USA Basketball to leave Caitlin Clark off Paris Olympics roster

USA Basketball will not include Caitlin Clark on its 12-player roster for the women’s competition at the Paris Olympics this summer, two people with knowledge of the decision confirmed Saturday.

Clark, 22, has emerged as a face of women’s basketball since leading the University of Iowa to back-to-back national championship games and being selected as the No. 1 pick in this year’s WNBA draft, but she was snubbed from a veteran-dominated roster that is seeking USA Basketball’s eighth straight gold medal.

USA Basketball’s roster will be headlined by five-time gold medalist Diana Taurasi and WNBA stars A’ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart. The group also is expected to include: Napheesa Collier, Kahleah Copper, Chelsea Gray, Brittney Griner, Sabrina Ionescu, Jewell Loyd, Kelsey Plum, Alyssa Thomas and Jackie Young. USA Today and the Athletic first reported the decision.

Clark, the extraordinarily popular Indiana Fever rookie, became the NCAA’s all-time leading scorer at Iowa as a senior, captivating fans with her signature deep three-point shooting and excellent passing vision. Her entry into the WNBA has coincided with huge increases in television ratings, attendance and merchandise sales.

The Americans have won gold in women’s basketball at every Olympics since 1996, and they will be heavily favored again.

Clark was one of 14 players to earn an invitation to USA Basketball’s final pre-Olympics training camp in April, but she was unable to attend because she was playing with Iowa in the Final Four. Attending the training camp is not mandatory for ultimately being selected to the team, but the camp does typically play a role in the selection committee’s roster decisions. Clark has represented her country previously in several youth competitions.

This is a developing story and will be updated.