Caitlin Clark isn’t bothered that she was left off the Team USA roster for the upcoming Paris Olympics—but the snub has apparently put a fire in her belly.
“I’m excited for the girls that are on the team,” she told reporters on Sunday, according to ESPN. “I know it’s the most competitive team in the world, and I knew it could’ve gone either way—me being on the team, me not being on the team. I’m excited for them. I’m going to be rooting them on to win gold.
“Honestly, no disappointment. It just gives me something to work for; it’s a dream. Hopefully one day I can be there. I think it’s just a little more motivation. You remember that. Hopefully when four years comes back around, I can be there.”
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Meanwhile, Indiana Fever coach Christie Sides said that Clark had reacted very differently in private.
“The thing she said was, ‘Hey, Coach, they woke a monster,’ which I thought was awesome,” Sides explained. “She’s young, she's going to have so many opportunities in the future.”
The coach said that Clark had learned she hadn’t made the cut on Friday. Hours later, the 22-year-old scored 30 points over the Washington Mystics, including 7 three-pointers, in a victorious matchup before one of the largest crowds in WNBA history.
“It felt good to shoot the ball well,” she said after the game, according to the Associated Press. “I feel like even my misses were right there.”
The league will take a three-week break for the Olympic Games, which kick off in less than two months. The star-studded American squad reportedly includes past gold medalists like Brittney Griner and Breanna Stewart.
Team USA has dominated women’s basketball at the Olympics in recent years, taking the gold medal in each Summer Games since 1996. Even without Clark, the roster is heavily considered favorite to win in Paris once again.
