Should Clark be on the Olympic team?

[GamecockFam]

IMO Cam also has the perfect body and skills to play that style of game. I think the ideal 3x3 player is a forward or tall guard who can defend both guards and bigs, can shoot the three, and is a decent ball handler. She also is a high energy player who I think has to worry less about fouling out in that style of game.

 

[The deacon]

IMO Cam also has the perfect body and skills to play that style of game. I think the ideal 3x3 player is a forward or tall guard who can defend both guards and bigs, can shoot the three, and is a decent ball handler. She also is a high energy player who I think has to worry less about fouling out in that style of game.

Agreed. That's why Katie Lou excelled at 3 x3 before Covid got her...

 

[Mr. Cam]

It is quite possible that USA Basketball and coach C. Reeve might see at least some of these pos-
sibilities.


I want USA Basketball to launch the Caitlin Clark ICBM on Paris. Coach Reeve can use Caitlin Clark
initially as a second rotation shooting backup point guard. If Team USA has a big lead in the first
or second half, Coach Reeve can insert Caitlin as a FIRST rotation shooting guard. In both instances,
USA Basketball can implement a simple motion offence that gives Caitlin the Steph Curry assign-
ment of constant off ball movement to spread the floor to create gaps, mismatches, single coverage,
or even pull the opposing defense from the weak to the strong side to create dead/empty spaces on
the weak side for her team mates to exploit backdoor cuts to the basket.


And before anyone gets the idea Caitlin Clark is a shoot first/only point guard. She is a master of the
bounce pass and she can start the break with her laser like long passes that hit her team mates in
stride on their way to the basket. Caitlin can take it to the rack and she also has a midrange game
and can operate in the key.





Caitlin Clark's long range shooting ability stretches the defense as she crosses the half court line whether
she has the ball or not. Opposing coaches dare not leave her open and that forces them to assign their
best defender to pick her up at the half court line. Just by steeping onto the court, Caitlin has already dis-
torted the opponents game plan. On Team USA Clark cannot be doubled. Why? With two or three of Aus-
tin, Boston, Griner, Stewart, & Wilson in the front court along with Collier & Howard on the wings, Clark
will simply draw a defender or defenders to her and she will pass the ball to one of her open teammates.
Caitlin will have had 20 or more games with Aliyah Boston in the 2024 regular season before Paris and they
will have worked on their PR combos. Chelsea Gray to Aja Wilson is LETHEL. By the time FIBA stages the 20-
26 Women's World Cup, Caitlin & Aliyah Boston will have had 3 seasons together. IF Caitlin & Aliyah can ach-
ieve 1/2 to 3/4's of the LETHALITY as Gray to Wilson, what a weapon. By her third sea-son, we will know if she
is on the Bird track or tapped out.


Stewart & Howard can shoot the three, Stewart, Wilson & Collier have killer mid range shooting ability. Bos-
ton, Griner, Stewart, & Wilson can all kill you in the block, just ask Belgium about Stewie. Do not forget the
"other" Team USA guards. NO other national team has anywhere near the caliber of three point shooters that
USA Basketball can put on the floor with these five: Ionescu FG3% 37.7, Gray FG3% 38.7, Plum, FG3% 39.7, &
Young FG3% 41.2. I defy anyone to show me a women's national team that can constantly DOUBLE TEAM Clark
while the other three players TRY to slow down much less stop a Team USA second rotation of Ionescu, Howard,
Austin, & Boston. And that is the WEAKEST lineup I could put together.

