Caitlin Clark left off USA Roster

[76Shots]

When has this ever been the case or consideration for the selection process of Team USA mens or womens basketball?

Wasn’t this what Kyrie fans said, why he wasn’t back on the team? That Team USA had to realize he was a top-12 player, but they unfairly spurned him because they didn’t want him representing USA?

Fans can say or feel however they want, but the decision makers of the actual selection process of Team USA mens or womens basketball have never factored in (to my understanding) the popularity of a player under consideration, which you suggested they should.

[shrink]

When has this ever been the case or consideration for the selection process of Team USA mens or womens basketball?

Wasn’t this what Kyrie fans said, why he wasn’t back on the team? That Team USA had to realize he was a top-12 player, but they unfairly spurned him because they didn’t want him representing USA?

Fans can say or feel however they want, but the decision makers of the actual selection process of Team USA mens or womens basketball have never factored in (to my understanding) the popularity of a player under consideration, which you suggested they should.

And if I said they always have, how would we know?

Sports are entertainment, and derive theirs revenues through giving the audience what it wants to see. And the Olympics is a source of national pride on top of this.

I don’t know if bringing Draymond back was considered, but despite being a good basketball player, he is characterized as violent. That may play on TNT, not sure if it plays worldwide

[socal74]

Lol at people arguing over the WNBA. It's a **** product. Slow, unathletic. **** shooting, **** ton of turnovers, just pure garbage. Let's be real why ppl are watching CC.

[r0drig0lac]

in other news: a player who is not among the best players was not called up to the team that in theory calls up the best players.

It's sad so many people think this girl deserves everything for free.

She's simply not good enough right now to get that spot. Watch the games and you will know this.

People need to stop this hype with Clarke. They are just making her road more tough the more they complain.

for sure, some ridiculous arguments in favor of someone who has yet to show absolutely anything.

[nbanflguy]

When has this ever been the case or consideration for the selection process of Team USA mens or womens basketball?

Wasn’t this what Kyrie fans said, why he wasn’t back on the team? That Team USA had to realize he was a top-12 player, but they unfairly spurned him because they didn’t want him representing USA?

Fans can say or feel however they want, but the decision makers of the actual selection process of Team USA mens or womens basketball have never factored in (to my understanding) the popularity of a player under consideration, which you suggested they should.

Ok let’s say they haven’t factored in popularity ever… how has that worked out for the women’s game? How are the tv ratings and money going for them? Maybe they should switch it up.

Basically they had 2 options:
Option A: Win gold medal with the status quo with little to no fan ware or impact.

Option B: Win gold medal with increased viewers, money, and fan support/interest.

They chose option A

[wade44]

Lol at people arguing over the WNBA. It's a **** product. Slow, unathletic. **** shooting, **** ton of turnovers, just pure garbage. Let's be real why ppl are watching CC.

It’s shocking how bad it is. Had to remind the other day that I was watching professional players and not my sister’s middleschool AAU team from back in the day

[Tor_Raps]

Investing in womens basketball is valuable to the long-term ecosystem of the NBA, the idea that the subsidy is a dead-end investment is not accurate. The WNBA is less than thirty years old, it takes time to develop profitability; the indirect value of getting young women across the country invested in playing basketball is massive.

How many businesses in life are able to run for 30 years off negative profits? Lol

Tesla wasn't profitable for a decade and it took Amazon nine years to have a profitable year. Both for good reasons, a lot the "failure" to break into profitability was because of reinvestment and taking chances.

Most MLS teams still lose money, with the league being largely unprofitable since its founding in 1994 (though this is improving!).

While the WNBA itself is not profitable, you are MASSIVELY underappreciating the value using it to bolster a pipeline for girls to maintain interest in playing competitive basketball; it strengthens interest in the NBA as a product at a relatively low annual cost. Beyond that, the WNBA is rapidly improving financially, with revenue increasing from $60 million in 2017 to $200 million in 2023. A couple teams are already profitable, revenue is rapidly improving, and the WNBA is poised to have HUGE infusion of talent over the next few years.

