The USA women’s basketball team has landed in London for an Olympic tuneup game vs. Germany on Tuesday – but there was of course no sign of Caitlin Clark.
The Indiana Fever rookie, who continues to set records in the WNBA, was controversially snubbed from the 12-woman roster when it was announced last month.
That decision has drawn added scrutiny since Clark and her fellow WNBA All-Stars defeated the Olympic roster last weekend.
And as the likes of Kelsey Plum, Brittney Griner and more were seen getting off the team bus in London, at least one fan still held that sentiment on Monday.
‘Where’s @Arike_O [Arike Ogunbowale] and @CaitlinClark22 you people are a complete disgrace,’ they said on X.
The likes of Brittney Griner and Kelsey Plum were in good spirits as they arrived in London
Of course, Caitlin Clark isn’t there after being snubbed from the Team USA Olympic roster
Ogunbowale, another Team USA snub, was named the All-Star Game MVP on Saturday after scoring 34 points against the Olympic squad.
Clark had a more quiet scoring night with four points, but impressively contributed 10 assists.
Afterwards, the 2024 No. 1 draft pick was asked if the 117-109 win offered her any sense of vindication.
‘No,’ the Indiana Fever star bluntly responded.
‘They’re really good. They have plenty of talent on that team. Four years prior I’m pretty sure Team WNBA beat Team USA, [and] they were perfectly fine in the Olympics.
‘If anything, it shows how good this league is. It shows how much talent is in this league and how you have to show up and prepare every single night. There’s a lot of players that aren’t even here tonight that could be here too. It just shows the amount of talent we have.’
Kahleah Copper (left), A’ja Wilson and Jackie Young were all chosen to represent Team USA
Caitlin Clark said the WNBA’s win over Team USA on Saturday ‘shows how good the league is’
Even without Clark, Team USA still has a loaded roster.
The last two WNBA MVPs, Breanna Stewart and A’ja Wilson, are expected to play leading roles in Paris, while the likes of Diana Taurasi will provide experience.
The 42-year-old is playing in a record sixth Olympics, a streak which at one point looked to be in doubt due to a leg injury that saw her miss several games with the Phoenix Mercury.
If Taurasi had stayed back home, that may have opened the door for Clark – who was listed as an alternate – to be included on the roster.
After facing Germany in Tuesday’s warmup game, the USA women will begin their tournament vs. Japan in a week, before playing Belgium and then Germany again.