My 2024 Olympic Roster


1. Brittney Griner No: 15 POS: C HGT: 6-9 Current Age: 32 Paris 24 & out
2. Aliyah Boston No: 14 POS: C HGT: 6-5 Current Age: 21
Traditional big body center. The perfect player to keep Kamilla Cardoso outside the block.
3. Shakira Austin No: 13 POS: C HGT: 6-5 Current Age: 24
Rebounding, rim protection, putbacks, & opportunitsitc scoring.
4. A'ja Wilson No: 9 POS: PF HGT: 6-5 Current Age: 26
5. Breanna Stewart No: 10 POS: F/PF HGT: 6-4 Current Age: 28
6. Alyssa Thomas No: 2 POS: SF HGT: 6-2 Current Age: 31 Paris 24 & out
7. Napheesa Collier No: 11 POS: SF HGT: 6-1 Current Age: 27
An excellent small forward
8. Rhyne Howard No: 13 POS: SG/SF HGT: 6-2 Current Age: 23
A TWO position player that can play emergency PG, plays as a SG in the W, and can play
as a SF. She is bigger and is a better scorer than Collier. Let's see how much Howard ascends
in her third season.
9. Caitlin Clark No: 12 POS: SG/PG HGT: 6-0 Current Age: 21
10. Jackie Young No: 3 POS: SG HGT: 6-0 Current Age: 27
11. Chelsea Gray No: 8 POS: PG HGT: 5-11 Current Age: 30 Paris 24 & out
12. Kelsey Plum No: 5 POS: PG HGT: 5-8 Current Age: 28

The last time Taurasi was Taurasi:

FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup 2018 | FIBA Basketball Events

Re-live the competition - FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup 2018. Explore all games & results, stats, highlights, participating players & teams.

www.fiba.basketball

 

[Mr. Cam]

We have to entertain the possibility that once Caitlin has established in the opposing coach's

mind that she is a legitimate assist/scoring threat that REQUIRES their best defender because

of her passing, 3 pt. shooting, and drives to the basket, Coach Reeves will be able to use her as

a decoy. What happens when the opposition coach can see that their best defender cannot con-

tain her now what??? That means that they can only assign their SECOND best defender to Grey,

Plum, Young, Howard, & Collier.

FIBA Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament Belgium | FIBA Basketball Events

Re-live the competition - FIBA Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament Belgium. Explore all games & results, stats, highlights, participating players & teams.

www.fiba.basketball

This game is a PRIME example of why Caitlin can be a difference maker. Team USA had to rely on

Breanna Stewart's last .1 of a second tip in to prevent overtime. You can look at the stats above but

this one stat tells the story. Team USA shot 4/19 21.1% from the three point line. The Cats shot 12/29

41.4% from the three point line and they lost by 2. IF the Cats had shot 5/27 18.5% from the three

point line like they did against Nigeria, they lose 81 to 58 in a near blowout. Do not forget that A'ja

Wilson, Brittney Griner, & Chelsea Gray were not on the roster in Belgium. The Cats shot 13/33 39.4%

from the three point line and won by 31 pts. against Senegal. The Cats shot 5/27 18.5% from the three

point line and won by 17 pts. against Nigeria. Clark has made 8 & 9 3 pt. shots in a single game. All she

has to do is drop 4 3 pt. shots against Belgium and they lose 93 to 79.

A poster stated that the Olympics will/might overwhelm Caitlin. I do not buy that supposition. Clark was

the number one, go to option for four years. No college player has had to live and PERFORM under the

level of NATIONAL national sports media scrutiny and pressure like she did. She pulled a LeBron. She

single handedly dragged a group of players that had no business in the NCAA elite eight much less two

consecutive NCAA finals. Without Caitlin, would anyone outside of Iowa see or hear about Kate Martin,

Gabbie Marshall, or Hannah Stuelke in the national sports media? Caitlin gave Kate the stage to perform

on that allowed her to generate enough attention to attract the attention of the Aces organization.

Only the HOME and certain National Teams can fill the arena for the group stage in the Olympics/World

Cup. The Chinese had excellent support in Sydney for the final against Team USA. Yet the Chinese had far

more support than the Opals in the Semis. The French should have excellent support for their ladies nat-

ional team led by an AMERICAN player from UCONN!!!

 

[Mr. Cam]

Caitlin Clark’s early WNBA play could be Olympic tryout

Caitlin Clark’s early play in WNBA will serve as her tryout for a spot on the U.S. Olympic women’s basketball team.

fox59.com

 

[Rowdy831]

I think that Caitlin Clark may already be the best player ever in the women's game. She does have a lot to prove but what she did with a very average Iowa team is quite remarkable. All you have to do to beat them is defend CC and very few teams were able to do that when it mattered.

