While Caitlin Clark was disappointed to miss out on the 2024 Summer Olympics, the Indiana Fever star wanted to earn a spot on Team USA on merit rather than any off-court benefits her presence would've yielded.

"I don't want to be there because I'm somebody that can bring attention," she said to Time's Sean Gregory. "I love that for the game of women's basketball. But at the same time, I want to be there because they think I'm good enough. I don't want to be some little person that is kind of dragged around for people to cheer about and only watch because I'm sitting on the bench.

"That whole narrative kind of upset me. Because that is not fair. It's disrespectful to the people that were on the team, that had earned it and were really good. And it's also disrespectful to myself. "

Clark's exclusion from the Olympic squad was a contentious call by USA Basketball.

The 6'0" guard had a legendary career at Iowa. She figures to be a fixture on the national team for a decade or more. Putting her on the roster promised even more attention toward Team USA thanks to her massive popularity. And there was precedent for a WNBA rookie making the cut (Candace Parker in 2008 and Breanna Stewart in 2016).

For all of those factors, a large outcry followed her omission.

Clark's performance across the second half of the season only intensified the sense of injustice. She went on to earn first-team All-WNBA honors and finish fourth in the MVP voting.

Still, it's again worth pointing out the evidence from which USA Basketball based its decision at the time.

When the roster was finalized in mid-June, Clark had averaged 16.8 points on 37.3 percent shooting along with 6.3 assists to 5.6 turnovers through 12 games. She simply wasn't performing at an elite level as she adjusted to life in the WNBA.

Thanks to Iowa reaching the 2024 Final Four, Clark also missed Team USA's training camp in April, which was a missed opportunity to showcase her skills directly in front of the coaching staff.

Just as USA Basketball had some compelling reasons to select the 22-year-old, leaving her off was a defensible call.

In the end, it worked out for everyone. The United States went on to win gold in Paris, and it probably wasn't a coincidence that Clark looked refreshed after getting to spend a few weeks not playing basketball.