her 6th Gold Medal instead of letting Clark start her Olympic career. Ensuring she’ll never match Taurasi’s record.
It’s just the old WNBA gatekeepers doing more of what they’ve been doing since Clark arrived in the League.
They decided to give Taurasi her 6th Gold Medal instead of letting Clark start her Olympic career. Ensuring she’ll never match Taurasi’s record.
It’s just the old WNBA gatekeepers doing more of what they’ve been doing since Clark arrived in the League.
Why both sides? Seems clark has handled this with grace as always, and those who back her are correct to do so.
Caitlin’s NOT being selected hardly qualifies as one of the world’s greatest injustices. #22 has it right….”move on”..Social media is what gives this story any credence. I find both sides cries of “Foul” ridiculous.
And right now, US women’s basketball does not have the same expectation for Olympic gold? Come on…. There’s is a bullshit/petty argument. You and I both know it. Caitlin DESERVES a spot on this team because of her basketball accomplishments the past 2-3 seasons. Her problem apparently is she just isn’t one of the girls, yet. But again…. Caitlin is taking the “high road” here…a lesson all of us might learn from.
