Open season on Caitlin Clark

[bcspsu]

One of the dumbest decisions I've ever seen. This weekend, she sold out an arena she was visiting which was four times the usual attendance. I simply cannot believe they are not promoting her. It's crazy. And if this persists, there is going to be a backlash.

What’s happened to her recently has made her a sympathetic person to me, whereas before she became a pro, I thought that she had received an inordinate amount of coverage just to hype women’s college basketball despite her quality. Clearly, for many reasons, most of which are obvious, she’s being targeted.

And you’re so right about her exclusion from the Olympic team; how obtuse must the selection committee be to not put the most prominent women’s basketball player in the country on the Olympic team when she already is in her early twenties and actually deserves it based on her play? No doubt that she actually would’ve made people who ordinarily wouldn’t watch uncompetitive women’s Olympic basketball actually watch.

 

[The Spin Meister]

Apparently USA Basketball missed those stat lines. And the crowd impact. Apparently they haven’t read the history books either. She sells out an arena that was half full the night before. ….but leave her home for the Olympics so no one can care about the team in Paris.

Her stats are every bit as good and often better than the other players on the team so it’s not like fandom is the only justification.

Comical.

The problem was she didn’t participate in the Olympic try outs. She was kinda busy helping her team win the NCAA championship.

Don’t know their rules but it is obvious they should have been able to make an exception and put her on the team.

 

[Ski]

The problem was she didn’t participate in the Olympic try outs. She was kinda busy helping her team win the NCAA championship.

Don’t know their rules but it is obvious they should have been able to make an exception and put her on the team.

What exactly was she going to show them in a tryout that she wasn't already demonstrating repeatedly on the court? Nothing. This is a bad excuse being put forward to try to justify a bad decision.

 

[The Spin Meister]

What exactly was she going to show them in a tryout that she wasn't already demonstrating repeatedly on the court? Nothing. This is a bad excuse being put forward to try to justify a bad decision.

In every sport, you have to attend the pre Olympic trials. Wrestlers that dominate all year still have to win the O trials. Same for track, field, gymnastics, swimming…..it’s the rules.

 

[GregInPitt]

The problem was she didn’t participate in the Olympic try outs. She was kinda busy helping her team win the NCAA championship.

Don’t know their rules but it is obvious they should have been able to make an exception and put her on the team.

Or maybe the problem is that the "people" that schedule olympic baskeball tryouts were stupid enough to schedule the tryouts during the NCAA Final Four. How incompetent is it to put "people" in charge of the schedule for putting together the women's team that don't realize that the final 4 NCAA teams might have pretty good young players on those teams and that the Final Four is not a great time to hold the olympic tryouts?

 

[GregInPitt]

In every sport, you have to attend the pre Olympic trials. Wrestlers that dominate all year still have to win the O trials. Same fir track, field, gymnastics, swimming…..it’s the rules.

Yep, and they don't schedule the Olympic trials for wresting during the NCAA wrestling tournament.....

 

[NewEra 2014]

Or maybe the problem is that the "people" that schedule olympic baskeball tryouts were stupid enough to schedule the tryouts during the NCAA Final Four. How incompetent is it to put "people" in charge of the schedule for putting together the women's team that don't realize that the final 4 NCAA teams might have pretty good young players on those teams and that the Final Four is not a great time to hold the olympic tryouts?

This was an all-time missed opportunity to grow the women’s game. Even I, who has never watched a WNBA game, was on the verge of learning the names of some of these WNBA teams. But not now.

 

[Obliviax]

Yep, and they don't schedule the Olympic trials for wresting during the NCAA wrestling tournament.....

And it’s not like they don’t have a body of work to evaluate players. So you show up and have a god week, you make the roster over an all pro player? Send like a ‘tryout’ is a gimmick at best, a way to apply political pressure at worst

 

[GregInPitt]

And it’s not like they don’t have a body of work to evaluate players. So you show up and have a god week, you make the roster over an all pro player? Send like a ‘tryout’ is a gimmick at best, a way to apply political pressure at worst

And 4 years from now, when Clark is the face of the WNBA (and likely has increase WNBA revenues single handedly) and thinks back to the time when she was excluded by those that support the lesbians in the WNBA and was shut out of an olympics berth because they didn't want her on the team, I hope Clark gives the "people" that schedule try outs and pick the team a list of players she doesn't want to play on the team with and that if any of them are on the team she is OUT!!!!

 

[NewEra 2014]

And 4 years from now, when Clark is the face of the WNBA (and likely has increase WNBA revenues single handedly) and thinks back to the time when she was excluded by those that support the lesbians in the WNBA and was shut out of an olympics berth because they didn't want her on the team, I hope Clark gives the "people" that schedule try outs and pick the team a list of players she doesn't want to play on the team with and that if any of them are on the team she is OUT!!!!

