Draymond Green of the Golden State Warriors is not happy with the treatment of WNBA rookie stars Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese by Team USA women’s basketball. Green was on the ‘Draymond Green Show’ where he expressed his displeasure with the snubbing of Caitlin and Reese.
The Warriors power forward held nothing back and harshly criticized why Clark and Reese were not considered for the Paris 2024 Olympics. “I think Caitlin Clark should have been on this team. It’s great for the brand and let’s not…We talk brand any other time.”
What Team USA lost without Clark and Reese
Although the Team USA women’s basketball team is on a 60-game winning streak, and advanced to the Olympic final after defeating Australia 85-64. Green says a great opportunity to further promote U.S. women’s basketball globally was missed.
The women’s basketball team that traveled to Paris 2024 is loaded with WNBA stars such as A’ja Wilson, Breanna Stewart, Jackie Young and Sabrina Ionescu, among many others, none have demonstrated the drawing power and popularity of Caitlin Clark, who was selected No. 1 overall in the WNBA draft by the Indiana Fever.
“I think A’ja Wilson is gonna be the goat but like just from a pure branding and marketing stamp, Caitlin is the biggest.”
Rookie stars in the WNBA
The arrival of Caitlin Clark has generated an impressive 889% increase in projected revenue for the Indiana Fever. In addition, most of their home games have sold out. This year, the WNBA All-Star Game also reached one of the highest audiences ever, with 3.44 million viewers, more than double the previous record of 1.44 million set in 2003.
Clark in the WNBA has captured the attention of her loyal fans and many others, putting women’s basketball at the center of the conversation. At the same time, Green also endorsed Reese’s inclusion on the team.
For her part, Clark recorded 19 assists in a game against the Dallas Wings in July, surpassing Vandersloot’s 18 assists. Both stand out not only in popularity, but also in on-court performance. Hence, the surprise of Green and many others, not just fans when Caitlin and Angel were not called up to Team USA women’s basketball.
Why Clark and Reese didn’t go to Paris 2024
However, some critics and WNBA legends, such as the iconic Lisa Leslie, point out that one of the main reasons why rookie stars are not on the Olympic team is that the selection process is much more complex than many think. Lisa states, “The Olympic committee has a tough job. It’s not just about basketball, it’s about chemistry. Sometimes it’s about players attending different camps to prepare for the Olympics.”
One of those camps was the Olympic prep camp in April, but Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese were busy preparing for March Madness. In addition, rumors were circulating that the U.S. selection committee preferred a veteran team.
While the U.S. women’s basketball team will likely take Olympic gold in Paris 2024, there will always be the question of what would have happened if Clark and Reese had participated in the Summer Olympics during their first season in the WNBA. We will never know…