Regardless, measuring success exclusively through profitability misses the huge value add of cultivating a strong pipeline for young girls to play basketball.

Please don't misinterpret my comments on profitability with me not liking women/girls playing basketball. I actually love that women's sports has been on the uptick. Most of us have girls within our family/friend circle that we'd love to see get a chance to aspire towards sports.

My point was that Women's basketball has been heavily subsidized for years so let's not act like Clark bringing all this MUCH NEEDED attention to the sport is a small feat. Women's basketball needs to do all it can to continue milking the cash cow so it can finally become independent from being looked upon as a charity.

[Rich Rane]

It's a **** product. Slow, unathletic. **** shooting, **** ton of turnovers, just pure garbage.

This is how I feel watching March Madness in the middle of the NBA season.

[DimesandKnicks]

She was excused for missing the training camp since she was playing in the ncaa tournament...

According to what? And being excused doesn’t give you a red carpet to a team that others participated in manual training camps to be involved in.

In case you weren’t aware, Clark has played for Team USA for years in younger age group competitions. She only missed try outs because she was carrying a mediocre Iowa team to the Final Four, and that success should be rewarded, not be punished. Finally, Team USA already said that missing the try outs was fine, and they would use her first month of WNBA play as the try out.

-1 Not sure what a “manual” training camp is, but all of the Team USA players have been playing on their own WNBA teams.

A more reasonable position would be that her first month of WNBA play was a failed audition, though I disagree.

She was of invited to participate in training camp, she did not because she was playing in the tournament and no one has made it on that roster on their first try in 32 years. I don’t see why someone who didn’t join the training camp would be

[LouisLitt]

Lol women.

No one hates a woman more than another woman.

[DimesandKnicks]

She was excused for missing the training camp since she was playing in the ncaa tournament...

According to what? And being excused doesn’t give you a red carpet to a team that others participated in manual training camps to be involved in.

I don’t think this is the argument you think it is when there’s a player on the roster who hasn’t played since November and doesn’t have a timetable for their return

If you’re talking about Diana Taurasi she has
five Olympic gold medals, three FIBA World Cup gold medals and a FIBA World Cup bronze medal and has been a part of USA basketball for 23-years. Her leadership and experience alone are enough for her to be a valuable member of that roster

[Lockdown504090]

Not a good analogy unless you believe NBA or men's basketball needed to be promoted as much as women's basketball where players paid 50k annually because of lack of interest thus profit...

USA Basketball and the WNBA are separate organizations. It's not this monolithic decision about the fate of women's basketball as a profitable enterprise.

This is from USA Basketball webpage:

Our Mission
As the governing body for basketball in the United States, USA Basketball is a worldwide leader in the sport through competitive excellence in international competition and by promoting, growing and elevating the game at all levels while ensuring that athletes and other participants compete and develop in a safe, inclusive and welcoming environment.

https://www.usab.com/about/our-mission-values

what place does merit have in promoting growing and elevating the game? thats the question you gotta answer if you want to come at this from that POV. Secondly, is clark a great fit on this team? each guard they have brings something different. gray is a shot creator, plum is a great shooter and breaks down the defense. lloyd is a very good defgensive playmaker. If gray cant play with her foot, yeah throw caitlin on maybe as an alternate.

[76Shots]

The CC fans vs the WNBA is such a weird and confusing dynamic to me considering CC is part of the WNBA. Its like CC fans view CC as the Harlem Globetrotters to the rest of the WNBA as the Washington Generals.

CC fans and followers favorite word seems to be "popularity" and not talent. Because if it was about talent they would have to acknowledge players such as Aja Willson, Breanna Stewart and a slew of other players that CC isnt remotely close to talent wise right now (which they dont want to do). Its as if CC fans want to give her credit for being a talented female basketball player, while still being able to crap on female basketball.

[LouisLitt]

This thread is illustrating exactly why she should be on the team:

- die hard women’s fans who are trying to correct people (they are watching anyways)

- casuals who are saying they are watching bc of CC


Diana Taurasi is a freakin dinosaur. It’s laughable to include her over CC when they are winning the gold regardless

Ya let's be real... when has a WNBA topic gained this much response and not laughed off this board before?

