INDIANAPOLIS — Indiana Fever rookie Caitlin Clark was on the team bus late Friday night when she got a call from USA Basketball. Indiana had just beaten the Washington Mystics in Washington, D.C., for its third win of the season. Clark made a career-high seven 3-pointers in the game, tying the Fever franchise record for rookies.
But the call from the United States Basketball Association wasn't good news: A representative from the selection committee told her she wasn't among the 12 players chosen for the U.S. women's national basketball team, meaning she wouldn't be able to compete in the 2024 Paris Olympics.
“They called me and let me know before everything was revealed, which was really gracious of them,” Clark said. “I appreciated that. They did the same for every girl who made the team, or every girl who didn't make the team. There are a lot of girls in the Olympic pool, so it wasn't just me they had to call. They had to make quite a few calls.”
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The Athletic's Shams Charania reported the full roster early Saturday morning, which includes four players on the roster: A'ja Wilson, Kelsey Plum, Jackie Young and Chelsea Gray from the Las Vegas Aces; Diana Taurasi, Brittney Griner and Kalia Copper from the Phoenix Mercury; Breanna Stewart and Sabrina Ionescu from the New York Liberty; Alyssa Thomas of the Connecticut Sun; Napheesa Collier of the Minnesota Lynx and Jewel Loyd of the Seattle Storm.
USA Basketball has yet to officially announce its team or potential replacements. Gray, the ace point guard, is out with a foot injury she suffered in the 2023 WNBA Finals. She hasn't played in a WNBA game since, and it's unclear if she'll be fully recovered in time for the Olympics.
Clark did not say whether he would accept an alternate position if asked by USA Basketball, emphasizing that he would instead focus on the Fever and their improvement.
“I'm excited for the girls on the team. I know this team is the most competitive in the world and I know it could have gone either way whether I was on the team or not,” Clark said. “I'm excited for them and I'm rooting for them to win the gold medal.”
Ultimately, Clark's path to making the national team was an uphill climb: She sat out both training camps in November and April (through no fault of her own), meaning she never had a chance to bond or play with other Olympic hopefuls.
Although she was officially on the invitation list for the April camp, her participation was limited to Iowa's advancement to the NCAA Tournament because the camp took place the same week as the Final Four, and she had to withdraw from training camp when Iowa advanced to the Final Four and national championship game.
Plus, she was competing against multiple All-Stars, MVPs and other top WNBA veterans for a spot on the 12-man roster. The selection committee also placed a premium on experience on this Olympic roster, as Ionescu, at 26, is the youngest player on the team.
“We didn't have time to go to training camp because we were focused on the college season,” Clark said, “and then, obviously, we had to rush to get ready to get here. I think this is good motivation for us, and we all know how talented this team is. If you look at the roster, a lot of the guys have already had the opportunity to play in this league and they're really good and we know they're going to go out there and dominate.”
If anything, being left off the Olympic team list has only made Clarke more motivated.
“She texted me and I was trying to lift her spirits,” Fever coach Christy Sides said, “and she said, 'Coach, they woke up a monster.' I thought that was awesome.”
Clark will now have more than three weeks of rest in the middle of the WNBA season, something she hasn't had enough time to do since October 2023.
She'll be able to get in the weight room, work on her offensive strategy and get ready for the rest of the season, and it'll be a nice extra practice for the Fever team, who are 3-9 after playing 11 games in 20 days this season.
“It's going to feel really good,” Clark said of taking an extended break from basketball. “I've loved every second of competing, but this month is going to be a great time for me to first rest, get healthy and find some peace and quiet for myself away from basketball and all the craziness that's going on these days.”
Clark, 22, is a rookie less than a month into her WNBA career and still has a shot at making the Olympic team, next up in 2028 in Los Angeles.
“Honestly, I'm not disappointed,” Clark said, “I just think it gives me a reason to keep trying. It's a dream and hopefully I can be there one day. It just gives me a little bit more motivation. I'll remember that and hopefully I can be there again in four years.”
Follow IndyStar Fever insider Chloe Peterson at @chloepeterson67.