I don’t think that is her style, which is part of the reason she is so popular.

 

[heckmans]

It’s pretty easy to see now why the WNBA has never made money, it’s a very poorly run organization with a bad product. They can blame men all they want for their failures, but these horrible decisions seem to keep being made by women. It’s pretty obvious she didn’t get put on the team because the other players on the team didn’t want her. They don’t care about viewership of the Olympics, they just want to go get their gold medal.

Women are 51% of the country and make most of the purchasing decisions for the household. If women cared about sports even a little bit, WNBA players would be making more than the NBA. But they don't, and so the WNBA players only make 40K, the league loses money, and it only stays in operation through charity by the NBA. Women are the reason that women's basketball is irrelevant.

 

[heckmans]

The problem was she didn’t participate in the Olympic try outs. She was kinda busy helping her team win the NCAA championship.

Don’t know their rules but it is obvious they should have been able to make an exception and put her on the team.

Thinking out loud here, but I don't recall hearing about the Olympic men's basketball team having tryouts. It usually seems to be about asking which NBA players are interested.

 

[Obliviax]

I don’t think that is her style, which is part of the reason she is so popular.

Agreed. She's a good role model for young girls. Parents point their kids toward good rule models. I am not going to pay money to take my 12 or 14-year-old daughter, if I had one, to go see Cardi B.

 

[The Spin Meister]

Thinking out loud here, but I don't recall hearing about the Olympic men's basketball team having tryouts. It usually seems to be about asking which NBA players are interested.

So how many college players have been on the men’s Olympic team in the last twenty years?

 

[Obliviax]

So how many college players have been on the men’s Olympic team in the last twenty years?

maybe true....but it isn't equivalent. When was the last time the most popular basketball player on the planet wasn't invited?

they play both sides of the coin when it serves them. As I understand it, someone who hasn't played this year recovering from ACL has been invited. She's about to come off the IR list (or whatever its called in the WNBA).

 

[NewEra 2014]

So how many college players have been on the men’s Olympic team in the last twenty years?

Spin, if you think back to the late 1970's and the Olympics had been using NBA players at that time, it would have been like not putting Bird and Magic on the Olympic team. The NBA finals were on tape delay in the 1970's, and the league was failing in popularity. The NBA would have been idiotic to not capitalize on those two guys in any way possible.

Caitlin Clark could do similar things for the WNBA. This is just an all-time dumb decision by that league.

 

[MacNit2.0]

Apparently USA Basketball missed those stat lines. And the crowd impact. Apparently they haven’t read the history books either. She sells out an arena that was half full the night before. ….but leave her home for the Olympics so no one can care about the team in Paris.

Her stats are every bit as good and often better than the other players on the team so it’s not like fandom is the only justification.

Comical.

Olympics are irrelevant (since about 1980).

But so is WNBA.

 

[The Spin Meister]

maybe true....but it isn't equivalent. When was the last time the most popular basketball player on the planet wasn't invited?

they play both sides of the coin when it serves them. As I understand it, someone who hasn't played this year recovering from ACL has been invited. She's about to come off the IR list (or whatever its called in the WNBA).

The Professor was never named to the Olympic teams……

 

[The Spin Meister]

Spin, if you think back to the late 1970's and the Olympics had been using NBA players at that time, it would have been like not putting Bird and Magic on the Olympic team. The NBA finals were on tape delay in the 1970's, and the league was failing in popularity. The NBA would have been idiotic to not capitalize on those two guys in any way possible.

Caitlin Clark could do similar things for the WNBA. This is just an all-time dumb decision by that league.

Bird and Magic may not have made it through tryouts. Huge jump from college to pros.

Clark never played pro ball. Or international ball.

 

[NewEra 2014]

Bird and Magic play not have made it through tryouts. Huge jump from college to pros.

Clark never played pro ball. Or international ball.

Got it. Good double down by you.

 

[The Spin Meister]

Got it. Good double down by you.

Not saying she shouldn’t be on the team, just that it is not the unbelievable shocker that people are making it to be.

She is of average height. Undersized weight wise so not as strong as most. Never played pro ball or international ball.

Yet everyone acts as if she should have been automatically named to the top all star team and play a long tournament against the best all star teams of the world.

If she had been picked and then got woman-handled people would be saying what a dumb move that was.

 

[Obliviax]

Bird and Magic may not have made it through tryouts. Huge jump from college to pros.

Clark never played pro ball. Or international ball.

Maybe but the difference in the men's game for college and NBA is quite a bit different than the women's game.

