In a plot twist worthy of a daytime soap opera, former Team USA women’s basketball coach Dawn Staley has offered a tantalizing glimpse into the what-could-have-beens for Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark. Staley recently hinted that, had the roster been chosen later, Clark might have been Paris-bound instead of binge-watching the Olympics from her couch.
Clark’s exclusion from the Team USA roster left many scratching their heads—mostly to ponder what other rookie sensation was hiding in plain sight. Clark was only 12 WNBA games deep when the decision was made, and her omission from the roster was akin to leaving a gourmet chef out of a cooking show because they hadn’t yet perfected a peanut butter sandwich.
Staley, speaking to NBC’s Mike Tirico, tried her best to sound diplomatic but couldn’t hide the regret in her voice. “As a committee member, you’re charged with putting together the best team of players, the best talent,” she mused, undoubtedly while imagining the countless facepalms from basketball fans nationwide.
“Caitlin is just a rookie in the WNBA. She wasn’t playing bad, but she wasn’t playing like she’s playing now,” Staley added, her tone almost apologetic. One could almost hear the collective sigh of what-could-have-been from the Olympic committee.
Clark’s current performance has turned the narrative on its head faster than a Michael Jordan dunk highlight reel. She’s sitting pretty at 12th in league scoring, leading in assists, and raining down three-pointers like they’re going out of style. But back when decisions were made, she was just another newbie trying to find her footing.
“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,” Staley continued, practically handing Clark a golden ticket in hindsight. “She is playing head and shoulders above a lot of people, shooting the ball extremely well. I mean, she is an elite passer. She’s just got a great basketball IQ, and she’s a little more seasoned in the pro game now than she was two months ago.”
Meanwhile, Clark is finally getting a much-deserved break. After a marathon of a season starting last November, she’s likely kicking back and enjoying the Olympics with a mix of awe and “I could do that.” But her absence hasn’t gone unnoticed, especially by the ever-controversial Jason Whitlock, who didn’t mince words in his critique.
“Just admit y’all were petty and blew a huge opportunity. USA women’s team is irrelevant without CC,” Whitlock tweeted, surely causing more than a few Olympic officials to cringe.
As Team USA gears up to face Japan on Monday, the lingering question remains: Would Caitlin Clark have made a difference? While we’ll never know for sure, one thing is certain—Clark’s snub is the plot twist no one saw coming, but everyone can’t stop talking about.