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USA Today: Caitlin will not be selected for Olympic Women's Basketball Team

Caitlin is mature beyond her years. More so than many of the older players.
I don't think its maturity as much as she is far smarter than they are, especially when it comes to marketing and promotion. Players like A'ja Wilson would do well to follow her example, although A'ja hasn't really done anything terrible that I have seen.
 
I don't think its maturity as much as she is far smarter than they are, especially when it comes to marketing and promotion. Players like A'ja Wilson would do well to follow her example, although A'ja hasn't really done anything terrible that I have seen.
She really has been remarkable for years. Almost always saying the right thing in front of a microphone, signing thousands of autographs, not only turning the other cheek but publicly praising those who have gotten crosswise with fans and media for antics, etc. she has taken away almost every narrative the petty vets and establishment can start. No invite to team USA is about the last political damage they can do, and she still turned the cheek in public. Nothing new but lots of athletes - men and women - can learn from her.
 
The reach of Caitlin Clark news and this story still amazes me. They brought this topic up on a morning hits channel in Orlando. Not sports talk radio, two FM morning show hosts. Quantifying this boggles my mind.
With the NBA Finals in progress, this IS the story. By the way, both hosts were shocked she was left off. The noise surrounding this story is deafening.
It is literally something we've never seen before......
 
I wonder what the end game is. Invite? No invite? Implosion of ratings for the Olympics? Overhaul of the selection process and committee?
 
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I wonder what the end game is. Invite? No invite? Implosion of ratings for the Olympics? Overhaul of the selection process and committee?
I don't know how you invite a player to a team where a significant portion of the team does not want her there. The time to address that would have been before all this where you can give those players an option. Or, you do the same thing now, "Clark is part of this team. You can choose to play with her and be a good team mate or you can choose to walk through that door and never come back." Maybe that's what they should do with these players. If they walk, it won't be hard to replace them. There are plenty of talented players they can replace them with. The team might be better off if they did that.
 
SIAP, I’m sure it has, but Stephen and Shannon destroyed the snub.

only one word to add to Stephan A.'s rant.... AMEN

Pop Tv Bb21 GIF by Big Brother After Dark
 
SIAP, I’m sure it has, but Stephen and Shannon destroyed the snub.


Man, most of the time I can’t stand smith. However, not only is he quite entertaining and funny during this segment but he is 100% spot on. He put Andrea and that other girl in their place and watching their expressions, which smith said at the beginning he wanted to make sure he could see their faces, was quite hilarious.
 


The Sky are so unlikeable

The entire WNBA wanted eyeballs on their product.

Well, Caitlin brought the eyeballs and nobody likes what the hell they are seeing.

I bet Caitlin is NOW happy she signed that $3.5M/year deal for 8 years with Nike; she gets the money no matter what self destruction occurs in the WNBA
 
I don't know how you invite a player to a team where a significant portion of the team does not want her there. The time to address that would have been before all this where you can give those players an option. Or, you do the same thing now, "Clark is part of this team. You can choose to play with her and be a good team mate or you can choose to walk through that door and never come back." Maybe that's what they should do with these players. If they walk, it won't be hard to replace them. There are plenty of talented players they can replace them with. The team might be better off if they did that.
Any that balked or walked at Clark's inclusion on the team would be very bad publicity for them and likely curtail present and future endorsement deals. I like your idea.
 
I can't imagine how the international game is more physical than the WNBA. What, are they throwing right crosses when they set picks?

Also, I take issue with the "defensive liability" claims. It's obviously not the strength of her game but she holds her own out there. The Fever just don't play good team defense so when that happens then nobody plays good defense.
Both NBA and WNBA players who have competed at the International level have stated that defensive play is much more physical. Numerous articles speak of the physical style of play and the lenient officiating standards in international competition. As for "defensive liability", Caitlin came from a system at Iowa that played a lot of zone and relied on their offense to outscore opponents. Obviously Caitlin's value to the team at Iowa was on her offensive skills. The biggest adjustment for players coming into the WNBA is on the defensive end. In close games, the Fever have to do an offensive-defensive switch to take Caitlin out otherwise teams look for her matchup.
 
ave you seen Plum play defense? She is horrible and worse than Caitlin. Nobody mentions that.
Kelsey Plum has a defensive rating of 98.1 (ranking her 77th) Caitlin has a defensive rating of 110.7(ranking her 126th) -- out of 140 WNBA players.

 
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And so DT who can't guard these younger players just fouls them or throws them to the floor because she can't keep up with them, and you think thats a better outcome? Okay then......
Taurasi's defensive rating so far this season is 98.2 (ranking her 78th), Clark's defensive rating is 110.7 (ranking her 126th) out of 140 WNBA players.

 
Lolol.. And that would be absolutely FINE if thats what this was. Unfortunately no one can say that this is the best possible team. There is no way at 42 that DT is one of the best 15 players. She's not. And having a player on the roster who may not even be able to play shoots another whole in that theory. You said it yourself. Why is Arika not on that roster instead of several others?
As I said, Arika should have been selected. I also think Dearica Hamby -- but this is based on what I have seen this season so far. A lot more goes into selecting a team than just personal stats. ESPN did a wonderful documentary on the 1996 WBB Dream Team coached by Tara VanDerveer -- it gives good insight into how a team is put together. Taurasi isn't the same player at 42 as she was 5 years ago physically -- but her leadership and other intangibles cannot be overlooked. On the Men's side you have old man LaBron who has played the second most minutes ever along with Leonard and Embid who both have histories of injury issues.
 
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Does 42 year old Diana Taurasi really belong on the team?

22-year-old Caitlin Clark's numbers are just as good as hers
Clark's offensive numbers in her 13 games are just as good as Taurasi this season -- but there are several factors that go into selecting a team besides popularity and similar offensive stats. Caitlin will no doubt be ready in 2028.
 
This story isn't going away.

Christine of USA Today broke this story on Friday night, June 7, of course.

She's been covering women's basketball for 40 years. She's reported on the women's basketball team at every Olympics since 1984. She has stated, and I quote, "I’ve watched the stunning lack of coverage & lack of interest every time....leaving Caitlin Clark off the 2024 US Olympic women’s basketball team matters, a lot."


Check this out & watch:


 
Both NBA and WNBA players who have competed at the International level have stated that defensive play is much more physical. Numerous articles speak of the physical style of play and the lenient officiating standards in international competition. As for "defensive liability", Caitlin came from a system at Iowa that played a lot of zone and relied on their offense to outscore opponents. Obviously Caitlin's value to the team at Iowa was on her offensive skills. The biggest adjustment for players coming into the WNBA is on the defensive end. In close games, the Fever have to do an offensive-defensive switch to take Caitlin out otherwise teams look for her matchup.
Well, from what I can tell until some sort of system is installed with this team nobody plays good defense. Until they can fix the issues at the top it is never going to improve.
 
This story isn't going away.

Christine of USA Today broke this story on Friday night, June 7, of course.

She's been covering women's basketball for 40 years. She's reported on the women's basketball team at every Olympics since 1984. She has stated, and I quote, "I’ve watched the stunning lack of coverage & lack of interest every time....leaving Caitlin Clark off the 2024 US Olympic women’s basketball team matters, a lot."


Check this out & watch:


I have to say i had my day of rage yesterday. Given the response of talking heads aligned with the W, I’ve accepted she ain’t on the team, ain’t getting on the team, and I’m pretty much over it. Unless there is new news I’m out on team USA.
 
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