Caitlin Clark Has Been Left Off Team USA's Olympic Basketball Team

Gather round, as I'm going to give the only correct take you can have on this issue that is running rampant through the internet streets this morning. Feel free to regurgitate it both on your personal Twitter accounts, as well as at any BBQs / cookouts you may be attending on this fine June Saturday later today. Because listen, I have one of the more rare combinations in this world these days, which is to know ball + have common sense + not be biased to one side or the other. And here is my stance (after showing you the 12-woman roster selected to play for Team USA in the Olympics:

Okay, you ready?

Team USA would beat any team in the Olympics by 20+ with or without Caitlin Clark on the roster. It is possible to argue that she is not a Top 12 player in the game at this very second. It is also possible to argue that she is. Either way, it would be better for the sport and better for the future of American women's basketball to include her.

There's really no other way to put it. What can you debate that I just said? Team USA is 54-0 with 7 Gold Medals since the 1996 Olympics. They can trot out 12 new players not on that roster and still win the championship by double digits. And I acknowledge that Caitlin Clark is not fast or physical enough yet to be hands down one of the best players on the planet. The youngest player on this team is 26, and she is 22. But also, on a 3-9 team in which she sees every defense trying to focus in on stopping her, she still averages a league 13th best 17 ppg….including 30 last night. Don't get me wrong. Top 12 or not Top 12 is very much up in the air, but what's not is the fact that including her on this team is what is best for the sport, both in this country and viewership across the globe. Did we see what she did against the 0-11 Mystics last night…..?

Largest WNBA attendance in 17 years……for an 0-10 vs. 2-9 game. And we can't find a spot for Caitlin Clark to go be on the world's stage….? Anthony Davis was on the 2012 Men's team as a rookie. Christian Laettner was on the Dream Team. Caitlin Clark should be on the USA Olympic Team.