I'm a massive basketball fan who just couldn't stand watching the wnba for various reasons. Clark has made me watch more women's basketball than everything else before it combined.

Ya apparently now it's not about growing the sport anymore.

It's about the USA winning games by 30 points instead of 29. Who cares about growing interest in the sport at a global level.

[Fencer reregistered]

According to what? And being excused doesn’t give you a red carpet to a team that others participated in manual training camps to be involved in.

I don’t think this is the argument you think it is when there’s a player on the roster who hasn’t played since November and doesn’t have a timetable for their return

If you’re talking about Diana Taurasi she has
five Olympic gold medals, three FIBA World Cup gold medals and a FIBA World Cup bronze medal and has been a part of USA basketball for 23-years. Her leadership and experience alone are enough for her to be a valuable member of that roster

5 Olympic golds? Wowza. I was wondering whether Jrue and Laurene Holiday having two each would be a married-couple record.

[One Last Shot]

Not sure how accurate it is, but saw it suggested elsewhere that the wider potential playing group didn’t want to play with her.

This petty hatred these other women seem to hold for her is pathetic.

So you put out a false statement with nothing to back it up?

This entire situation has turned into women in the WNBA hating on Clarke.

The media is complaining more than Clarke. She has not said a word about people hating on her or the physical play. Physical play happens in every sport people.

Stop making excuses for Clarke. If she wants to be the best player it will take time. Once she figures out how to play through the physical contact she will be fine.

I understand people want this young lady to be the best player right away, but it takes time. Success doesn't come overnight.

Just stop with the people hating on her. They just playing hard and challenging her to see if she's really worth the hype. This is competitive basketball not hate!

Nah this is pure hate/jealousy and certainly not a competitive basketball play.

Read on Twitter

[DimesandKnicks]

Lol women.

No one hates a woman more than another woman.

Best kept secret

[dockingsched]

According to what? And being excused doesn’t give you a red carpet to a team that others participated in manual training camps to be involved in.

I don’t think this is the argument you think it is when there’s a player on the roster who hasn’t played since November and doesn’t have a timetable for their return

If you’re talking about Diana Taurasi she has
five Olympic gold medals, three FIBA World Cup gold medals and a FIBA World Cup bronze medal and has been a part of USA basketball for 23-years. Her leadership and experience alone are enough for her to be a valuable member of that roster

Hasn’t played since November without a timetable for their return = Taurasi? I was talking about Gray

[76Shots]

Not sure how accurate it is, but saw it suggested elsewhere that the wider potential playing group didn’t want to play with her.

This petty hatred these other women seem to hold for her is pathetic.

So you put out a false statement with nothing to back it up?

This entire situation has turned into women in the WNBA hating on Clarke.

The media is complaining more than Clarke. She has not said a word about people hating on her or the physical play. Physical play happens in every sport people.

Stop making excuses for Clarke. If she wants to be the best player it will take time. Once she figures out how to play through the physical contact she will be fine.

I understand people want this young lady to be the best player right away, but it takes time. Success doesn't come overnight.

Just stop with the people hating on her. They just playing hard and challenging her to see if she's really worth the hype. This is competitive basketball not hate!

Nah this is pure hate/jealousy and certainly not a competitive basketball play.

Read on Twitter

So. What. Its not the first dirty play ever in the world of basketball and it most certainly wont be the last. Dozens or more NBA players have made a living on making similar or even far more egregious plays and have been embraced as "enforcers". That play is really as mild as it comes.

[shrink]

-1 Not sure what a “manual” training camp is, but all of the Team USA players have been playing on their own WNBA teams.

A more reasonable position would be that her first month of WNBA play was a failed audition, though I disagree.

She was of invited to participate in training camp, she did not because she was playing in the tournament and no one has made it on that roster on their first try in 32 years. I don’t see why someone who didn’t join the training camp would be

As I already posted twice, or your could have found out yourself with a simple search, Breanna Stewart made it “on her first try” as a rookie, in the Olympics right before last.

Not your area, but cmon. No need to make stuff up.