Ever since Caitlin Clark has entered the WNBA she’s been met with nothing but ‘welcome to the league’ moments, and controversies. The most recent has been fans belief that Caitlin Clark was snubbed from the 2024 USA Olympic team that will be playing in Paris. While Caitlin Clark is a phenomenal player she hasn’t accomplised what some of these ladies have accomplised when they were her age.
If you’re someone who is mad about the Caitlin Clark snub I’ll explain how good you really have to be to make the Olympic team as a rookie. Here are some WNBA players who made the Olympic team in their rookie year and their track record leading up to why they were chosen.
Candace Parker
Candace Parker was coming off of two straight national championships at Tennessee one in 2007, and one in 2008. Then once she entered the WNBA she won the MVP her in her rookie year. Candace Parker was well established and had the creditials to make it a no brainer for her to be on the Olympic team as a rookie.
Breanna Stewart
Breanna Stewart was coming off of 4 straight national championships at UConn 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2016 Every single year. Then was sixth in scoring, second in rebound, and third in blocks her rookie year. An all around play you needed on your team for the Olympics.
Diana Taurasi
Diana Taurasi besides being the future goat of the WNBA, was coming off three straight national championships 2002, 2003, 2004. Then she made the All WNBA first team her rookie season. Diana was and still is somthing special on the court and the USA womans basketball team wouldnt be what it is today without her.
Caitlin Clark: It Just Isn’t Her Time Yet
With that being said these woman already established themselves in the game of womans basketball before they even really got to the league that’s why they were no brainer selections for the Olympic team as rookies. Not saying Caitlin Clark hasn’t established herself, she holds the All Time NCAA scoring record for goodness sake, but she has no championships. The closest she got was earlier in the year when Clark and Iowa came up shor to South Carolina in the national championship game.
She needs to learn to become a leader, learn to be able to effect the entire team instead of just putting up big scoring numbers herself. Caitlin has shown everyone shes capable of playing at a very high level, but can she compete with bigger, and better woman professinal woman who’ve been doing this way longer than any of those college level girls. That’s still yet to be determined as Caitlin still adjusts to the higher more professinal level. Sure, Caitlin can strech the floor, but so can Sabrina Ionescu.
Caitlin also leads the entire WNBA in turnovers, but a long shot to. Caitlin Clark just simply hasn’t accomplished what these ladies have accomplished thus far, but with that being said that doesn’t mean she’s not an amazing player who will eventually play for the Olympic team in 2028 most likely.
Clark just isn’t ready for that yet, and in an interview with the press she’s even said it gives her somthing to strive for and it’s somthing that will drive her to be the best player she can be, and that’s all she can do for now, but she doesn’t need to worry about that right now and just focus on being the best player she can be. For herself, and for her Indiana Fever teamates.