I am really excited to see what she can do when she is surrounded by other players that can actually play the game a a professional level. As far as the Olympics are concerned they need fans to watch and nobody tunes to watch a women play like fans do for CC.

 

[TC22]

Within 6 weeks we will put all these opinions to rest. It won’t take long to determine whether Caitlin is ready to play against a team full of pros and how much playing with a team full of pros elevates her game. I’ll be glad when that happens because I am absolutely tired of all the new WBB fans giving their opinions. And this refers more to the media and talk show hosts than fans.

 

[Bjbod]

Within 6 weeks we will put all these opinions to rest. It won’t take long to determine whether Caitlin is ready to play against a team full of pros and how much playing with a team full of pros elevates her game. I’ll be glad when that happens because I am absolutely tired of all the new WBB fans giving their opinions. And this refers more to the media and talk show hosts than fans.

This whole argument can actually break several ways:

1) Caitlin was surrounded by pedestrian talent at Iowa. When she joins the WNBA she'll flourish, especially on the assist side. Girls at Iowa
either couldn't handle her passes or couldn't convert once they received the ball. Better players as teammates: more assists.

2) Clark will struggle in the WNBA. As Diana Taurasi points out, she's been feasting on a steady diet of hapless 18-year-old little girls in college. Now that she'll be facing "grown women" in the W, her obviously overhyped skills will be exposed and she'll be relegated to
the mediocrity that those in the know have been pointing out all along.

3) Clark obviously makes those around her better with her passing skills and as a decoy to draw defenses to her, therefore making life
easier for her teammates. But what if Clark's teammates along with her coach's system actually make Caitlin better? Their ability to put
the team first and realize they'd be more successful by embracing her talents while humbling themselves is not easy to do, especially
the buy-in seen by an entire team.

4) Will a team of pros be real pros, in the sense their primary objective is to win. Or will they be pros simply by being paid for playing the
game? Will they succumb to pettiness and hazing to make a new player earn their place, or will they do their best to integrate her into
the team....regardless of her skill level. Maybe she will be ordinary; perhaps she'll elevate to become an WNBA star as well. It seems as
if the Fever are willing to take this path, even if the rest of the league isn't on board.

Will be an interesting ride, especially with the heightened audience that's going to be following.

 

[WBBTakeover]

Within 6 weeks we will put all these opinions to rest. It won’t take long to determine whether Caitlin is ready to play against a team full of pros and how much playing with a team full of pros elevates her game. I’ll be glad when that happens because I am absolutely tired of all the new WBB fans giving their opinions. And this refers more to the media and talk show hosts than fans.

Yes! I have no problem with the CC hype (she's earned it), but I can do without clowns like Stephen A Smith and Pat McAfee (among others) telling me what my eyes have already sensed. Just because you can now name ONE WBB player does not make you a WNBA expert.

 

[diggerfoot]

I think that Caitlin Clark may already be the best player ever in the women's game. She does have a lot to prove but what she did with a very average Iowa team is quite remarkable. All you have to do to beat them is defend CC and very few teams were able to do that when it mattered.

I am really excited to see what she can do when she is surrounded by other players that can actually play the game a a professional level. As far as the Olympics are concerned they need fans to watch and nobody tunes to watch a women play like fans do for CC.

Still with the average teammates narrative. There are three paradoxes to Clark’s game.

First. We do not know if she is a two way player. She may be able to play defense and Iowa was just protecting her, but until she proves she is a two way player how can she be considered the “best player ever?” Curry may be considered the best shooter ever, but no one puts him in the same category as Jordan, Bryant, Bird or other greats who were two way players.

Second, and this is what really gets me about Clark’s “average“ teammates. Take away Clark’s numbers and the rest of the team shot over 53% for the past two years. This past year they shot 8% better than Clark. 8% better!!! Has any other player in the “greatest” conversation ever shot 8% worse than his/her collective teammates. Ever?! Perhaps Allen Iverson, but I doubt it. 8%. If you think Clark will be considered an all star in the pros if her teammates shoot 8% collectively better, think again. Meanwhile, I bet that ”average” Iowa team is going to finish much higher next year than everyone suspects.

