The 2024 Paris  Olympics are getting underway, and Team USA women’s  basketball squad enters the competition highly touted. The team features multiple stars including A’ja Wilson, Breanna Stewart, and Alyssa Thomas. However, former  Iowa women’s basketball phenom and Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark was left off the roster. Yet, that did not stop one fan from making a bold statement about Clark before Team USA’s matchup against Japan on Monday.

 

A Japanese fan appeared to bring a sign that read, “You need Caitlin Clark to beat us,” as shown by Jeff Eisenband and NBC Sports’ Kerith Burke:

As seen in Burke’s video, A’ja Wilson, Alyssa Thomas, and Brittany Grinner seemed to notice and become amused by the sign. The Team Japan fan might have given the USA extra motivation ahead of their matchup.

Team USA has an abundance of two-way contributors. Wilson and Brenna Stewart highlight the talented squad. Stewart won the 2023 WNBA MVP award and has the New York Liberty ranked first in the league standings through the first part of the 2024 season. Likewise, Wilson was the 2023 MVP runner-up and has won two straight championships with the Las Vegas Aces. She and Stewart are supported by several high-level players. However, the elephant in the room fans have been discussing is the absence of Caitlin Clark.

 

How will Team USA fare without Caitlin Clark?

Several fans and analysts were upset with Clark’s omission from the  Olympic team. She broke countless records at  Iowa and joined the Fever as arguably the most highly-touted WNBA prospect ever. Colin Cowherd felt like leaving Clark off the international team was a mistake and highlighted the benefits she could have brought to the squad.

“WNBA now is flying chartered flights. She would triple the TV ratings. Again, life doesn’t give you, sports doesn’t give you, business doesn’t give you a lot of these kind of waves, grab the surfboard. She’s here for you. By the way, the NBA would die to have a domestic star nearly as popular as Caitlin Clark. Oh wait, they do. Anthony Edwards. They put him on the team,” Cowherd said via The Herd in June of 2024.

Furthermore, Cowherd said Clark’s omission was a “wasted opportunity,” arguing she could have gotten the players on the team more attention and potential opportunities. Regardless of the backlash the Team USA committee is receiving, they put together an experienced roster that should perform just fine.

 

 

It will be interesting to see how the USA fares against Japan in one of its first matchups.