Should Caitlin Clark have been included on the Olympic team?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The olympic team hasn't lost a game in years. They won't lose a game this year. Nobody will care about them or watch their games and they'll wonder why. Women's basketball has the worst marketing and promotion apparatus of any sport in the country. There are high school teams better at promoting themselves.

This. As noted by pps - this was the worst business decision that could’ve been made. They’ve lost a great opportunity to grow their fan base.

You do realize that USA Basketball committee and WNBA are separate entities right? All the committee cares about is winning medals. Caitlin is a talented player but I don’t think she is ready for the physicality of international play this olympics, she may be ready for World Championships in 2 years but will definitely be ready for the 2028 Olympics.

She's 100% not physically ready for the Olympics at this point; she needs time to add muscle. The youngest player on the team is four years old than Clark, because it takes time to develop enough to play at that level. Taurasi is a veteran leader, you don't cut her for an young, undersized rookie.

This is lost on the DCUM "WNBA Final Four" crowd, because all they know is that the TV told them she's the best.

Then why not 3 on 3? HVL is on that team and stayed in college because she knows she won't be drafted. Caitlin Clark embarrassed her the last time they played

[Anonymous]

I was waiting to buy tickets for the womens games. DD wanted to see CC. Now I can spend that money elsewhere.

I realize that as one person no one cares that I won't be buying 2 tickets. And yes, the games will probably sell out even without CC. But I'm probably not the only one who feels this way.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The Clark fanbase of delusion marches on. You know it will be something if she fails not because of her skill but because of her fan base’s ridiculously high expectation of her. I’ve never seen a more entitled group of whiners who want prizes handed to her that she hasn’t earned, White House invitation, NCAA championship, Olympic roster spot etc.

Contrast that to the WNBA fanbase and leadership who want attention to leave the sport and they players back to flying coach. They'd prefer playing to empty practice gyms than to embracing the only player the public at large cares about.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is she the best player at her position in the WNBA? If not, then no, she doesn't belong.

Good answer.

in that case, can you explain Taursi? Is she even close to the best at her position?

She's in a different category, leadership and experience.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The Clark fanbase of delusion marches on. You know it will be something if she fails not because of her skill but because of her fan base’s ridiculously high expectation of her. I’ve never seen a more entitled group of whiners who want prizes handed to her that she hasn’t earned, White House invitation, NCAA championship, Olympic roster spot etc.

Like it or not, Caitlin Clark brought millions of new fans to women's basketball. She's only the leading scorer in all of college basketball. Pretty impressive. Why the WNBA and the powers that be continue to trash her is baffling. She's what finally brought eyeballs to the league. But women's basketball seems really determined to stay stuck in their empty arenas with players making less than an office temp. It's like a small safe space for the butchiest women on the planet, and they're determined to keep it that way.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is she the best player at her position in the WNBA? If not, then no, she doesn't belong.

Good answer.

in that case, can you explain Taursi? Is she even close to the best at her position?

She's in a different category, leadership and experience.

Why is any of that needed on a team laden with veterans? It's letting an over the hill player take a victory lap because the team is in no danger of losing a game and everyone involved knows it. A smart organization would roster the one player fans care about to bring more attention to the game, but if there is one thing women's basketball executives are terrible at, it's marketing. Seeing how selections work reminds me of when Becky Hammond played for the Russians because the UConn club didn't want her on the US team.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The Clark fanbase of delusion marches on. You know it will be something if she fails not because of her skill but because of her fan base’s ridiculously high expectation of her. I’ve never seen a more entitled group of whiners who want prizes handed to her that she hasn’t earned, White House invitation, NCAA championship, Olympic roster spot etc.

Like it or not, Caitlin Clark brought millions of new fans to women's basketball. She's only the leading scorer in all of college basketball. Pretty impressive. Why the WNBA and the powers that be continue to trash her is baffling. She's what finally brought eyeballs to the league. But women's basketball seems really determined to stay stuck in their empty arenas with players making less than an office temp. It's like a small safe space for the butchiest women on the planet, and they're determined to keep it that way.

Well if it means kowtowing to a bunch of racist homophobes who just started watching the sport and want to coronate a rookie who has yet to prove themselves, then I’m sure they’re willing to tell these “fans” what they can do with their money.

[Anonymous]

To those saying she is not the best at her position, there are plenty of historical examples of such players being included on Olympic teams. For example Christian Laettner was on the 92 dream team. This was because he had just come off a stellar career at Duke and adding him generated buzz. But he was nowhere near the best professional player at his position and everyone knew and acknowledged it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:To those saying she is not the best at her position, there are plenty of historical examples of such players being included on Olympic teams. For example Christian Laettner was on the 92 dream team. This was because he had just come off a stellar career at Duke and adding him generated buzz. But he was nowhere near the best professional player at his position and everyone knew and acknowledged it.

And after that they never did it again.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:To those saying she is not the best at her position, there are plenty of historical examples of such players being included on Olympic teams. For example Christian Laettner was on the 92 dream team. This was because he had just come off a stellar career at Duke and adding him generated buzz. But he was nowhere near the best professional player at his position and everyone knew and acknowledged it.

Also the rules at the time required one college player on the Olympic team.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:To those saying she is not the best at her position, there are plenty of historical examples of such players being included on Olympic teams. For example Christian Laettner was on the 92 dream team. This was because he had just come off a stellar career at Duke and adding him generated buzz. But he was nowhere near the best professional player at his position and everyone knew and acknowledged it.

And after that they never did it again.

Lebron was on the team as a Rookie.

[Anonymous]

She leads the WNBA in turnovers. Why should she be in the Olympics?

She's also wildly undersized.

[Anonymous]

I forgot WNBA still existed until Clark showed up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:She leads the WNBA in turnovers. Why should she be in the Olympics?

She's also wildly undersized.

she's 6'0. Kelsey Plum (on the team) is 5'8

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:She leads the WNBA in turnovers. Why should she be in the Olympics?

She's also wildly undersized.

Undersized or not, she's incredible. Do you watch basketball? Did you go to Capital One arena on Friday? Did you see the crowds wearing her jersey number? It was a moment in history and incredible for my little DD who just started playing travel bb.

So I don't have an opinion on the Olympics but you, like many others, are being incredibly flippant of the attention she's bringing to the WNBA.