Should Caitlin Clark have been included on the Olympic team?

[Anonymous]

Wait, women’s basketball is an Olympic sport now?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The thing is. Caitlin Clark isn’t one of the best 12 American women basketball players right now. Putting her on the team just because she is popular would suggest Livvy Dunne should be added to the gymnastics team.

No, because that would dramatically reduce, if not eliminate, the US chance for a medal. As another PP pointed out, the inclusion of Clark on the roster doesn;t change the fact that the US is the prohibitive favorite to win gold.

[Anonymous]

Here’s what the selection committee chair had to say—

The selection committee has a set of criteria to pick the team that includes playing ability, position played and adaptability to the international game. Marketing and popularity aren't on that list.

"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. "Because it wasn't the purview of our committee to decide how many people would watch or how many people would root for the U.S. It was our purview to create the best team we could for Cheryl."

Clark wasn't the only talented player left off the team.

Ariel Atkins was on the Tokyo Olympic team. Shakira Austin, Betnijah Laney-Hamilton and Brionna Jones all played on the World Cup team in 2022. Aliyah Boston and Arike Ogunbowale had gone to nearly every training camp. Ogunbowale has played well to start the WNBA season, averaging 26.4 points a game -- second best in the league.


https://www.espn.com/olympics/story/_/id/40326748/usa-basketball-cites-lack-experience-caitlin-clark-omission

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The thing is. Caitlin Clark isn’t one of the best 12 American women basketball players right now. Putting her on the team just because she is popular would suggest Livvy Dunne should be added to the gymnastics team.

No, because that would dramatically reduce, if not eliminate, the US chance for a medal. As another PP pointed out, the inclusion of Clark on the roster doesn;t change the fact that the US is the prohibitive favorite to win gold.

By that logic we should put Taylor Swift on the team. She’d drive even more viewership and the US would still be the gold medal favorite. Like Caitlin Clark, Taylor Swift is also not among the 12 best American women at basketball.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So you prefer for her to go and ride the bench? Team chemistry is important…I don’t see her fitting with this group. Matters not to be if she made the team or not; I’ll watch the games just like I’ve done for previous Olympics.

If you said this about a young black player, it would be racist.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So you prefer for her to go and ride the bench? Team chemistry is important…I don’t see her fitting with this group. Matters not to be if she made the team or not; I’ll watch the games just like I’ve done for previous Olympics.

If you said this about a young black player, it would be racist.

PP will just keep inventing reasons to exclude certain players. But it’s obvious why they don’t like CC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Here’s what the selection committee chair had to say—

The selection committee has a set of criteria to pick the team that includes playing ability, position played and adaptability to the international game. Marketing and popularity aren't on that list.

"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. "Because it wasn't the purview of our committee to decide how many people would watch or how many people would root for the U.S. It was our purview to create the best team we could for Cheryl."

Clark wasn't the only talented player left off the team.

Ariel Atkins was on the Tokyo Olympic team. Shakira Austin, Betnijah Laney-Hamilton and Brionna Jones all played on the World Cup team in 2022. Aliyah Boston and Arike Ogunbowale had gone to nearly every training camp. Ogunbowale has played well to start the WNBA season, averaging 26.4 points a game -- second best in the league.


https://www.espn.com/olympics/story/_/id/40326748/usa-basketball-cites-lack-experience-caitlin-clark-omission

And that 42 year old guard is one of the 12 best? Even the idea of the 12 best is absurd. Maybe 9 will get real playing time. The 12th player on a basketball team never even sees the court. The WNBA is going to find a way to squander this year's ratings and goodwill (Rizzotti is the president of the Connecticut Sun, the owner should fire her for this)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So you prefer for her to go and ride the bench? Team chemistry is important…I don’t see her fitting with this group. Matters not to be if she made the team or not; I’ll watch the games just like I’ve done for previous Olympics.

If you said this about a young black player, it would be racist.

A white woman being good at basketball is not exactly novel. There are four white women on the team. Four of the top 10 players in WNBA history - Breanna Stewart, Sue Bird, Diana T, and Lauren Jackson - are white. CC would have fit in fine. The reason she was left off the team was not racism but because she is shooting 37% from the field, 33% from 3, leads the league in turnovers, and is a below average defender. Those are the facts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The thing is. Caitlin Clark isn’t one of the best 12 American women basketball players right now. Putting her on the team just because she is popular would suggest Livvy Dunne should be added to the gymnastics team.

The US is -1800 to win. The closest contenders are +2900. That is every sports book in the world telling you there is no chance the US loses. They could put 7th grade AAU players on as the 9-12th roster spots and still easily win every game. Them pretending that the last spots are precious assumes that fans are ignorant. Given the argument here, they aren't wrong

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So you prefer for her to go and ride the bench? Team chemistry is important…I don’t see her fitting with this group. Matters not to be if she made the team or not; I’ll watch the games just like I’ve done for previous Olympics.