Third. Has any “greatest“ guard averaged 4.7 turnovers before? A serious question. Has any? Now this can be excused due to Iowa’s high possession per game offense, and Clark’s ball dominance in that high possession offense, but then that diminishes her high assists achievement, particularly considering her teammates shoot at 53%. Bottom line, Clark averaged 1.87 A/T ratio last season, not bad, not great.

 

[Mr. Cam]

Within 6 weeks we will put all these opinions to rest. It won’t take long to determine whether Caitlin is ready to play against a team full of pros and how much playing with a team full of pros elevates her game. I’ll be glad when that happens because I am absolutely tired of all the new WBB fans giving their opinions. And this refers more to the media and talk show hosts than fans.

Within 6 weeks we will put all these opinions to rest. It won’t take long to
determine whether Caitlin is ready to play against a team full of pros and
how much playing with a team full of pros elevates her game.



At the 18:30 mark to the 20:45 mark Kelsey Plum discusses the transition from
the college game to the WNBA. She states that it took her FOUR to FIVE years
to be MORE like an all-star level player.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By Caitlin Clark's third season, we will know if she is on the Bird track or tapped
out. I actually believe that Clark can BECOME a combination of Bird's playmaking
[6 ast. per game first season] and Taurasi's scoring [17pts per game first season].

As for Caitlin Clark's defensive skills, that is something she can work on in the off
season. No one expects her to become an all WNBA defender, but at the same time
she cannot remain a traffic cone defender either. If she can progress to somewhere
halfway between a traffic cone or more towards an all WNBA defender, the Fever
can live with that. She also has to get her TO ratio to 2 ast per TO or higher. Again,
the Fever can live with that.

My ultimate interest in Caitlin Clark is Team USA. The WNBA is the finishing school
for the Team USA roster.

 

[TheFarmFan]

Within 6 weeks we will put all these opinions to rest. It won’t take long to
determine whether Caitlin is ready to play against a team full of pros and
how much playing with a team full of pros elevates her game.



At the 18:30 mark to the 20:45 mark Kelsey Plum discusses the transition from
the college game to the WNBA. She states that it took her FOUR to FIVE years
to be MORE like an all-star level player.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By Caitlin Clark's third season, we will know if she is on the Bird track or tapped
out. I actually believe that Clark can BECOME a combination of Bird's playmaking
[6 ast. per game first season] and Taurasi's scoring [17pts per game first season].

As for Caitlin Clark's defensive skills, that is something she can work on in the off
season. No one expects her to become an all WNBA defender, but at the same time
she cannot remain a traffic cone defender either. If she can progress to somewhere
halfway between a traffic cone or more towards an all WNBA defender, the Fever
can live with that. She also has to get her TO ratio to 2 ast per TO or higher. Again,
the Fever can live with that.

My ultimate interest in Caitlin Clark is Team USA. The WNBA is the finishing school
for the Team USA roster.

It's wild, wild to me how much talent ESPN has let go of in recent years in order to afford to pay McAfee to run his mouth all day. I love KP and it was so painful I couldn't get through 5 minutes of that interview. Wild...

 

[CL82]

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

She missed the last try out.

 

[cancontent]

This whole argument can actually break several ways:

1) Caitlin was surrounded by pedestrian talent at Iowa. When she joins the WNBA she'll flourish, especially on the assist side. Girls at Iowa
either couldn't handle her passes or couldn't convert once they received the ball. Better players as teammates: more assists.

2) Clark will struggle in the WNBA. As Diana Taurasi points out, she's been feasting on a steady diet of hapless 18-year-old little girls in college. Now that she'll be facing "grown women" in the W, her obviously overhyped skills will be exposed and she'll be relegated to
the mediocrity that those in the know have been pointing out all along.

3) Clark obviously makes those around her better with her passing skills and as a decoy to draw defenses to her, therefore making life
easier for her teammates. But what if Clark's teammates along with her coach's system actually make Caitlin better? Their ability to put
the team first and realize they'd be more successful by embracing her talents while humbling themselves is not easy to do, especially
the buy-in seen by an entire team.

