As preparations continue for the United States women's basketball team at the 2024 Olympics, Indiana Fever rookie Caitlin Clark is unlikely to be included on the final roster.
Per a report from The Athletic, Clark is expected to be left off the roster with head coach Cheryl Reeve and her staff favoring more veteran players.
Clark was among the 14 players who received an invitation to participate in camp with Team USA in April. She was unable to participate in the event because it was held from April 3-5 in the midst of Iowa's run to the national title game during the NCAA tournament.
"You always want to grow up and be on the Olympic team, but lucky for me, I have the opportunity of possibly not doing that because I want to be at the Final Four playing basketball with my team," Clark said after receiving her invite. "But if not, that's where I'll be. People that are on that roster are people that I idolize and have idolized growing up. Just to be extended a camp invite is something you have to be proud of and celebrate and enjoy."
Clark has emerged as one of the biggest stars in all of women's basketball after a historic four-year run with the Hawkeyes. She was the top pick in the 2024 WNBA draft, but her professional career is off to a slow start.
The 22-year-old is averaging 16.8 points on 37.3 percent shooting, 6.3 assists and 5.3 rebounds per game in 12 starts. She scored a career-high 30 points on 7-of-13 three-point shooting in the Fever's 85-83 win over the Washington Mystics on Friday night.
Even with Clark potentially not making the final roster, the U.S. team is going to be loaded when it goes to Paris.
The Athletic noted A'ja Wilson, Breanna Stewart, Diana Taurasi, Brittney Griner, Alyssa Thomas, Napheesa Collier, Jewell Loyd, Kelsey Plum, Jackie Young, Sabrina Ionescu, Chelsea Gray and Kahleah Copper are all going to be on the team.
From that group, Taurasi, Gray, Griner, Loyd, Plum, Stewart, Wilson and Young all have previous Olympic experience. Ionescu would be making her first Olympic appearance after winning gold with Team USA at the 2022 FIBA World Cup.
The WNBA season will be taking a hiatus from July 21 to Aug. 14 for the Olympics. Team USA will open the tournament in Group C with Germany, Japan and Belgium. Its first game will be against Japan on July 29.
The United States has won seven straight Olympic gold medals dating back to the 2000 Games. It has medaled in 11 of 12 Olympics since women's basketball was added to the list of events in 1976.
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