The hullabaloo over Caitlin Clark not making Team USA for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris has dominated the conversation over the last few days. Pundits and fans alike have spouted off takes from both sides of the fence. Clearly, this situation has awakened some emotions out there, whether they’re justified or not.
On ESPN, women’s basketball discourse has… sort of gone off the rails in recent days and weeks, but the topic once again emerged at the surface Tuesday. On Get Up, Monica McNutt, a former women’s basketball star herself, offered her insight on the situation.
McNutt doesn’t believe this will hurt Clark’s Olympic ambitions. There’s still plenty of time for the 22-year-old to make an impact, McNutt said.
“Of all the conversations around Caitlin Clark, this is probably the first where I’m like, ‘Alright, I can legitimately see both sides,'” McNutt said. “It’s very simple: Is your goal a marketing opportunity? Or is your acknowledging the merit and the opportunity of a lifetime for whoever you deem to be Player 10, 11, 12 on this roster to achieve a goal they’ve worked incredibly hard for. I understand the passion that has been provoked in this one, but when you look at Team USA Women’s Basketball, they’ve had a following internationally. Is there an opportunity to make it bigger? Sure. Would it exceed the numbers we saw in 1996 that led to the creation of the WNBA? I’m not so sure.”
"I don't think that this one is a big deal. She's going to have plenty of opportunity to be on an Olympic team."
—@McNuttMonica on Caitlin Clark not making this year's Olympic team pic.twitter.com/Whgc9sBMDE
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) June 11, 2024
McNutt said that she doesn’t think this is a missed opportunity at all. “I do not think this was a missed opportunity. There have been bigger misses as far as Team USA is concerned… I don’t think this one is a big deal. She’s gonna have plenty of opportunity.”
[Get Up]
