The debate among basketball fans and sports analysts over Caitlin Clark's exclusion from the 2024 Summer Olympics is hot. Some argue that Clark's skills are already at an Olympic level, while others believe she still has room to grow as a rookie.
The USA Women's Basketball team, a powerhouse of talent, includes Breanna Stewart, Napheesa Collier, Kahleah Copper, Alyssa Thomas, Brittney Griner, A'ja Wilson, Jackie Young, Diana Taurasi, Chelsea Gray, Jewell Loyd, Kelsey Plum and Sabrina Ionescu.
U-Conn's coach, Geno Auriemma, shared his professional insights on Caitlin's potential in the WNBA and the controversies surrounding her career on the Dan Patrick Show. Despite Caitlin's desire to join his team, the seasoned coach chose the Minnesota native Paige Bueckers over her. This decision, which was revisited several times during the NCAA finals after U-Conn lost to Iowa in the 2024 Women's NCAA final four, has been a point of discussion in the sports community.
Geno explained to the Dan Partick Show that he doesn't feel Caitlin is built for the physicality of the WNBA while fully explaining his unbiased conclusion. The highly decorated NCAA coach explained, "If you're a great college player like Caitlin was, the delusional fan base that follows her disrespected the WNBA players by saying that she's gonna go in that league and tear it apart.... These people are so disrespectful and so unknowledgeable and so stupid that it gives women's basketball a bad name." He continued, "So the kid was set up for failure right from the beginning."
Yet, Auriemma feels that Clark has a target on her back. He said, "I think she's handling it great," Auriemma said. "I think she talks a lot of s--t, and she gets a lot of s--t back. She deserves everything she gets because she gives it as good as she gets it. She's just not built for the physicality of this league, and she's not quick enough to get away from the physicality." Auriemma, who has won 11 NCAA Women's titles, said Clark needs to develop her skills more, as all rookies do; he explained, "When she gets it, she has elite skills that are going to help her." "She needs to be on a better team, and she needs experience."
Clark recently commented on not being selected for the team; she stated, "I'm excited for the girls that are on the team." She explained, "I know it's the most competitive team in the world, and I know it could have gone either way." Clark appears to be gearing up for her evolution as a player; she reportedly told her coach, Christie Sides, "Coach, they woke up a monster," after learning she wasn't selected to play with the USA during this summer's Olympics.
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