Even as she struggled through the first month of her WNBA season, Caitlin Clark believed she would make Team USA’s roster for the Paris Olympics. In an interview with Time on Tuesday, which named her its 2024 Female Athlete of the Year, Clark spoke out for the first time about the national team’s snub.

Clark, a rookie sensation in the WNBA last season, became aware of USA Basketball’s decision after the Indiana Fever won and increased their record to 3-9. During that time, Clark says, “I gave them a lot of reasons to stay away from the team with my play.” Clark averaged 16.8 points and 6.3 assists per game to start the season, but posted a 37.3 shooting percentage percent and achieved 5.8 turnovers per game.

The selection committee prioritized veterans with more international experience. Diana Taurasi, Chelsea Gray, Jewell Loyd, Kelsey Plum, Kahleah Copper, Jackie Young and Sabrina Ionescu were selected as multiple All-Stars who had previously represented the United States at the Olympics or FIBA ​​World Cup. Clark agreed that it would have been difficult to remove any of those established players to include them, and she also said that she did not want to be added simply to increase viewership for the games, as some fans and media were for her Admission pleaded.

Still, Clark’s body of work, dating back to her college career at Iowa, led her to believe she would still compete for a spot on the roster. Other WNBA No. 1 picks had made the Olympic team as rookies, including Taurasi, Candace Parker and Breanna Stewart. Clark’s college performances at Iowa rivaled those before her, and her WNBA performances were on the rise. After she posted 30 points, eight rebounds and six assists in a win over the Washington Mystics, Clark said she texted her agent hoping the performance would get her in the committee’s good graces.

It wasn’t enough. USA Basketball had more veterans than in previous cycles – these were the first Olympics in which Carol Callan was not the director of the women’s basketball program – and Clark remained in the USA. Although she was disappointed, she said her celebrity alone didn’t deserve an invitation.

“This whole narrative kind of upset me,” Clark said. “Because that’s not fair. It’s disrespectful to the people who were on the team, who deserved it and were really good. And it’s also disrespectful to myself.”

Although she missed out on a gold medal, Clark’s rookie season benefited from the month-long break while Team USA competed in Paris and won gold. After halftime, their scoring, assists and shooting percentages improved, and Indiana went 9-5 to secure its first playoff berth in eight seasons. Competing in the Olympics remains a high priority for Clark. She said making the team in 2028 was a “huge, huge goal.” Given the rapid progress Clark made during her first professional season, it’s hard to imagine her inclusion in 2028 being controversial.

This article originally appeared in The Athletic.

Indiana Fever, WNBA

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