OPINION: U.S. Olympic selection committee did Caitlin Clark a favor
Indiana Fever rookie Caitlin Clark is defended by Las Vegas Aces rookie Kate Martin during a WNBA game on May 25, 2024, at Michelob Ultra Arena in Las Vegas.
PHOTO: Ethan Miller/Getty Images via Las Vegas Aces
By W.G. RAMIREZ
Been a long time since I was called a "hater" of women's basketball.
Wait a minute, I've never been called a "hater" of women's basketball.
Until Saturday morning, on a social media platform, when a couch coach admittedly said, "I am a massive basketball fan. I haven't been to one aces (sic) game. I haven't even watched one. I will when Caitlin's here though."
Well, Caitlin Clark has already been to Las Vegas. So there goes that argument.
Nonetheless, the responses came fast and furious when I proclaimed the best news I read Friday night was Clark not being named to the USA Women's National Team. Trust me, I'm the furthest thing from a "Caitlin hater," as the couch coach who hasn't watched an Aces game but is a massive basketball fan labeled me.
I mean, I was the one who asked her via Zoom during the press conference after her first win as a member of the Indiana Fever how her mental health was doing. I'm the one she thanked the next night when we met in person and shared a brief chat before she played the Aces. Ya know, the game the couch coach apparently didn't realize he didn’t attend?
I've done nothing but praise Clark for what she's brought to the WNBA and how much she will do in the future. As a sports writer, I appreciate all the media she's done to this point, sometimes three times a day before lacing them up against another team.
But as I detailed in my social media post, let's put this 22-year-old's past eight months into perspective.
She started the final year of her collegiate career at Iowa on Nov. 6 and went on to play 39 games through April 7, when she and the Hawkeyes lost in the National Championship to South Carolina. Clark was drafted eight days later; 13 days after that, she opened training camp with the Fever. A little more than two weeks later, she started her professional career and went on to play in 11 games during 20 days, covering roughly 8,000 miles on chartered flights.
And again, there were times she placated the media thrice on gamedays.
Fast forward to July, when she assumedly will participate in the All-Star festivities in Phoenix, and by the time the Olympic break rolls around, she will have played 65 basketball games in 255 days.
Don't worry, I'll do the math for you: that's one game every 3.5 days since Nov. 6.
Sheesh! Are we even positive she wants to go to Paris for what could be a slightly crazier media swarm and the responsibility of representing America?
THE ATTENTION
Couch coach: "Just sad what you guys are doing to this girl lol go ahead and continue and let women's basketball die again. I actually do this basketball thing you're speaking of. You just speak on it. You cry for women's basketball to get attention and now it's here and you guys cry about the reason it's getting attention now lol."
Pardon thy grammatical mistakes, sire couch coach hath not know much about this writing thing he speaketh of...
But, I'm part of the writing population that has been giving added attention to the sport, and have been sitting in on Zoom sessions so I can write as much as I can on my website that earns absolutely no revenue or sponsorship money.
I do it because I love women's basketball, and have enjoyed covering it for quite some time.
Wait, hold up, did you say "let women's basketball die again?"
When did it die in the first place?
Newsflash: Caitlin Clark is neither the face of the WNBA nor USA Basketball. Sure, she has become the darling of the women's basketball world, and yes, she would bring additional eyes to this year’s Games. But we’re talking about a population that is just now paying attention to a planet that's been part of the sports universe and had an audience long before she was born. There’s never been a death to women’s basketball, only a maturation process thanks to some of the world’s greatest female athletes.
Two years before Clark was born - TWO - this was the team that won gold in Sydney: Ruthie Bolton-Holifield, Teresa Edwards, Yolanda Griffith, Chamique Holdsclaw, Lisa Leslie, Nikki McCray, DeLisha Milton, Katie Smith, Dawn Staley, Sheryl Swoopes, Natalie Williams and Kara Wolters.
Two years after Clark was born - when SHE was TWO - this team won gold in Greece: Sue Bird, Swin Cash, Tamika Catchings, Yolanda Griffith, Shannon Johnson, Lisa Leslie, Ruth Riley, Katie Smith, Dawn Staley, Sheryl Swoopes, Diana Taurasi and Tina Thompson.
