What Caitlin Clark just did EMBARRASSED Cheryl Reeve and the Team USA Regret Snubbing Caitlin Clark

I'm just kind of ready for the next chapter. Kaelin Clark, WNBA Rookie of the Month. Packing arenas while averaging 17 in 6 assists. That's not enough to make the Olympic roster. She's displaying some skill right now. And she's moving fast. She don't look like everybody on that court is way slower than her when she's getting to her stuff. Can't help but watch when she plays where she's shooting from, the range, the confidence. I don't think I was that effective, honestly. Kaelin Clark has openly discussed her feelings about not being chosen for the USA basketball team for the Olympics. Honestly, no disappointment. I think it just gives you something to work for. You know, that's a dream. Hopefully one day I can be there. Her motivation, I mean... Everyone can see she was overlooked, with plenty of statistical evidence backing this up. Her exceptional performance at Iowa in college was ignored. And Don Staley mentioned they only evaluated her first 15 WNBA games. Not putting Kaelin Clark on the U.S. women's basketball team is one of the biggest failures of basic business. Kaelin Clark wants to be on the team, but who cares? She knows that in all likelihood she didn't deserve it. She's a rookie. However, Clark's comments suggest she isn't too upset about the situation. She almost seems relieved, considering everything. The USA team yesterday, their roster came out. Yeah, I think I'm excited for the girls that are on the team. I know it's the most competitive team in the world, and I know it could have gone either way. You know, I'm excited for them. I'm going to be rooting them on to win gold. I was a kid that grew up watching the Olympics, so yeah, it'll be fun to watch them. Despite the obvious snub and the stats proving she's outperformed players like Diana Taurasi this season, it's clear the oversight was significant. She has the vision to find her teammates, defending her. You are in constant contradiction with yourself when you're guarding Kaelin Clark. She also has to sit there like she can't hear us talking about her, which she's handling wonderfully. Kaelin, proud of you on all fronts, but proud of you for handling this. Kaelin Clark's exclusion from the 2024 U.S. Olympic basketball team has been a controversial and much debated topic. They're having a shockingly similar season. So points and rebounds are basically identical. Field goal percentage is identical. Kaelin has way more assists and way more turnovers to go along with it. Diana has very few assists, very few turnovers. So Kaelin's not yet in her prime. Diana's past her prime. Diana, I think, got in because she's Diana freaking Taurasi. While many fans and analysts believe her statistical performance and record-breaking college career warranted her inclusion, Playing the number two team in the country on senior night on our home court, you can't really script it any better. I honestly didn't realize it until everybody started going wild. And it's just cool to have so many people in the stands that, one, appreciate women's basketball, but they understand the history. The team selectors ultimately decided against it. In a recent interview, U.S. women's basketball coach Dawn Staley acknowledged that if they were to pick the team today, Clark would be in strong consideration due to her impressive play in the WNBA this season. This suggests the selectors may have underestimated Clark's potential and growth as a rookie. As a committee member, you're charged with putting together the best team of players, the best talent. Kaelin is just a rookie in the WNBA, wasn't playing bad, but wasn't playing like she's playing now. 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 because she is playing head and shoulders above a lot of people, shooting the ball extremely well. The ratings for the U.S. women's basketball game against Japan are a total disaster. According to NBC Sports PR, their opening match averaged just 3.0 million viewers on USA Network and Peacock. This marks a significant decline from 12 years ago when the women's team attracted over 11 million viewers on NBC, resulting in an 8 million viewer drop. For comparison, the U.S. men's basketball team drew 10.9 million viewers across all NBC platforms during a decisive victory against Serbia. Additionally, the women's college basketball championship captured 18.9 million viewers. The disparity is clear. Many fans of Kaelin Clark expressed that they would not tune in because she was not part of the team, and they followed through on that sentiment. The current rating of 3.0 million is notably low. To put it in context, the WNBA all-star game managed to attract 3.44 million viewers. Kaelin Clark, I'm sure you saw, just became the all-time scoring leader of women's college basketball. I'm curious, where would you rank her amongst all-time college players, in your opinion? That's tough because you've got to win one. I feel like college is one of those spaces where you've got to win one for them to even have your name in the conversation. And it took me three years to win mine, so it's hard. But congratulations to her. I know my teammate K.P. was just like, yeah, that's huge. That's a lot of points. People are saying Kaelin Clark fans are boycotting the games because she's not there. And it looks like they're serious. From Canada to... Move strong, Saskatchewan, Canada. That's a long walk. We drove 23 hours. Whoa, hold on a second. 