[Mick]

I don’t follow the WNBA.  So, perhaps from a purely basketball perspective, the Committes decision to leave her off the team was warranted.

But talk about short sighted.  I can’t think of an athlete in some time that has had the impact on a sport’s popularity that Clark has for women’s hoops.  I’d compare her on that score to Tiger Woods and his impact on golf.

You would think the Committee would want to capitalize on that.  Dumb decision IMO.

Lex is right about this, of course. Christine Brennan, who broke the news that Clark wouldn't make the team, wrote an excellent article on the topic. Christine Brennan has reported on every Olympics team since 1984, stating "I've watched the stunning lack of coverage and lack of interest every time." She stated that the U.S. Women's basketball team gets ignored by the sports media at the Olympic games after the focus is on the gymnasts, the swimmers, the runners, etc. And now you'll have millions of new fans who will start the summer games by wondering if Caitlin Clark is on the women's basketball team? In Brenann's words: 

"Clark has became the human gateway to women's hoops for hundreds of thousands, likely even millions of girls and boys, women and men. USA Basketball certainly could tap into her enormous reach to help promote not only its 2024 Olympic team, but the women's game in general...total swing and a miss."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wDAUaENl35I

Forget about the fact that Clark has scored more points than any NCAA player...ever. Like future NBA Hall of Famer Pistol Pete Maravich (whose scoring record she broke), she was left off the Olympic team. Maravich was left off of the 1968 Olympic roster in favor of noted NBA Hall of Fame non-NBA HOF players Mike Barrett, John Clawson, Don Dee, Calvin Fowler, Bill Hosket, Jim King, Glynn Saulters, Mike Silliman and Ken Spain. But it's not like the NBA needed any pumping up by a spectacular player, I mean it's not like their NBA championship game was ever shown on tape delay or anything...oh yeah. It was. And thank goodness for Magic and Larry (like Caitlin, no last name necessary) and later Jordan.

Should she start? No, of course not. Would adding her to the last place on the roster affect the team's chances to win a gold medal even 0.0001%. No. Of course not. The WNBA won the battle and lost the war. Has the WNBA benefited from Clark, Brink and Reese? Yup...biggest increase, by far, is with the Indiana Fever fans (Clark's team) which have increased from 4,067 to 12,504. And the Indiana Feber lead the way with 15,315 road attendance. Overall league attendance is up by 40%. Cameron Brink's team, the LA Sparks have increased from 6,554 to 9,229, an increase of 2,675, 4th greatest attendance jump. Angel Reese's Chicago Sky has increased from 7,242 to 8,248, sixth greatest increase.

https://acrossthetimeline.com/wnba/attendance.html
https://www.si.com/wnba/wnba-announces-r...source=RSS

[Mick]

I don’t follow the WNBA.  So, perhaps from a purely basketball perspective, the Committes decision to leave her off the team was warranted.

But talk about short sighted.  I can’t think of an athlete in some time that has had the impact on a sport’s popularity that Clark has for women’s hoops.  I’d compare her on that score to Tiger Woods and his impact on golf.

You would think the Committee would want to capitalize on that.  Dumb decision IMO.

Lex is right about this, of course. Christine Brennan, who broke the news that Clark wouldn't make the team, wrote an excellent article on the topic. Christine Brennan has reported on every Olympics team since 1984, stating "I've watched the stunning lack of coverage and lack of interest every time." She stated that the U.S. Women's basketball team gets ignored by the sports media at the Olympic games after the focus is on the gymnasts, the swimmers, the runners, etc. And now you'll have millions of new fans who will start the summer games by wondering if Caitlin Clark is on the women's basketball team? In Brenann's words: 

"Clark has became the human gateway to women's hoops for hundreds of thousands, likely even millions of girls and boys, women and men. USA Basketball certainly could tap into her enormous reach to help promote not only its 2024 Olympic team, but the women's game in general...total swing and a miss."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wDAUaENl35I

Forget about the fact that Clark has scored more points than any NCAA player...ever. Like future NBA Hall of Famer Pistol Pete Maravich (whose scoring record she broke), she was left off the Olympic team. Maravich was left off of the 1968 Olympic roster in favor of noted NBA Hall of Fame non-NBA HOF players Mike Barrett, John Clawson, Don Dee, Calvin Fowler, Bill Hosket, Jim King, Glynn Saulters, Mike Silliman and Ken Spain. But it's not like the NBA needed any pumping up by a spectacular player, I mean it's not like their NBA championship game was ever shown on tape delay or anything...oh yeah. It was. And thank goodness for Magic and Larry (like Caitlin, no last name necessary) and later Jordan.

Should she start? No, of course not. Would adding her to the last place on the roster affect the team's chances to win a gold medal even 0.0001%. No. Of course not. The WNBA won the battle and lost the war. Has the WNBA benefited from Clark, Brink and Reese? Yup...biggest increase, by far, is with the Indiana Fever fans (Clark's team) which have increased from 4,067 to 12,504. And the Indiana Feber lead the way with 15,315 road attendance. Overall league attendance is up by 40%. Cameron Brink's team, the LA Sparks have increased from 6,554 to 9,229, an increase of 2,675, 4th greatest attendance jump. Angel Reese's Chicago Sky has increased from 7,242 to 8,248, sixth greatest increase.

https://acrossthetimeline.com/wnba/attendance.html
https://www.si.com/wnba/wnba-announces-r...source=RSS