Caitlin Clark will not be a part of the United States Olympic team when they head to Paris this summer. While many argue that Clark didn’t deserve to make the team in the first place, that decision came to the surprise of nearly everyone, including one NBA championship-winning head coach.
Appearing on The Herd with Colin Cowherd, Philadelphia 76ers head coach Nick Nurse admitted that he was surprised to hear that Clark didn’t make the team. But he also feels that it might have been a blessing in disguise as it’s one less stressor Clark has to worry about this year.
“I’m with you. I almost can’t believe it. Because of the ratings, just everything continues to roll on if she’s on the team. But I’m almost happy for her too. I think the amount of pressure she’s been under, going to the national championship team, taking an Iowa team that had never been there and taking them there twice… At least she doesn’t have to have another bout of scrutiny and ramp-up of pressure. But I’m pretty surprised she’s not on the team,” Nurse said.
That might be little comfort to Clark though. It’s not like the Olympics are an annual thing and who knows if the demand to have here there will be the same in 2028 when it’s on home soil as it is heading into Paris now.
By some accounts, the reasoning for Clark’s snub only partially has do with her play on the court (which would be a fair reason to keep her off the team). There have been reports that the old guard of women’s basketball simply didn’t want her there over concerns that fans would react negatively to Clark not getting much playing time.
Could Clark’s exclusion from Team USA have been a blessing in disguise?