Should Clark be on the Olympic team?

[Vowelguy]

No.

Breanna Stewart made the Olympic team in 2016 but she also played on the 2014 World Cup team. Maya Moore made the 2010 World Cup team as a collegian, as did Parker in 2006. Parker made the 2008 Olympic team after just graduating from Tennessee.

If Clark is added to the team it'll be for the experience of being around the national team and not for her expected contributions.

Thanks. So in other words, in the last 3 Olympics, the only collegian to make it was the one who was probably already among the top 3 in the world.

 

[Vowelguy]

Since when has the Olympic team been about choosing the 12 best players?

I didnt say it was!
But many have responded that "she needs to earn it," suggesting that only the 12 best should be chosen.

I absolutely think there are other considerations -- long-term development & experience, reward for service to the national team, and yes even possibly publicity.

 

[Vowelguy]

I think you should apply to be an Admin. Then you can decide what opinions can/cant be expressed. Until then ...

 

[UConnCat]

Thanks. So in other words, in the last 3 Olympics, the only collegian to make it was the one who was probably already among the top 3 in the world.

It was believed that a spot on the 2012 team was kept open for Griner who just finished her junior year at Baylor. BG eventually took herself out of the running.

 

[Bjbod]

No. Let her earn her stripes on the professional level first.

This is such an interesting comment given that the Olympics have always been about amateur athletes, at least from the perspective of the USA. But then, I'm a fossil.

 

[LwrcasefaN]

This is such an interesting comment given that the Olympics have always been about amateur athletes, at least from the perspective of the USA. But then, I'm a fossil.

That ship sailed for the US in the 80s. No more Miracles on Ice.

 

[Audi1954]

When do they actually choose the team? By what date? Will she have a chance to prove herself during the WNBA season?

 

[bballnut90]

I think they'd be foolish to not give her a strong look depending on how the first 2 months of the WNBA season go (roster is finalized in July). The pool of guards is strong but there's no question I'd take Clark over 42 year old Diana Taurasi who has not been an Olympic caliber athlete in years.

 

[TheFarmFan]

If she earns it at training camp, then yes. I'll defer to our national coaching staff on making that call.

 

[WBBTakeover]

If it's between CC and 42-year-old DT for the final spot, then yes--the spot should go to CC. Like, come on.

If it's between CC and in-her-prime KP or has-played-well-so-far SI, then I think she would have a real fight on her hands.

 

[Puppy Love]

I don’t know about the Olympics, but she was great on SNL.

 

[JellyBean]

I voted "Yes" Caitlin Clark should be on the Olympic team. She is coming for somebody's roster spot. She is a gamer.

 

[Aluminny69]

 

[CTBballfan243]

She should be invited to try out. After that, it’s up to the coach.

I would argue (after she is invited) it's up to her to prove she belongs on the team and beat someone out for a spot on the team.

 

[visitingcock]

I would argue (after she is invited) it's up to her to prove she belongs on the team and beat someone out for a spot on the team.

Whether she "beats someone out" should be up to the coach.

 

[baggerbob]

She needs to earn the spot playing on the pro level. She hasn't even had the opportunity yet to practice with the Olympic invitees.

Taurasi should get the spot, unless Clark can actually beat her out for the position. I don’t think that’s happening. Remember Clark isn’t going to get all the calls she got in college.

DT shouldn't be on this team, she now is not among the best players in the game.

 

[CTBballfan243]

DT shouldn't be on this team, she now is not among the best players in the game.

Says who? Let someone beat her for a spot.

 

[Topdawg]

She should try out, certainly. The selection committee should pick the best team. It will have many of the best players, but not all of the players selected will be the best players. There should also be one or two young players selected so every Olympic team has some returning players.

 

[bballnut90]

Says who? Let someone beat her for a spot.

When looking at guards you have Jewell Loyd, Arike Ogunbowale, Kelsey Plum, Jackie Young, Rhyne Howard, Kahleah Copper, Kelsey Mitchell, Brittney Sykes, Chelsea Gray, Alisha Gray, Natasha Cloud, Skylar Diggins-Smith and Sabrina Ionescu. All have been better players than Taurasi for several years now.

 

[Dillon77]

"Beat out" for a spot is an interesting phrase. In the case of younger players, it generally means show more than experienced players who have been on the team before.

In a perfect world, every player named to the 12-pereson squad by the Nominating Committee should've beaten out a lot of other contenders to have made the team. As many will contend, sometimes this isn't enough and there may be other factors.

I think Caitlin Clark should be given the full opportunity to gain a spot on the team, just like everyone from Diana Taurasi and Kelsey Plum to Chelsea Gray and Sabrina Ionescu. I'd just hope the judging lens is the same for everyone.