 

[Lion_Backer]

A couple comments re this thread:

Magic Johnson averaged 18.0 points, 7.7 rebounds and 7.3 assists in 77 games in his rookie season in 1979-80. He was selected to play in his first All-Star game. He won his first Finals MVP award and his first NBA championship.

Larry Bird entered the NBA in 1978 joining Boston Celtics. In his rookie season, he was voted Rookie of the Year with averages of 21.3 points, 10.4 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 1.7 steals per game.

And it is true that some games in the NBA Championship series were broadcast on tape delay, this is the same era that did not broadcast the NFL Franco Immaculate Reception game in Pittsburgh against the Raiders.

Pre ESPN, TV sports were just not widely available on over the air broadcasts.

 

[Obliviax]

Maybe but the difference in the men's game for college and NBA is quite a bit different than the women's game.

I just read that the WNBA is averaging 7,000 fans per game where CC is not playing. This is up substantially from last year (6,600 last year). Games with CC are averaging about 17,000 fans per game.

 

[NewEra 2014]

Not saying she shouldn’t be on the team, just that it is not the unbelievable shocker that people are making it to be.

She is of average height. Undersized weight wise so not as strong as most. Never played pro ball or international ball.

Yet everyone acts as if she should have been automatically named to the top all star team and play a long tournament against the best all star teams of the world.

If she had been picked and then got woman-handled people would be saying what a dumb move that was.

Now I see how we are viewing this differently from each other. I agree with you that she might not be one of the best 12 or 15 U.S. women's basketball players right now. But that is not relevant to me, as she is the #1 player that the USA women's Olympic team could pick in terms of TV ratings.

You are looking at the Olympics as a serious competition, while I view it as an exhibition. To me, it is a perfect opportunity to grow widespread interest in women's basketball.

If Caitlin Clark is on the team, casual fans who can't name any USA player other than Caitlin Clark might tune in to the USA Women's basketball team during the Olympics. They then might discover that some of these other players are interesting, and then tune in to WNBA games after the Olympics are over. Instead, many of those people will not tune in to a women's Olympic basketball game at all, and they will never watch the WNBA. The WNBA may not have this chance again for another 30 years.

 

[heckmans]

So how many college players have been on the men’s Olympic team in the last twenty years?

Couldn't tell you. I can tell you that Christian Laettner was on the dream team. After the novelty of the dream team wore off, I don't think I watched an olympic basketball game since. Watching the same pros in the olympics that you can watch 82 times a year in the NBA isn't very compelling, especially when they are expected to win big and the only interesting story line is if they lose, and who wants to invest time in watching poor performance?

 

[lazydave841]

USA Women's basketball hasn't lost a game since 2006. They've won gold every year since 1992.

Considering that this roster is very likely to win gold regardless of who occupies the 12th spot, it would make sense to get your biggest star on the team no matter what.

Caitlin Clark Rumors: WNBA Star on USA Women's Olympics Roster Alternate List

The Indiana Fever's Caitlin Clark and Connecticut Sun's Brionna Jones are the top two alternates for the United States women's basketball team ahead of the…

bleacherreport.com

Clark is an alternate. I'm guessing that she ends up on the roster before the opening ceremonies.

 

[Obliviax]

Now I see how we are viewing this differently from each other. I agree with you that she might not be one of the best 12 or 15 U.S. women's basketball players right now. But that is not relevant to me, as she is the #1 player that the USA women's Olympic team could pick in terms of TV ratings.

You are looking at the Olympics as a serious competition, while I view it as an exhibition. To me, it is a perfect opportunity to grow widespread interest in women's basketball.

If Caitlin Clark is on the team, casual fans who can't name any USA player other than Caitlin Clark might tune in to the USA Women's basketball team during the Olympics. They then might discover that some of these other players are interesting, and then tune in to WNBA games after the Olympics are over. Instead, many of those people will not tune in to a women's Olympic basketball game at all, and they will never watch the WNBA. The WNBA may not have this chance again for another 30 years.

and that is where the problem comes in. They selected 41 year old Diana Taurasi who is playing well but not great on far superior team. She's got five gold medals. She was clearly selected for who she is and not what she is expected to give to the team on the floor.

 

[Cowbell Man]

Maybe but the difference in the men's game for college and NBA is quite a bit different than the women's game.

Do people here remember Christian Laettner was on the Dream Team in basically the same situation…College player with Magic Charles Michael and Larry?

Including the game’s most popular player with stats comparable or better than those on the team…and it’s ridiculously subjective. There was every reason to include her if only to just have people watch, and only one reason not to….exluding the one player that then would not go.

 

[The Spin Meister]

Do people here remember Christian Laettner was on the Dream Team in basically the same situation…College player with Magic Charles Michael and Larry?

