The sunlit courts of Paris saw Team USA’s women’s basketball squad hammer Japan 102-76 in what should have been a dazzling Olympic debut. Instead, the game felt more like a closed-door practice session, with only 13,040 fans in attendance—enough empty seats to stage a high-stakes game of musical chairs.
While the scoreboard was on fire, the stands were as cold as an ice bath. Team USA’s blowout win tied them with Germany at the top of Group C, but the real drama unfolded off the court. Caitlin Clark, Indiana Fever’s rookie superstar, was nowhere to be seen, and the crowd responded by playing hooky.
Let’s compare the attendance figures:
- Spain vs. China: 27,021
- Nigeria vs. Australia: 24,023
- Germany vs. Belgium: 20,211
- France vs. Canada: 20,211
- Serbia vs. Puerto Rico: 15,324
- Team USA vs. Japan: 13,040
Team USA couldn’t even muster half the crowd Spain and China drew. It seems the only thing more absent than Caitlin Clark was the enthusiasm for her team.
The online world lit up with fans’ fury, pointing fingers and tweeting accusations like, “If Caitlin is playing: more people go. If Caitlin isn’t playing: less people go. It’s simple.” Another tweet blasted the powers that be, claiming, “They’d do anything to keep CC out. Man, she would absolutely TAKEOVER stadiums.”
Adding to the hilarity, the Twitterverse buzzed louder than the actual game. A’ja Wilson and Brittney Griner’s reactions to a trolling Caitlin Clark sign were more entertaining than the rout on the court. One wonders if Clark’s absence was a covert operation by the Olympic committee to see how much excitement one player could drain from an arena.
Up next, Team USA faces Belgium on August 1st. The real question isn’t about the game but whether the seats will stay as empty as Clark’s spot on the roster. Will the team’s undeniable talent finally lure fans out of their Caitlin Clark-less despair, or will the absence of their rookie phenom continue to cast a shadow over an otherwise shining performance?
Stay tuned, sports fans—this saga has more twists and turns than a daytime soap opera.