4) Will a team of pros be real pros, in the sense their primary objective is to win. Or will they be pros simply by being paid for playing the
game? Will they succumb to pettiness and hazing to make a new player earn their place, or will they do their best to integrate her into
the team....regardless of her skill level. Maybe she will be ordinary; perhaps she'll elevate to become an WNBA star as well. It seems as
if the Fever are willing to take this path, even if the rest of the league isn't on board.

Will be an interesting ride, especially with the heightened audience that's going to be following.

This is where I'm at with the season fast approaching. The humbling comment had me pause though. Looking at who is on the roster (Samuelson, Boston, Berger, Hull, etc.), there are several players who came from programs where team came ahead of the individual. Have a hard time seeing players like them not buying in. It seemed like they were last season even though it was rough.

 

[Bjbod]

Absolutely! And this is how she's played on USA teams previously. If Indiana becomes a winner CC would be completely satisfied averaging 8 points and 13 assists per game.

 

[Mr. Cam]

She missed the last try out.

Lisa Leslie, a three-time WNBA MVP and four-time Olympic gold medalist, wants to
see Clark make USA Basketball's roster.

"She better be on the Olympic team," Leslie said to ESPN's Ramona Shelburne. "We
should not leave the country without her. She's a bona fide baller. There's no doubt
she's already one of the best players in the world."

Dawn Staley



Caitlin Clark’s early WNBA play could be Olympic tryout

Caitlin Clark’s early WNBA play could be Olympic tryout

Caitlin Clark’s early play in WNBA will serve as her tryout for a spot on the U.S. Olympic women’s basketball team.

fox59.com

Rizzotti will get a first-hand look at Clark when the No. 1 pick in the draft opens her WNBA
career at the Connecticut Sun on May 14. Rizzotti is the president of the Sun.

One of the few times she could appreciate an opposing player torch her team.

Jennifer Rizzotti - USA Basketball

USA Basketball is the National Governing Body for the sport of basketball in the United States. As the recognized governing body for basketball in the U.S. by the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) and the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC), USA Basketball is...

www.usab.com

 

[Mr. Cam]

Caitlin Clark pulled a LeBron. She squeezed every last cc of talent from her team mates while single
handedly dragging a group of players that had no business in the NCAA elite eight much less two
consecutive NCAA finals.

Without Caitlin, would anyone outside of Iowa have see or heard about Kate Martin, Gabbie Marshall,
or Hannah Stuelke in the national sports media? Caitlin gave Kate the stage to perform on that allowed
her to generate enough attention to attract the attention of the Aces organization on draft day.

 

[Mr. Cam]

The most important WNBA stat that Caitlin Clark can achieve in 2024 is to improve
the Fever's 2023 win loss record from 13-27 to 20-20 and make the first round of
the playoffs for the first time since 2016. I think that is an achievable goal that will
test her true worth as a point guard. Even if the Fever lose in the first round of the
playoffs, so long as they are competitive, that will be a victory. That will demonstrate
to management that the Fever are one/two players away from a title run.

 

[Mr. Cam]

'There's a target on her.' Indiana hopes Caitlin Clark can get Fever back on championship track.

On Monday it all became real, which means Fever GM Lin Dunn and coach Christie Sides could talk in absolutes about Caitlin Clark.

www.indystar.com

 

[DRR25]

This whole argument can actually break several ways:

1) Caitlin was surrounded by pedestrian talent at Iowa. When she joins the WNBA she'll flourish, especially on the assist side. Girls at Iowa
either couldn't handle her passes or couldn't convert once they received the ball. Better players as teammates: more assists.

2) Clark will struggle in the WNBA. As Diana Taurasi points out, she's been feasting on a steady diet of hapless 18-year-old little girls in college. Now that she'll be facing "grown women" in the W, her obviously overhyped skills will be exposed and she'll be relegated to
the mediocrity that those in the know have been pointing out all along.

3) Clark obviously makes those around her better with her passing skills and as a decoy to draw defenses to her, therefore making life
easier for her teammates. But what if Clark's teammates along with her coach's system actually make Caitlin better? Their ability to put
the team first and realize they'd be more successful by embracing her talents while humbling themselves is not easy to do, especially
the buy-in seen by an entire team.