2C, I'm going to guess, let me guess. Kaelin Clark, Kaelin Clark. Imagine seeing fans in Germany wearing an Iowa jersey. That's the kind of impact she's having. It's like she's created this whole new wave of excitement around women's basketball. People are talking about it more, watching more, and becoming bigger fans because of her. It was pretty surreal because we were watching TV, I think the game before, and she got really close to it. I think she was like a couple of rebounds away. And I didn't think that I would actually be at the first one. It's embarrassing, really. I mean, the WNBA All-Star game had more viewers than the Olympic game. Kaelin Clark, who is currently breaking viewership records in the WNBA, could have significantly influenced the ratings for the USA women's basketball game against Japan. Christine, no one's doubting Kaelin Clark will be a great WNBA player, but she's been a professional for less than a month, so is it reasonable to assume that she should be on the Olympic team? In my opinion, absolutely yes. If I were NBC, I would be extremely frustrated Certainly there's a history there. Rebecca Lobo came right after college. Diana Taurasi on the men's side. Christian Lightner. It's often seen, Diane, as an homage, as a nod to college basketball because USA basketball is the governing body, and part of their mission is growing the games. In fact, many NBA games have not attracted the same level of viewership that Clark's games have. So absolutely, and because Kaelin Clark is Kaelin Clark, no one in the history of women's basketball has ever done this in terms of TV ratings, historic from NCAA to the WNBA, and, of course, the record attendance. It's all Kaelin Clark. This situation is particularly challenging for Cheryl Reeve, Don Staley, and the committee responsible for selecting the Olympic team. By overlooking Kaelin Clark, they likely cause NBC to lose between 5 to 10 million viewers due to that decision. And to not bring the person who would bring the eyeballs to a team that has never gotten the coverage it deserves. Most male sports writers do not want to cover the women's basketball team, the most dominant, best in the world. And I know this because I've covered them at all 10 of my Olympics. Clark's remarks regarding her exclusion suggest that she might actually be relieved about not playing for Cheryl Reeve, which is the impression I'm getting. Indiana is not a team that's hung their hat on their defense to this point. This announcement has not been made by USA Basketball, so it would be premature for me to have any conversations about any player or anything. Fans filed in from the rain, whether they were season ticket holders. They're fun to watch. You'll have a good time if you come and watch them. Or they made the trip up from the Metro. We love watching Kaelin Clark, and she's really fun, and all the players on the team are really fun to watch. It was those little girls. I was always begging my dad to take me to basketball games, college basketball games. No matter what it was, really, I always wanted to be around the game. Clark continues to rack up stats on the court, which will make her a record breaker. The sport of basketball, and what she's done for women's sports, period, it's amazing. The WNBA, the professional league, it's growing amazing. I just can't believe they're selling out. I love it. It's awesome. Go Fever! Let's go! Kaelin Clark, the basketball sensation, got the shock of her life when she didn't make the Olympic team. It was a huge deal, especially since she's the number one draft pick. It's really, really special, and I don't think it's going to set in for me for quite some time. I want my legacy to be the impact that I can have on young kids and the people of the state of Iowa. I hope I brought them a lot of joy this season. I hope this team brought them a lot of joy. I understand we came up one win short, but I think we have a lot to be proud of and a lot to celebrate. I was just that young girl, so all you have to do is dream. You can be in moments like this. She's taking a break from the WNBA now, and it's clear she's disappointed about missing the Olympics. But she's turning this into