• Loading stock data...
Tuesday, September 16, 2025

Dawn Staley Is Surprisingly Honest About Caitlin Clark Olympic Snub

  • South Carolina coach Dawn Staley said the selection committee might have chosen Clark, had decisions been made later.
  • Clark has embraced the Olympic break, her first time off since her senior season at Iowa started.
Syndication: Arizona Republic

Dawn Staley, the reigning Naismith Coach of the Year and national champion with South Carolina, was surprisingly candid about Caitlin Clark’s Olympic snub Sunday.

Staley, a member of the Olympic team selection committee, was in Paris as part of a presidential delegation. She admitted in an NBC interview that Clark’s WNBA play has improved since decisions were made.

“As a committee member, you’re charged with putting together the best team of players, the best talent. Caitlin is just a rookie in the WNBA, wasn’t playing bad, but wasn’t playing like she’s playing now,” Staley said. “If we had to do it all over again, the way that she’s playing, she would be in really high consideration of making the team because she is playing head and shoulders above a lot of people.”

Reports of Clark’s Olympic omission first began circling June 8, with the rookie confirming the news the next day. In early June, less than a month into the WNBA season, Clark’s Indiana Fever had played more games than any other team, and many of them against the top contenders in the league. The Fever had won only three games by the time the selections dropped.

Since then, Clark’s play and Indiana’s have improved. She’s averaging 17.1 points, 5.8 rebounds, 8.2 assists, and 1.5 steals per game so far this season, with two 30-point games. The team has improved its record to 11–15, good enough to make the playoffs if the season ended today.

At the time of the selection, ESPN analyst and Olympic gold medalist Rebecca Lobo didn’t blame the Fever’s poor performance out of the gate. Instead, she pointed out that training camps for the future Olympic team had been happening several times a year since February 2022, and Clark’s attendance had been limited.

“Caitlin Clark, through no fault of her own, was not able to participate in any of those training camps. She would have either last year in April of ’23 or April of ’24, except her team was playing in the Final Four,” Lobo said. “I think USA Basketball selection committee did a pretty good job making a terrific roster and rewarding the players who have made those sacrifices and made those commitments to USAB.”

Jennifer Rizzotti, Connecticut Sun president and committee chair for the USA Basketball women’s national team, said during a press conference that Clark has had a “tremendous” start to her WNBA career, but she is proud that the selection committee built a roster that understands head coach Cheryl Reeve’s systems.

“But essentially it was the committee’s job to pick the 12 based on our selection criteria, and as much as you want to maybe make conversation around how we should have considered TV viewership or jersey sales or popularity, that wasn’t the purview of the committee to have those discussions,” Rizzotti said. “A lot of conversation goes around what’s most important to put on the floor for Cheryl and give her the opportunity to have the best roster available, not necessarily always the 12 best players.”

Clark has been diplomatic about the snub—though she did say the selection committee “woke a monster” by leaving her off the roster—and has since embraced the WNBA’s monthlong Olympic break. This three-week period is Clark’s first extended bit of rest since she began her senior college season at Iowa last fall. “I honestly can’t wait to not touch a basketball for a while,” the rookie said after her first All-Star game. But her fans and many media members were furious about her exclusion, and NBC couldn’t have been thrilled, either.

The USA women’s team plays its first game of the Olympics on Monday at 3 p.m. ET against Japan.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Jul 27, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Injured Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) looks on from the bench during the first half of a basketball game against the Chicago Sky at United Center.

WNBA Ratings Rise 3% in 2025 Despite Clark’s Absence

Caitlin Clark played in just 13 of 44 regular-season games.
Sep 14, 2025; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Aces guard Jewell Loyd (24) gestures to a teammate after scoring against the Seattle Storm in the first quarter during game one of round one for the 2025 WNBA Playoffs at Michelob Ultra Arena.

Aces Surge From Collapse to Contention With Dynasty at Stake

The turnaround started after a 53-point loss to the Minnesota Lynx.
Las Vegas Aces

WNBA Playoffs Face ESPN Fall Crunch For Final Time

The games will be spread across three networks next year.

Warriors $75M Pitch Fails to Sway Kuminga As Season Looms

Kuminga and his representatives want a long-term deal.

Featured Today

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - APRIL 19: A detailed view of the MLB Debut patch on the jersey of Patrick Monteverde #44 of the Miami Marlins prior to game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on April 19, 2025 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

The Tiny Jersey Patch at the Center of the MLB Rookie Card..

Autographed cards containing a piece of baseball history have upended the market.
September 11, 2025

Eagles-Chiefs Super Bowl Rematch Could Set More NFL Ratings Records

Fox will nationally televise Sunday afternoon’s matchup.
September 10, 2025

ESPN’s ‘MNF’ Ratings Up 8% As NFL Surges to Strong Start

ESPN posts its second-best Week 1 “Monday Night Football” audience.
Sep 7, 2025; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Buffalo Bills fans react during the fourth quarter against the Baltimore Ravens at Highmark Stadium.
September 9, 2025

As Bills Ascend, Their Next Frontier Lies in Canada

Buffalo and the powerful Canadian entity MLSE come together in a new pact.
Joe Burrow

Joe Burrow Out for Months After Bengals’ Pricey Offseason

Tee Higgins and Ja’Marr Chase are the highest-paid WR duo in NFL history.
September 10, 2025

Kuminga, Grimes Remain Unsigned As Giddey Agrees to $100M Deal

Two of the four restricted free agents have inked deals.
September 11, 2025

NHL To Allow Players From Hockey Canada Trial To Return This Winter

The five Canadian players were all acquitted in July.
Sponsored

How World Series Champ Dexter Fowler Became a Premier League Team Owner

Dexter Fowler discusses navigating retirement and embracing new roles as an owner & investor.
September 8, 2025

Alcaraz and Sinner Have More to Gain in 2025 After Splitting Slams

Alcaraz and Sinner have split the last eight Grand Slams.
September 7, 2025

Alcaraz Beats Sinner, Wins $5M Prize, Reclaims World No. 1

Alcaraz won a record $5 million first prize at the US Open.
Angel Reese
September 5, 2025

Angel Reese Suspended For Half-Game After Ripping Teammates

The team is disciplining Reese for criticizing her teammates publicly.
Caitlin Clark
September 4, 2025

Caitlin Clark Says She Won’t Return From Injury This Year

She only played 13 games this season.