Despite a record-breaking rookie season, Caitlin Clark was left off the 2024 Team USA roster that went on to win gold in Paris, and fans had thoughts.
Clark, who snagged WNBA Rookie of the Year honors and made her first All-Star appearance, was widely expected to make the cut. But when the roster dropped, her name wasn’t there, sparking confusion and backlash online. On Thursday, newly appointed USA Women’s Basketball Director Sue Bird offered some insight during her guest spot on The Dan Patrick Show.
“I have to just say that I respected the committee’s job,” Bird said. “I understood what was at play, I understood the pros and the cons… and I think at the end of the day it’s hard to criticize a gold medal.”
Bird emphasized that Team USA had to battle through some very competitive matchups in Paris, none more intense than the nail-biting gold medal win over host nation France. While some believe Clark could’ve helped ease those tight moments, Bird was simply relieved with the final result: “I was just happy to see them come away with the win.”
Caitlin Clark’s Time on the Global Stage? Just Getting Started
While Clark herself stayed classy and didn’t make a fuss about the Olympic omission, her fan base made their voices heard. And now, there’s reason to believe that Caitlin Clark in red, white, and blue might not be far off.
According to The Athletic’s Chantel Jennings and Joe Vardon, USA Basketball will restructure its leadership heading into the 2028 Olympics, with Sue Bird taking the reins as managing director of the women’s national team. That means she’ll be in charge of player and coaching selections for both the Olympics and the World Cup.
Considering Bird’s past praise of Clark, this is a promising sign. On her own podcast, Making It Weird, Bird once said,
“Caitlin, in particular, her long-distance threes… I always said this, we finally got the antidote to dunking.”
Bird explained that Clark’s shot-making helped flip the long-standing criticisms of women’s basketball:
“So in a sense, I think she snapped people out of this trance that was very negative… and now she’s brought this huge group.”
At just 26 when the 2028 Games tip off in Los Angeles, Caitlin Clark could be stepping into her prime, ready to own the global stage, not just the WNBA.
For more basketball content, click on Hardwood Heroics. Sabel Reyes can be reached through [email protected]. Other websites under the Sports Heroics umbrella are Gridiron Heroics and Wisconsin Heroics.
Sabel has been working as a field reporter for People’s Television Network (PTV), mainly about the Philippine Basketball Association since 2016 and has been elevated to Executive Producer for sports in 2022. Aside from being on top of the Philippine sports scene, she is also a running enthusiast. You can also follow her on X at @SabelReyes2 and Instagram at @msabelreyes.