motivation for the 2028 games in L.A. She's already fired up about it and thinks it'll be huge. Clark says she's not upset about missing Paris, but she's definitely got her eyes on the prize for the next Olympics. She's using this time to rest and get ready for what's to come. She knows she has to start working hard now if she wants to make the 2028 team. And if Caitlyn had been there, which I think she should have been, it would have been the world coming to see her. And that is the incredible swing and a miss, I believe, by USA Basketball. Did you want the most popular player in the world to represent Team USA? Of course you would. There are statistics comparing her to Diana Taurasi and others. And she was statistically ahead of them at the time she was chosen. It's not like she was just on a training camp. She was already performing better than many players on the team when they decided to pass her up. So it wasn't a matter of whether she was good enough. Incredible season. Caitlyn Clark for lifting up our sport. She carried a heavy load for our sport. And it just is not going to stop here on the collegiate tour. But when she is the number one pick in the WNBA draft, she's going to she's going to lift that league up as well. So so Caitlyn Clark, if you're out there, you are one of the goats of our games that we appreciate you. Plus, she's considered the greatest college player ever. Don Staley even admitted they didn't consider that. Even some of basketball's biggest names have weighed in, with NBA commissioner Adam Silver saying he would have liked to see Clark on the team. Phoenix Suns star Kevin Durant acknowledged the need to follow procedures, but believes Clark will undoubtedly be part of future Olympic teams. Many commentators have expressed outrage over Clark's exclusion, arguing that it represents a missed opportunity for both the player and the sport. For example, the Los Angeles Times called the decision misguided, short-sighted and simply incorrect, noting that Clark's presence on the team would have brought much-needed attention and excitement to the women's tournament. The article highlighted her record-breaking college career and impressive WNBA performance as reasons she deserved a spot on the Olympic roster, especially given the history of including young talents like Diana Teresi and Candice Parker in past Olympic teams. Similarly, FOX 13 Seattle's commentary echoed these views, criticizing USA Basketball for what they termed a short-sighted decision. The piece emphasized Clark's unique ability to draw fans and fill arenas, suggesting her exclusion was more about maintaining team chemistry than a true assessment of talent. The commentary pointed out that Clark's statistics outshined those of previous top draft picks who made the Olympic team, questioning the rationale behind the selection process. Reports indicate that Clark is close to securing a lucrative 8-figure endorsement deal with Nike, which could include a signature shoe. This potential deal highlights her growing popularity and recognition by major brands. Additionally, she has established partnerships with Gatorade and State Farm, further solidifying her status as a sought-after athlete for endorsements. These companies are likely to continue their support, recognizing the marketing potential of associating with one of the most exciting players in basketball. On top of her existing endorsements, Clark recently signed a historic deal with Wilson, making her one of the few athletes to have a signature collection with the brand, similar to Michael Jordan. This partnership shows that brands are eager to align themselves with Clark, viewing her as a key figure in the future of women's basketball. Her ability to draw crowds and generate interest in the sport makes her an attractive ambassador for various companies. Overall, major brands are not only publicly supporting Caitlin Clark, but are also strategically investing in her future. As her career progresses, it's likely that more companies will seek to partner with her, recognizing her potential to drive engagement and visibility in women's sports. Clark's Olympic snub may have sparked controversy, but it has also highlighted her significance in the basketball landscape, making her an even more valuable asset for sponsors and advertisers. Clark is earning significantly more money from sponsorships than most WNBA players make in an entire season. Her sudden rise to fame and popularity has led to jealousy from some players who have been grinding for years without the same level of attention and compensation. While race may not be the primary factor, some argue that Clark's whiteness and straightness in a league with many black lesbian players adds an element of racial resentment to the bullying, especially given the racial justice narrative surrounding women's sports.