It is official. Caitlin Clark has supplanted LeBron James as the most polarizing figure in all of American sports — by far.
Overzealous fans once again resorted to name-calling and blame when Clark was not included on Team USA’s basketball roster for the upcoming Paris Olympics in July 2024. They used the oft-regurgitated racial tropes and accusations of jealousy, racism and hate for the 22-year-old basketball sensation whom the selection team left off.
Multiple NBA and WNBA players have defended Clark against her alleged haters including LeBron James, Charles Barkley and Lisa Leslie. The latter had a blunt and succinct response about Caitlin possibly accompanying the team to France for the Olympic Games.
Leslie, a three-time league MVP and four-time Olympic gold medalists, couldn’t fathom Clark not being on the team.
“She better be on the Olympic team,” Leslie told ESPN. “We should not leave the country without her. She’s a bona fide baller. There’s no doubt she’s already one of the best players in the world.”
As it turned out, Clark was the only collegiate player invited to participate in the Olympic trials in Cleveland back in the spring. However, her schedule conflicted with her participation in March Madness with the Iowa Hawkeyes.
However, the nominating committee chose to go with veteran superstars in the WNBA, despite the fact that Clark won Rookie of the Month for May 2024:
Caitlin Clark was not included on Team USA basketball squad, sending her fans into fits of rage
- Kahleah Copper,
- Napheesa Collier,
- Chelsea Gray,
- Brittney Griner,
- Sabrina Ionescu,
- Jewell Loyd,
- Kelsey Plum,
- Breanna Stewart,
- Diana Taurasi,
- Alyssa Thomas,
- A’ja Wilson,
- Jackie Young
The league will take a monthlong break during the Olympics from July 18 to Aug. 14.
Meanwhile, Clark fans are in an uproar with what they term as a snub from the team allegedly born of jealousy and hate, terms applied by Clark’s “delusional” fan base — as 11-time college championship coach Gino Auriemma of UCONN described them this past week on the “Dan Patrick Show.”
