Dawn Staley and Caitlin Clark at an NCAA awards conference.LAPRESSE
Whether she wants it to be the case or not, everything that happens to Caitlin Clark on and off the court will be covered extensively by the national media.
So when Team USA’s roster for the 2024 Summer Olympics was announced and Clark’s name wasn’t on it, many fans were outraged. And the decision is still being talked about up until today. Now, Clark’s fans are taking it out on a rival head coach of hers from her Iowa days.
How Dawn Staley played a role in Caitlin Clark’s Olympics snub
A report came out that Dawn Staley, South Carolina’s current head coach, is part of the five-person selection committee that decided who makes the Olympic team.
The roster is selected by the women’s basketball committee. This includes South Carolina coach and former U.S. coach Dawn Staley, LSU assistant Seimone Augustus, Old Dominion coach Delisha Milton-Jones, Connecticut Sun president Jennifer Rizzotti and WNBA head of league operations Bethany Donaphin.
Staley’s South Carolina team spoiled Clark’s dream of winning the NCAA Championship in her final season. While fans are using that as a reason for why she may not have voted for Clark to make the team, it doesn’t seem like it’s personal at all.
After South Carolina defeated Iowa in April, Staley had this to say about Clark.
“I want to personally thank Caitlin Clark for lifting up our sport. She carried a heavy load for our sport, and it’s not just going to stop here. But when she’s the No. 1 pick in the WNBA Draft, she’s going to lift that league up as well. So Caitlin Clark if you’re out there, you are one of the GOATs of our game, and we appreciate you”.
It’s clear the selection committee’s decision came down to players having more experience.
Jason Whitlock sees Caitlin Clark as the victim of anti-white, anti-heterosexual bigotry
Caitlin Clark was left of the US Olympic basketball team because she’s a white heterosexual woman in a world that has substituted ‘Christian/patriarchal culture’ for ‘secular/matriarchal culture,’ according to conservative sports podcaster Jason Whitlock.
‘The Yas Queens and Khaleesi Queens create eunuchs, sluts, uneducated, thuggish r******, identity dysphoria, and chaos,’ Whitlock wrote on X, pointing the finger at everyone he blames for Clark’s Olympic snub.
The problem, according to the 57-year-old bachelor, is that Team USA and women’s basketball at large are prioritizing ‘bigotry’ against Christians and heterosexuals above the business of basketball. And as he said on Monday’s podcast, he sees this trend as part of a greater feminization of America.
‘This is a group of angry lesbians choosing sexual identity over what’s best for business,’ said Whitlock, who made a similar point last week.
‘They want to go to the Essence Festival and bed whatever woman that they want,’ Whitlock continued, referencing an annual concert organized by the magazine. ‘They want to protect their sexual promiscuity. They want to protect their job security because corporate America has been so overrun by women, diversity, equity and inclusion. Everybody is afraid of women and so they’re afraid to say any truth about women, particularly black women.’
Had Caitlin Clark been black and gay, Jason Whitlock argues, she would be on Team USA
Whitlock then read an advertisement offering ‘free bacon for life’ before listing what he believes to be the shortcomings of all women.
‘This is in the nature of women,’ Whitlock said.
‘When you sit here and listen to us have a conversation about who built this, this American deal… They didn’t build because it’s not in their nature. They protect and nurture. They do not build.’
Clark currently ranks 16th in the WNBA at 16.3 points per game, although she has struggled with her shooting this season, making just 33 percent from deep (50th in the league).
Whitlock made the point on X and on his podcast that Team USA was happy to work with Magic Johnson in 1992, shortly after the Lakers legend revealed he had HIV.
And to Whitlock, this is proof that Team USA was choosing business over politics at the time.
‘In 1992, at a time when there was great fear of HIV/AIDs, men chose to spend the summer playing basketball with Magic Johnson because the NBA wanted to grow its game internationally,’ Whitlock wrote on X, referencing the famed Dream Team. ‘Now that we live in a totally feminized, secular culture, the thought of dealing with Caitlin Clark fans petrifies WNBA players, the BLM-LGBTQIA+ Alphabet Mafia, and their ”allies.”
‘Just three decades ago, men chose Business over Bigotry. Thirty-two years later, Bigotry is chosen over doing what’s best for Business.
‘Christian/patriarchal culture > secular/matriarchal culture.
‘It’s really that simple,’ he continued. ‘It only takes three decades to radically change a culture. People have zero concept of how masculinity shaped American culture for good. We can’t see what we’re sacrificing in the name of ”girl power” and feminism.
‘Christian, masculine men do not hate women. They simply understand the consequence of matriarchal rulership.’
Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) shoots in front of Connecticut Sun guard DiJonai Carrington
Magic Johnson defends Scottie Pippen at a 1992 Team USA practice in California
On his podcast, Whitlock went on to compliment Clark for going to a ‘Catholic’ high school and having parents with ‘ordinary American heterosexual values.’