Go U.S.A.!

 

[nwhoopfan]

Says who? Let someone beat her for a spot.

Yeah, I don't think someone beating her out is gonna be a problem, it's a matter of if the selection committee decides to give her a spot for nostalgia. I really hope they don't. 5 gold medals is plenty, she doesn't need another.

 

[WBBTakeover]

In the spirit of objectivity, what does Diana Taurasi at 42 bring that isn't covered by the following (in some capacity):

Kahleah Copper
Chelsea Gray
Rhyne Howard
Sabrina Ionescu
Jewell Loyd
Kelsey Plum
Jackie Young

and if we take into consideration other players (superstars, mind you) who can play on the perimeter:

Napheesa Collier
Breanna Stewart

where does that leave an aging Taurasi?

From a purely objective standpoint, the numbers are CLEARLY not in her favor. But alas...

 

[WBBTakeover]

Yeah, I don't think someone beating her out is gonna be a problem, it's a matter of if the selection committee decides to give her a spot for nostalgia. I really hope they don't. 5 gold medals is plenty, she doesn't need another.

I remember her being one of the people who laughed at Lisa Leslie when LL was posing with all four of her gold medals in Beijing. But now she wants six--and I'm sure they won't just serve as paperweights.

 

[UConnCat]

I laugh a bit about beating another play out for a spot at training camp. I'm not sure what that even means. There's much more at issue when it comes to the selection committee picking the team.

I've had the good fortune to attend a couple of world cups (Istanbul in 2014 and Tenerife 2018) and was able to see first hand what it's like to play under the pressure of the international stage. The pressure is even greater at the Olympics though the participating countries take the world cup very seriously.

In Istanbul I saw Breanna Stewart look completely overwhelmed in the few minutes she spent on the court in Istanbul, and those minutes were when the games were out of reach. Granted, Stewart was entering her junior season at UConn but she was also a two-time MVP of the Final Four and had experience on college basketball's biggest stage. Stewart looked more comfortable in Rio 2 years later.

In Tenerife I watched Kelsey Plum and Jewel Loyd look extremely nervous in the minutes they played. Loyd eventually settled in, Plum did not. I think getting comfortable in international play is more difficult for guards than post players. I also had a front-row seat to A'ja Wilson's nervousness as well. She was a far cry from the player we saw playing for USA Basketball a couple years later.

In Beijing, a very experienced Diggins-Smith hardly played (6 mins/game) and looked overwhelmed when she did.

The roster has to include players, particularly guards, who are experienced playing on the Olympic stage. If Clark makes the team, I highly doubt she'll be on the court for meaningful minutes. She'll be on the team to experience what it's like to be a member of USA Basketball and to understand what it takes to play at that level. She'll be put on the team for the future, rather than the present.

 

[nwhoopfan]

I laugh a bit about beating another play out for a spot at training camp. I'm not sure what that even means. There's much more at issue when it comes to the selection committee picking the team.

I've had the good fortune to attend a couple of world cups (Istanbul in 2014 and Tenerife 2018) and was able to see first hand what it's like to play under the pressure of the international stage. The pressure is even greater at the Olympics though the participating countries take the world cup very seriously.

In Istanbul I saw Breanna Stewart look completely overwhelmed in the few minutes she spent on the court in Istanbul, and those minutes were when the games were out of reach. Granted, Stewart was entering her junior season at UConn but she was also a two-time MVP of the Final Four and had experience on college basketball's biggest stage. Stewart looked more comfortable in Rio 2 years later.

In Tenerife I watched Kelsey Plum and Jewel Loyd look extremely nervous in the minutes they played. Loyd eventually settled in, Plum did not. I think getting comfortable in international play is more difficult for guards than post players. I also had a front-row seat to A'ja Wilson's nervousness as well. She was a far cry from the player we saw playing for USA Basketball a couple years later.

In Beijing, a very experienced Diggins-Smith hardly played (6 mins/game) and looked overwhelmed when she did.

The roster has to include players, particularly guards, who are experienced playing on the Olympic stage. If Clark makes the team, I highly doubt she'll be on the court for meaningful minutes. She'll be on the team to experience what it's like to be a member of USA Basketball and to understand what it takes to play at that level. She'll be put on the team for the future, rather than the present.

You've got a classic Catch 22 there. The only way to get experience...is to get experience. It wasn't the Olympics, but the guards who were on the team for the '22 FIBA World Cup looked comfortable and capable. That group was C. Gray, Loyd, Copper, Laney, Plum, Ionescu and Atkins. Maybe a few of them didn't play much, but honestly that team was way more dominant than the '21 Olympic team.