4) Will a team of pros be real pros, in the sense their primary objective is to win. Or will they be pros simply by being paid for playing the
game? Will they succumb to pettiness and hazing to make a new player earn their place, or will they do their best to integrate her into
the team....regardless of her skill level. Maybe she will be ordinary; perhaps she'll elevate to become an WNBA star as well. It seems as
if the Fever are willing to take this path, even if the rest of the league isn't on board.

Will be an interesting ride, especially with the heightened audience that's going to be following.

I haven't seen anything from "those in the know" who've said CC is overhyped and will be relegated to mediocrity once she gets to the W. Some basketball fans have said that but I don't know that all bb fans count as people "in the know." And Taurasi didn't say Clark wouldn't succeed, she just said there's going to be a transition period and that great players find a way to rise to the top. I think she'll do both-struggle and flourish. And Clark should get whatever "rookie treatment" all the other rookies get, whether it's petty or not. Opposing players will treat her to some "welcome to the league" moments and hopefully she'll navigate through it just like Aliyah Boston and other rookies have done.

 

[Vowelguy]

It's wild, wild to me how much talent ESPN has let go of in recent years in order to afford to pay McAfee to run his mouth all day. I love KP and it was so painful I couldn't get through 5 minutes of that interview. Wild...

McAfee is hugely popular.
And ESPN made their cuts for years before acquiring McAfees services.

 

[bballnut90]

Still with the average teammates narrative. There are three paradoxes to Clark’s game.

First. We do not know if she is a two way player. She may be able to play defense and Iowa was just protecting her, but until she proves she is a two way player how can she be considered the “best player ever?” Curry may be considered the best shooter ever, but no one puts him in the same category as Jordan, Bryant, Bird or other greats who were two way players.

Second, and this is what really gets me about Clark’s “average“ teammates. Take away Clark’s numbers and the rest of the team shot over 53% for the past two years. This past year they shot 8% better than Clark. 8% better!!! Has any other player in the “greatest” conversation ever shot 8% worse than his/her collective teammates. Ever?! Perhaps Allen Iverson, but I doubt it. 8%. If you think Clark will be considered an all star in the pros if her teammates shoot 8% collectively better, think again. Meanwhile, I bet that ”average” Iowa team is going to finish much higher next year than everyone suspects.

Third. Has any “greatest“ guard averaged 4.7 turnovers before? A serious question. Has any? Now this can be excused due to Iowa’s high possession per game offense, and Clark’s ball dominance in that high possession offense, but then that diminishes her high assists achievement, particularly considering her teammates shoot at 53%. Bottom line, Clark averaged 1.87 A/T ratio last season, not bad, not great.

The team FG% argument is a cherry picked statistic that you continue to bring up. FWIW, Taurasi’s teammates consistently shot 4-6.5% better than her throughout her UCONN career for another GOAT comparison. She’s also never been an above average defender which discredits point #1 unless you’re eliminating Taurasi from contention.

Clark’s teammates are capable shooters but the entire offense ran through Clark and was dependent on Clark’s ability to create for others or make shots herself. She scored or assisted on 68.5% of Iowa’s made field goals. The vast majority of those points were Clark creating her looks for herself or others. Her assists were usually wide open catch and shoot jumpers for teammates, transition layups from Clark’s great passing, or cutting layups in the half court from Clark threading the needle. Her teammates were being put in great positions to score due to Clark’s passing. Her teammates were solid, but only Martin (2nd round draft pick) and Stuelke (sophomore this year) have a realistic shot to make a WNBA roster. Compared to almost every other program that’s made consecutive Final Fours, that’s a notably weak roster she was working with.


In regards to point 3, you can cherry pick the individual turnovers as a negative, but I’d argue it’s a product of her handling 68.5% of the offense, so of course she’ll have more TOs. As the person responsible handling the majority of the offense, she led Iowa to a 91ppg scoring average, good for first in the nation by 5+ points. You can’t harp on the turnovers without acknowledging how potent the offense was with Clark managing the bulk of it. Individually she had higher TOs but it led to her running the best offense in the country.

 

[Vowelguy]

Team to be announced June 1st

 

[Mr. Cam]

Now we have an authoritative answer instead of an opinion or a supposition.