But while Whitlock portrays Clark as a martyr for Christendom, the budding WNBA star hasn’t voiced any complaints over the snub.
‘I think it just gives you something to work for,’ Clark told reporters Sunday. ‘It’s a dream. Hopefully one day I can be there. I think it’s just a little more motivation. You remember that. Hopefully when four years comes back around, I can be there.’
Whitlock is undeniably right about one thing: the WNBA is enjoying a record-breaking season with fans.
Attendance is up 17 percent from last season and more than half of WNBA games this year have been sellouts – an increase of 156 percent from last year.
Meanwhile, merchandise sales are up 756 percent at the league’s website , while subscriptions to WNBA’s streaming service have spiked 335 percent.
Of course, not everyone credits Clark for the new fans. Many, including Chicago Sky rookie Angel Reese, have argued that the league’s newfound success is owed to more than just Clark.
Team USA’s rosters have yet to be released, but it’s safe to say there is plenty of American talent away from Clark. Heading into this summer’s Paris Games, the Americans have won seven straight Olympic gold medals.
USA Basketball revealed that experience was the key factor in Caitlin Clark not being on the 2024 Paris Olympics roster.
After her popularity in the NCAA translated into a stampede of eyes in the WNBA upon Clark’s entry, many found it shameful that she got snubbed for the upcoming games in France.
Speaking to the Associated Press, selection committee chair Jen Rizzotti acknowledged the noise and pressure to select Clark for the stars and stripes.
‘Here’s the basketball criteria that we were given as a committee and how do we evaluate our players based on that?’ Rizzotti said.
‘And when you base your decision on criteria, there were other players that were harder to cut because they checked a lot more boxes. Then sometimes it comes down to position, style of play for [coach Cheryl Reeve], and then sometimes a vote.’
The USA selection committee revealed why they left Caitlin Clark out of the Olympic team
Jen Rizzotti shared that experience was a key factor that the No 1 pick lacked over others
Returning players include reigning WNBA MVP Breanna Stewart, A’ja Wilson, Chelsea Gray, Napheesa Collier, Jewell Loyd, and Brittney Griner.
Meanwhile, Diana Taurasi is gearing up for a record sixth Olympic appearance for the US. Taurasi made her Olympic debut during her rookie year (2004) at the Athens games and will return at 42 to help the nation try for an eighth straight gold medal finish.
Aside from the returners, the committee added Kelsey Plum and Jackie Young, who helped the US win gold in the inaugural 3×3 competition in Tokyo, to the 5-on-5 team. Additionally, first-time Olympians Alyssa Thomas, Sabrina Ionescu, and Kahleah Copper played for the American team that won the 2022 World Cup in Australia.
‘It’s a great mix of talent across the board in terms of individual skill sets,’ USA Basketball CEO Jim Tooley said. ‘We have veterans, newcomers, and those in the middle. Good perspective and continuity is such an important thing and is why we’ve been successful in the Olympics.’
The next chapter in The Greatest Dynasty Ever.
The 2024 USA Women’s National Team is here.
🇺🇸 #USABWNT x #ParisOlympics pic.twitter.com/BdDki5De5O — USA Basketball (@usabasketball) June 11, 2024
Due to her popularity and the eyes she brought to the WNBA, many resented Clark’s snub
All 12 of the players selected to compete in Paris have senior national team experience
All 12 players have senior national team experience – a box that Clark has yet to check. However, Tooley acknowledged that Clark could play an important part in the program in the future.
‘She’s certainly going to continue to get better and better,’ Tooley said. ‘Really hope that she’s a big part of our future going forward.’
The selection committee’s criteria include playing ability, position, and adaptability to international play. While many argued that Clark’s notoriety would be beneficial, marketing and popularity have nothing to do with the selection process.
‘It would be irresponsible for us to talk about her in a way other than how she would impact the play of the team,’ Rizzotti said.
WNBA stars Breanna Stewart and A’ja Wilson will spearhead the team in Paris this summer
Players including Kelsey Plum and Sabrina Ionescu will make their Olympic full-court debuts
Team USA are shooting for their eighth straight gold medal finish at the Olympic games
‘Because it wasn’t the purview of our committee to decide how many people would watch or how many people would root for the US. It was our purview to create the best team we could for Cheryl.’
With all the chatter surrounding what many labeled a ‘controversial’ decision, the No. 1 pick said she will use getting left out as an incentive to improve and make the 2028 Olympic team.
‘I think it just gives you something to work for,’ Clark told reporters after practice Sunday. ‘It’s a dream. Hopefully, one day, I can be there. I think it’s just a little more motivation. You remember that. Hopefully, when four years comes back around, I can be there.’
