Fever rookie Caitlin Clark has been invited to the WNBA All-Star game as expected and will play against Team USA in a showcase game on July 20. But is there still a chance she could switch teams?
Clark's absence from the U.S. Olympic women's basketball team came as a surprise to some, as supporters of the rising star saw the Summer Olympics as an opportunity to use Clark's name recognition to grow the game, with the selection committee choosing a more veteran group to compete on the world's biggest stage.
Meanwhile, the 22-year-old guard has been more consistent on the court since being left off the Olympic team. Clark is averaging 16.7 points, 7.3 rebounds and 9.3 assists while shooting 37 percent from the 3-point line over her past seven games. After scoring in single figures four times in her first 14 WNBA games, she has scored 13 or more points in each of her last seven games.
Could a last-minute Olympic appearance be on the cards as she adjusts to the WNBA? There's speculation that Clark's Olympic hopes are still in the balance due to a key injury.
MORE: Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese set to team up at WNBA All-Star Game
Will Caitlin Clark compete in the Olympics?
Lynx star Napheesa Collier left Thursday's match with a foot injury, putting her Olympic eligibility (at least temporarily) in doubt.
Minnesota has not released details about Collier's injury but has said he is questionable for Saturday's game against the Mystics and remains optimistic he will return to the Lynx and play for the U.S. national team in the near future.
But if Collier can't play in Paris, someone else will have to take her Olympic spot. Could Clark be next?
Clark is considered an alternate for the U.S. team but is unlikely to be selected to replace Collier. The two players are similar in height, but the 6-foot-1 Collier is a forward and the 6-foot-0 Clark is a guard. Suns center Breonna Jones, who is 6-foot-3, is also considered a top alternate and might be a more natural fit.
Missing the Olympics could be beneficial for Clark in more ways than one. With the WNBA season tied to her college basketball schedule, she's been playing basketball almost nonstop since November 2023 while also dealing with a sudden surge in public attention. The Olympic break could give her time to recover both mentally and physically.
While it's not guaranteed, it would be pretty surprising if Clark doesn't become an Olympian in the future. She could be a part of the US national team in both 2028 and 2032, and her current trajectory makes her a sure thing four years from now. That might make the wait for her Olympic debut even more worthwhile.
Clarke said she wasn't disappointed when she was left out of the starting squad in June, but instead saw the decision as an opportunity.
“I think it just gives you a purpose to strive for,” Clark told reporters at the time. “It's a dream. I hope I can be there one day. It just gives me a little bit more motivation. Remember, I hope I can be there again in four years.”
Clarke is scheduled to play for the U.S. along with the rest of the WNBA All-Star team on July 20 before the team's three-plus week Olympic break.
MORE: Why Dearica Hamby replaced Cameron Brink as a member of Team USA's 3×3
Napheesa Collier's injury status
Collier left the game in the third quarter of the Lynx's 78-73 loss to the Sun on Thursday and did not return. The team announced she was suffering from a foot injury but did not provide an update on her status after the game.
Napheesa Collier (left foot)
He will not play in the remainder of tonight's game.— Lynx PR (@Lynx_PR) July 5, 2024
But ahead of Saturday's game against the Mystics, Collier was listed as questionable and could return. The MVP candidate is expected to have a short recovery time. She was ruled out before the game, but the Lynx listed her injury as just “soreness in the foot.”
There is currently no indication that Collier is in serious danger of missing the Olympics, which begin in three weeks.
Still, with the Olympics just around the corner, it won't necessarily be serious injuries that keep players off the court in Paris. With the U.S. team starting competition in just over three weeks and leaving sooner than that, attention will be focused on whether Collier, the 27-year-old forward, has any issues that might keep him out.
Collier is averaging 20.0 points, 10.2 rebounds and 2.2 steals per game this season after finishing fourth in MVP voting last year. She was part of the U.S. gold medal-winning team at the Tokyo Olympics three years ago.
