2024-olympics—womens-basketball-japan-v-usa

The U.S. women’s basketball team got off to a fast start at the Summer Olympics on Monday, defeating Japan 102-76 in their opening game.

Despite their strong performance on the court, the absence of Caitlin Clark seemed to impact fan turnout. The U.S. women’s basketball team recorded the lowest attendance number of any team at the Summer Olympics so far, a surprising statistic given their dominance and reputation.

Here’s how the other games have done attendance-wise:

Spain vs. China – 27,021
Serbia vs. Puerto Rico – 15,324
Nigeria vs. Australia – 24,023
Germany vs. Belgium – 20,211
France vs. Canada – 20,211

The U.S. women vs. Japan, meanwhile, got just 13,040. Now, there were some other factors at play, like the game being at 9 p.m. local time in a city outside of Paris.

But the fact remains – there is no bigger draw in women’s basketball right now than Caitlin Clark. If she was on the team, the attendance number would have undoubtedly been larger.

Is this something the U.S. women’s basketball team players should care about? No. Their job is to win gold and they are on track to do that, based on their play on Monday.

But growing the game – and the amount of attention on women’s basketball – should be a goal of the Summer Olympics, too. That’s why it remains fair to criticize the U.S. women’s basketball selection committee for their decision.

**Team USA Dominates in Women’s Basketball Olympic Opener**

Even South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley, who was part of the selection committee, acknowledged that circumstances might have led to a different outcome if the decision were made today.

“As a committee member, you are tasked with assembling the best team of players. The top talent. Caitlin was just a rookie in the WNBA then. She wasn’t playing poorly, but she wasn’t performing at the level she is now. If we had to do it all over again, considering how she’s playing now, she would be a strong candidate for the team. She’s playing head and shoulders above many others, shooting the ball exceptionally well, being an elite passer, and showing an outstanding basketball IQ. Plus, she’s a bit more seasoned,” Staley remarked on NBC after the U.S. men’s victory over Serbia on Sunday afternoon.

Clark, meanwhile, has been full of praise for the U.S. women’s team.

“They’re incredibly talented. Four years ago, Team WNBA defeated Team USA, yet they still excelled in the Olympics,” she said. “This speaks volumes about the quality of our league. It highlights the depth of talent we have and the importance of being prepared every single night. There are many players who aren’t even here tonight who could easily be. It really showcases the immense talent in our league.”

The U.S. women will be back on the court Thursday against Belgium, with tipoff scheduled for 3 p.m. ET.