Report: Indiana Fever rookie Caitlin Clark left off 2024 USA Olympic team

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Indiana Fever rookie Caitlin Clark won’t be heading to Paris this summer.

USA Basketball left the former Iowa star off its 12-player Olympic roster, three people with knowledge of the situation told USA TODAY Sports on Saturday morning.

This confirms USA TODAY Sports’ overnight reporting Clark — whose thrilling logo 3s and pinpoint passes have electrified record crowds and TV audiences while earning her WNBA rookie of the month honors and numerous rookie statistical records — has been snubbed by USA Basketball.

USA Basketball, the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee and Clark could not immediately be reached for comment Saturday morning.

Per reports via The Athletic’s Shams Charania, the roster includes four Las Vegas Aces players A’ja Wilson, Kelsey Plum, Jackie Young and Chelsea Gray; three Phoenix Mercury players in Diana Taurasi, Brittney Griner and Kahleah Copper; two New York Liberty players in Breanna Stewart and Sabrina Ionescu; the Connecticut Sun’s Alyssa Thomas; the Minnesota Lynx’s Napheesa Collier; and the Seattle Storm’s Jewell Loyd.

Insider: 20,000 fans packed DC arena to root on Caitlin Clark, Indiana? Sure sounded like it.

The U.S. women’s basketball Olympic team, which has won seven gold medals in a row, favored experience heading into the 2024 Paris Games. Fifth-year New York Liberty guard Ionescu, the 2020 No. 1 pick, is the youngest player on the team at 26 years old.

The 12 players on this roster not only have experience, but they also had the advantage of working together in multiple USA Basketball training camps throughout the offseason. USA Basketball had training camps in November and April to work out WNBA players for potential roster spots, and Clark was invited to the April camp in Cleveland. The Fever rookie couldn’t attend, though, as Iowa advanced to the Final Four and the two events conflicted.

So, the Associated Press reported ahead of the season that Clark’s early games in the WNBA will serve as her unofficial tryout for the Olympic team.

She has impressed in her first month in the league, winning WNBA Rookie of the Month for May, averaging 16.8 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 6.3 assists through her first 12 games. With the ball in her hands a lot of the time, though, Clark has struggled with turning the ball over, averaging 5.6 turnovers per game.

While getting on the Olympic team was an ambitious goal for Clark this season, too, it may benefit her to get some extended rest while the league has an extended, 24-day break for the games. With Iowa’s advancement to the national championship game, Clark has not had any meaningful rest from basketball since October 2023.

Fever second-year Aliyah Boston attended both USA Basketball training camps, as well, but she was ultimately not selected for the Olympic team. Both Boston and Clark will have another chance to make the team for the 2028 Games, which will be in Los Angeles.

USA TODAY’s Christine Brennan contributed to this report.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Caitlin Clark left off 2024 USA Women’s basketball Olympic team