UPDATE: Fans are expressing outrage after Team USA Women’s Basketball omitted Caitlin Clark from its training camp graphic, despite her being on the official roster. This decision, announced just days before the camp scheduled for December 12-14, 2023, in Durham, North Carolina, has ignited widespread criticism, particularly in light of recent struggles to boost women’s basketball viewership.
The training camp will feature top-tier talents including Aliyah Boston, Brittney Griner, Kelsey Plum, and Angel Reese, but fans are upset that the graphic highlighted players like Kahleah Copper and Jackie Young while leaving out the Indiana Fever superstar, Caitlin Clark. This exclusion is particularly glaring given that Clark did not compete for Team USA during the 2024 Paris Olympics, while those featured players won gold.
Sports author Christine Brennan criticized the decision, stating,
“If USA Basketball really wanted to go all out promoting WBB, they would have added the photo of one other player to this graphic. But no.”
Brennan, who has covered the Olympics for over 40 years, emphasized that America’s national governing bodies have a dual mission to win medals and grow their sport, lamenting that USA Basketball has not succeeded in expanding the audience for women’s basketball.
Fans took to social media almost immediately, voicing their disappointment and asking how such an oversight could occur at a time when the sport needs significant promotion. The uproar highlights the ongoing struggle women’s basketball faces in garnering the attention it deserves, especially after a 2024 Olympics that reportedly saw a decline in viewership.
As the training camp approaches, the pressure mounts on Team USA to address this backlash and reaffirm its commitment to promoting all players, including Clark. What happens next could set the tone for the team’s visibility and engagement with its fan base leading into critical competitions.
Stay tuned for more updates as this story develops. Fans and analysts alike will be watching closely how Team USA responds to this growing controversy.
