Caitlin Clark, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft, will use her early play in the league as an opportunity to showcase her talent and potentially earn a spot on the U.S. Olympic women’s basketball team for the upcoming Paris Games. The roster for the Olympics won’t be determined until June 1, so Clark will have the start of her WNBA career to prove herself to the U.S. selection committee. While she was unable to attend the U.S. training camp due to competing in the Final Four with Iowa, Clark’s performance in the WNBA will be closely watched by committee chair Jennifer Rizzotti.
Rizzotti emphasized the importance of introducing new players into the Olympic pool, whether for the present or the future, based on talent, positional fit, loyalty, and experience. However, she acknowledged that the selection process may not be fair to all candidates. The U.S. women’s basketball team will gather in Phoenix for a few days in July before the Olympics, including playing an exhibition All-Star game against WNBA players. The team is aiming for an eighth consecutive Olympic gold medal and has a talented group of guards in the pool, including veterans like Diana Taurasi and up-and-coming players like Chelsea Gray, Ariel Atkins, and Jewell Loyd.
Despite not having senior national team experience, Caitlin Clark has represented the U.S. on junior teams, winning gold medals at various FIBA tournaments. While there were reports that Clark could have been part of the 3×3 team, she has made it clear that her focus is on playing 5-on-5 basketball and competing against the best in the world. Clark’s selection as the No. 1 overall pick in the WNBA Draft by the Indiana Fever has raised expectations for her professional career, and she will have the opportunity to make history as a rookie Olympian if she can earn a spot on the U.S. team.
The U.S. women’s selection committee is looking to secure the future of the team by considering promising young guards like Caitlin Clark, Kelsey Plum, and Sabrina Ionescu, alongside experienced players like Taurasi and Gray. Rizzotti views the upcoming guards as crucial for maintaining the team’s success once the current veterans retire. If Clark can impress during her WNBA debut against the Connecticut Sun on May 14, Rizzotti and the committee will have firsthand evidence of her potential to contribute to the U.S. Olympic team. While Clark’s lack of senior national team experience may be a disadvantage, her talent, determination, and past success at international competitions could help her case for selection.
If Caitlin Clark were to make the U.S. Olympic women’s basketball team, she would follow in the footsteps of players like Breanna Stewart, who made the team as a rookie in 2016. Stewart had been involved with the national team since her college years, a different path from Clark’s junior team experience. While 3×3 basketball was a potential option for Clark, her ultimate goal is to compete in the 5-on-5 format against the best players in the world. As she embarks on her WNBA career, Clark has the chance to prove that she belongs among the elite in women’s basketball and can contribute to the U.S. team’s pursuit of Olympic gold in Paris.