Including the game’s most popular player with stats comparable or better than those on the team…and it’s ridiculously subjective. There was every reason to include her if only to just have people watch, and only one reason not to….exluding the one player that then would not go.

You think she is getting abuse now? It would be far worse if she was given an automatic pass to the golden team, pushing out one of the stars.

 

[tboyer]

Catch the fever 🤒
Some really impressive shots

View embedded media

Wow that is beautiful highlights. That kind of gorgeous play is what fills arenas. Of course the shooting is incredible but she passes so beautifully. Kind of like Bird and Curry in the same player.

 

[Obliviax]

 

[GregInPitt]

Now I see how we are viewing this differently from each other. I agree with you that she might not be one of the best 12 or 15 U.S. women's basketball players right now. But that is not relevant to me, as she is the #1 player that the USA women's Olympic team could pick in terms of TV ratings.

You are looking at the Olympics as a serious competition, while I view it as an exhibition. To me, it is a perfect opportunity to grow widespread interest in women's basketball.

If Caitlin Clark is on the team, casual fans who can't name any USA player other than Caitlin Clark might tune in to the USA Women's basketball team during the Olympics. They then might discover that some of these other players are interesting, and then tune in to WNBA games after the Olympics are over. Instead, many of those people will not tune in to a women's Olympic basketball game at all, and they will never watch the WNBA. The WNBA may not have this chance again for another 30 years.

And also, some fans who refuse to watch a crew of lesbians who seem to hate Caitlin Clark represent the United States also might tune in to see Caitlin Clark add some "diversity" as well........

 

[Nittany Ziggy]

And also, some fans who refuse to watch a crew of lesbians who seem to hate Caitlin Clark represent the United States also might tune in to see Caitlin Clark add some "diversity" as well........

Some of them might not be lesbians, they may be trannies.

 

[royboy]

A couple comments re this thread:

Magic Johnson averaged 18.0 points, 7.7 rebounds and 7.3 assists in 77 games in his rookie season in 1979-80. He was selected to play in his first All-Star game. He won his first Finals MVP award and his first NBA championship.

Larry Bird entered the NBA in 1978 joining Boston Celtics. In his rookie season, he was voted Rookie of the Year with averages of 21.3 points, 10.4 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 1.7 steals per game.

And it is true that some games in the NBA Championship series were broadcast on tape delay, this is the same era that did not broadcast the NFL Franco Immaculate Reception game in Pittsburgh against the Raiders.

Pre ESPN, TV sports were just not widely available on over the air broadcasts.

You've got a point overall, but I believe you are mistaken about the Immaculate Reception game broadcast. That was an AFC Divisional Playoff game shown live.

 

[jjw165]

Fever head coach pulls the starters, including Clark who picked up 4 fouls, midway through the 3rd quarter while they were getting crushed. Clark didn’t play the rest of the way. Bizarre.

 

[Obliviax]

Fever head coach pulls the starters, including Clark who picked up 4 fouls, midway through the 3rd quarter while they were getting crushed. Clark didn’t play the rest of the way. Bizarre.

View embedded media

Her team is simply awful and the coaching isn’t any better.

 

[Cowbell Man]

You think she is getting abuse now? It would be far worse if she was given an automatic pass to the golden team, pushing out one of the stars.

Automatic? Her stats are just as good as any player on the team except the turnovers.

Meh. I don’t care about it that much. Just surprised an organization isn’t smart enough to include a talented star player. Like Laetner and Diana Taurasi as a collegiate player that would attract attention. And if anyone thinks eyes don’t matter has forgotten the Olympic teams need donors too. I know, I have raised money for one of the winter teams.

 

[jjw165]

Her team is simply awful and the coaching isn’t any better.

This year is her first year as a head coach, ever, on any level. She was an assistant on 3 different WNBA teams but never the head coach until this season. 🤷🏽
Edit: sorry, 2022 was her first year as a head coach for Indiana

 

[MikeDerukey]

In every sport, you have to attend the pre Olympic trials. Wrestlers that dominate all year still have to win the O trials. Same for track, field, gymnastics, swimming…..it’s the rules.

I would argue that individual competition athletes are different from team sports. There is definitely a need to have "tryouts" for these. I think for team sports you could assess who deserves to be on the team based on a variety of factors.

However, if the rules state that she must attend the tryouts then so be it. Maybe the rules on how we determine who is on the team sport teams need to be changed but if that's the requirements now then so be it. I really don't have an opinion on whether Caitlyn Clark should be on the Olympic team or not. I know she is now considered the most prolific NCAA women's basketball player, seems to be having a good rookie season so far and is also being targeted in the league by other players. Other than that I know nothing about women's basketball. I will say this though, if she was on the Olympic team I would probably tune in to their games in Paris.