Wheeeee ... those are some legendary names. And one is still playing.
Taurasi will play in her sixth Olympiad, and likely her final one. SIX!
Fast forward to 2024.
Four months after Clark was drafted, here is the team that should have no trouble winning gold: Napheesa Collier, Kahleah Copper, Chelsea Gray, Brittney Griner, Sabrina Ionescu, Jewell Loyd, Kelsey Plum, Breanna Stewart, Taurasi, Alyssa Thomas, A'ja Wilson and Jackie Young.
Real quick, because I want to know, for those who think it's ridiculous to leave Clark off the team: who is she replacing? Who is she better than? Sure, she's got range. Nobody is denying Clark is a hooper. But even she said during her introductory press conference, just days after being drafted, that her defensive game would take time to develop at this level.
But the 12 women the committee have elected to represent America, they’ve got years of professional experience on Clark.
THE FACE
For the record, Clark has yet to assume ownership of the torch entitled "face of women's basketball." Most know who that honor belongs to at this point, right? I mean, I don't even need to type her last name.
A'ja.
Look, this is not a Black and White argument, unless we're talking fonts and newspaper ink.
Until further notice, A’ja Wilson has become, and will remain, the face of women’s basketball. Wilson will represent the United States in Paris this summer.
PHOTO: David Becker/NBA Photos, via Las Vegas Aces
This is about sending the best 12 women to Paris to represent our country. Twelve women who have Plum's “Dawg Mentality” and will go to Paris with the intent to dominate the way they've done in the past, and know what it’s like to bring home gold.
I read Christine Brennan's column in USA Today - she agrees with all of y'all by the way, and says the committee chucked an air-ball by leaving Clark off the roster - and saw she wrote two sources told her part of the reason the selection committee left Clark off the roster was fear of backlash from millions of Clark's fans when they saw her playing time limited due a stacked roster.
I've long admired Christine since I was a high-school stringer for USAT back in the day, but I'm firm on my stance that this is the best thing for this young lady.
This shouldn't be about marketing and viewership. I'm pretty sure people will be tuning into the Olympics. I mean, they've done pretty good in the past, no?
And for the record, last I checked the Aces had 19 of their 20 home games sold out, with 18 of them NOT being played against Clark's Fever.
A'ja.
How about we put our feet in the Olympic committee's Jordans for a moment and we put our thinking caps on.
Imagine this:
The WNBA All-Star Game is July 20, which means presumably, Clark will begin her mid-season vacation on July 21. Olympic basketball begins July 27.
Maybe, ESPN - which has become invested in the WNBA - brings Clark into the studio as an analyst on USA's gamedays to break down film and break bread with, say, Elle Duncan, Andraya Carter and Chiney Ogwumike. Now imagine a fifth person in the studio, perhaps Angel Reese or Kamilla Cardoso or Aaliyah Edwards, basically, another rookie that brings a sense of unity that public perception believe is missing.
And what do we have? Even more viewership.
Fast forward to 2028.
Clark will be 26. She will have implemented a pro basketball player's offseason regimen, and will have been able to endure the physical play she's battled with over the first 3 1/2 weeks of her career. Her mental toughness will be even better, and by then, maybe, A'ja is ready to pass the Olympic torch as the face of women's basketball to Caitlin, and Clark makes her Olympic debut where? In America, at the 2028 Los Angeles games.
This isn't about hating Caitlin Clark.
This isn't about bringing yet another volatile narrative toward the future face of women's basketball.
It's about paying respect to the women who have laid the foundation for USA Basketball and deserve to go in front of Clark this year, while she waits her turn.
And, if anything, this all started with my sentiments that this was the best possible thing for this young lady, who's barely come up for air and still has 5 1/2 more weeks until the All-Star Break.
But the couch coaches had their remotes ready and said I was the problem.
A "Caitlin hater.”
Nah, I'm more intrigued with who is getting the call if there’s an injury: Allisha Gray, Rhyne Howard (can she play both 5x5 and 3x3?), Arike Ogunbowale… anyone?
I'll save that for another conversation.
