Caitlin Clark's play could have earned her a spot on the Olympic team after all, says coach Dawn Staley

The U.S. women's basketball team will make its Olympic debut in Paris on Monday in a game against Japan.

The team will not be able to count on Caitlin Clark on the bench, as USA Basketball officials did not place the Indiana Fever rookie on the roster with the rest of the WNBA's dominant stars. The decision sparked outrage in the sports world and allegations that WNBA legends and veterans mistreated the sensational sharpshooter.

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WNBA Team #22 Caitlin Clark looks on prior to the 2024 WNBA All-Star Game against the United States Women's National Basketball Team at Footprint Center on July 20, 2024 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Alex Slitz/Getty Images)

The cold shoulder toward Clark appears to have eased in recent weeks. Clark has been seen chatting with more senior players and mingling with the team at the WNBA All-Star Game.

South Carolina women's basketball coach and former U.S. women's basketball coach Dawn Staley suggested in an interview with NBC's Mike Tirico on Sunday that maybe Clark had done enough to earn a spot on the team after all. Clark recorded a career-high 19 assists in her final regular-season game before the All-Star break.

“As a member of the committee, you’re tasked with putting together the best team of players, the best talent,” Staley said. “Caitlin is just a rookie in the WNBA, she wasn’t playing bad, but she wasn’t playing the way she’s playing now. If we had to do it all over again, the way she’s playing, she’d be a great fit to be on the team because she’s a cut above a lot of players.”

South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley watches as First Lady Jill Biden meets with Team USA families ahead of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games on July 25, 2024 in Paris. (Maja Hitij/Getty Images)

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“She shoots extremely well, I mean she's an elite passer, she's just got a great basketball IQ and she's a little bit more experienced in the professional game in a couple of months than she was two months ago.”

Clark entered the break averaging 17.1 points and 8.2 assists per game for the Fever.

Although Staley suggested he regretted not choosing Clark, U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee CEO Sarah Hirshland defended his exclusion.

“When you look at the whole thing, I would say USA Basketball had a very disciplined process with people who know more about the game of women's basketball than anyone else in the world,” she told Bloomberg Business.

Caitlin Clark, #22 of the WNBA, looks on during the 2024 WNBA All-Star Game at Footprint Center on July 20, 2024 in Phoenix. (Dylan Goodman/NBAE via Getty Images)

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“And I'm convinced that they know exactly what they're doing. The women have won the gold medal many times and we hope that they can do it again and that we can win another gold medal.”

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