If you said this about a young black player, it would be racist.

A white woman being good at basketball is not exactly novel. There are four white women on the team. Four of the top 10 players in WNBA history - Breanna Stewart, Sue Bird, Diana T, and Lauren Jackson - are white. CC would have fit in fine. The reason she was left off the team was not racism but because she is shooting 37% from the field, 33% from 3, leads the league in turnovers, and is a below average defender. Those are the facts.

She plays for the worst team in the league coached by a woman who wouldn't be a competent middle school coach. They don't run a modern offense, they can't even run effective in bounds plays. Their star center is so slow that you need a wide frame to see her even enter offensive sets. She has the numbers she does because she's a great player surrounded by dreck

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So you prefer for her to go and ride the bench? Team chemistry is important…I don’t see her fitting with this group. Matters not to be if she made the team or not; I’ll watch the games just like I’ve done for previous Olympics.

If you said this about a young black player, it would be racist.

A white woman being good at basketball is not exactly novel. There are four white women on the team. Four of the top 10 players in WNBA history - Breanna Stewart, Sue Bird, Diana T, and Lauren Jackson - are white. CC would have fit in fine. The reason she was left off the team was not racism but because she is shooting 37% from the field, 33% from 3, leads the league in turnovers, and is a below average defender. Those are the facts.

Yet better than Tuarasi across the board. But keep trying. Fact is they want her to pay her dues it's not about objectivity and talent.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The thing is. Caitlin Clark isn’t one of the best 12 American women basketball players right now. Putting her on the team just because she is popular would suggest Livvy Dunne should be added to the gymnastics team.

No, because that would dramatically reduce, if not eliminate, the US chance for a medal. As another PP pointed out, the inclusion of Clark on the roster doesn;t change the fact that the US is the prohibitive favorite to win gold.

By that logic we should put Taylor Swift on the team. She’d drive even more viewership and the US would still be the gold medal favorite. Like Caitlin Clark, Taylor Swift is also not among the 12 best American women at basketball.

Being intentionally obtuse will not help to drive the conversation forward.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So you prefer for her to go and ride the bench? Team chemistry is important…I don’t see her fitting with this group. Matters not to be if she made the team or not; I’ll watch the games just like I’ve done for previous Olympics.

If you said this about a young black player, it would be racist.

A white woman being good at basketball is not exactly novel. There are four white women on the team. Four of the top 10 players in WNBA history - Breanna Stewart, Sue Bird, Diana T, and Lauren Jackson - are white. CC would have fit in fine. The reason she was left off the team was not racism but because she is shooting 37% from the field, 33% from 3, leads the league in turnovers, and is a below average defender. Those are the facts.

Yet better than Tuarasi across the board. But keep trying. Fact is they want her to pay her dues it's not about objectivity and talent.

Clark and Tuarasi have very similar stat lines this season.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So you prefer for her to go and ride the bench? Team chemistry is important…I don’t see her fitting with this group. Matters not to be if she made the team or not; I’ll watch the games just like I’ve done for previous Olympics.

If you said this about a young black player, it would be racist.

A white woman being good at basketball is not exactly novel. There are four white women on the team. Four of the top 10 players in WNBA history - Breanna Stewart, Sue Bird, Diana T, and Lauren Jackson - are white. CC would have fit in fine. The reason she was left off the team was not racism but because she is shooting 37% from the field, 33% from 3, leads the league in turnovers, and is a below average defender. Those are the facts.

Yet better than Tuarasi across the board. But keep trying. Fact is they want her to pay her dues it's not about objectivity and talent.

Clark and Tuarasi have very similar stat lines this season.

Taurasi isn't the focus of every opposing defense

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So you prefer for her to go and ride the bench? Team chemistry is important…I don’t see her fitting with this group. Matters not to be if she made the team or not; I’ll watch the games just like I’ve done for previous Olympics.

If you said this about a young black player, it would be racist.

A white woman being good at basketball is not exactly novel. There are four white women on the team. Four of the top 10 players in WNBA history - Breanna Stewart, Sue Bird, Diana T, and Lauren Jackson - are white. CC would have fit in fine. The reason she was left off the team was not racism but because she is shooting 37% from the field, 33% from 3, leads the league in turnovers, and is a below average defender. Those are the facts.

Yet better than Tuarasi across the board. But keep trying. Fact is they want her to pay her dues it's not about objectivity and talent.

Clark and Tuarasi have very similar stat lines this season.

But one is better.