How some media members reacted after Dawn Staley comments on Caitlin Clark, Olympic basketball
South Carolina women's basketball coach Dawn Staley and rest of the selection committee for USA women's basketball were criticized when former Iowa star and WNBA rookie Caitlin Clark did not make the Olympic team for the Paris Games.
While appearing on NBC during the USA men's basketball game on Sunday, Staley told studio host Mike Tirico that if she had the chance to create the roster all over again, Clark would be in high consideration.
Dawn Staley, a member of the USWNT selection committee, asked about Caitlin Clark.
“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.” pic.twitter.com/hMYqTsPWzc— Scott Agness (@ScottAgness) July 28, 2024
Clark had a historic career and senior season at Iowa, highlighted by breaking the NCAA All-Time scoring record in March. The Hawkeyes fell short of the national championship in April, losing to South Carolina 87-75 in Clark's final college game.
The Olympic roster was officially announced on June 11, a little less than a month after Clark made her WNBA debut with the Indiana Fever. At the time, Clark had only played 13 games in the professional league and was averaging roughly 5.7 turnovers per game, the most in the WNBA.
Clark is now leading the league in assists with 8.2 per game and averages 17 points per game, 15th overall in the WNBA. Clark competed against the best women's players for a spot, and eight players from the 12-person Olympic roster sit above her for points per game this season. Arike Ogunbowale also didn't make the team and at the time the roster was finalized, the Dallas Wings guard was the second-leading scorer in the WNBA.
After Staley said Sunday that Clark is playing "head and shoulders above a lot of people," some took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to question those comments and the decision to leave Clark off the roster.
So leaving college basketball as the all time leading scorer wasn’t taken into consideration? Reminder: it’s not a WNBA All Star team or a Fading Legends team. It’s a national team. https://t.co/Nt2wG901pz
— Frank Isola (@TheFrankIsola) July 28, 2024
I really like Dawn Staley but NOW she says this? Man, too little too late for Caitlin Clark and fans everywhere. https://t.co/ZKpCwACHIU
— Jill Painter Lopez (@jillpainter) July 28, 2024
What a comment this is. Said and wrote it more than a month ago and will say it again from here in Paris: USA Basketball’s snub of Caitlin Clark was the worst player selection decision I’ve seen in my 40 years covering the Olympics. What a mistake! https://t.co/CrarbsJfOD
— Christine Brennan (@cbrennansports) July 28, 2024
Dawn Staley says that Caitlin Clark's **early season** WNBA performance kept her off the team which (who really cares but) is a completely bizarre rationale, a rookie slump against the toughest schedule in the league, who are they trying to fool here https://t.co/9yCbMp3Wi1
— Eric Harvey (@ericdharvey) July 28, 2024
If I were Dawn Staley I wouldn’t do any interviews about Caitlin Clark. It doesn’t really matter what she (Dawn) says because people are always dissatisfied. Her saying CC would’ve been considered just feels like she’s playing to the crowd. She should stand by her choices.
— Beth (@BethHoller) July 28, 2024
Lulu Kesin covers South Carolina athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email her at lkesin@gannett.com and follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, @Lulukesin
This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Reactions to Dawn Staley's comments on Caitlin Clark, Olympic roster
