The U.S. women’s basketball team is on track to win a gold medal at the 2024 Summer Olympics. A’ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart lead the pack, but Jackie Young has also stood out and played well. However, Caitlin Clark, one of the WNBA’s most popular players, is not on the roster. Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green believes Clark should be among the stars representing the U.S. at the Olympics.
“I think Caitlin Clark should have been on the U.S. team,” Green said on The Draymond Green Show about The Volume. “It’s great for the brand… We always talk about the brand, so let’s not pretend that it doesn’t matter now.”
The WNBA is growing. Other players deserve recognition too. A’ja Wilson is arguably the best player in the league. She also has a great personality, which makes her one of the most popular WNBA stars. Of course, rookie Angel Reese is also one of the most popular players in the league.
However, Clark’s accomplishments should not be overlooked. They began in college during her time at Iowa. Clark’s incredible talent brought many fans to watch her play. Her popularity has also carried over to the WNBA, as she was selected number 1 in the 2024 WNBA Draft by the Indiana Fever.
Green later compared the current state of the WNBA to that of the NBA in the early 1990s, using the 1992 U.S. men’s basketball team’s “Dream Team” as an example.
“Think of what the 1992 Dream Team did for basketball. The W (WNBA) is still in those stages of the NBA. The NBA at that time, the W is there,” Green continued. “So it has to be about spreading that globally, and she’s the biggest global star in women’s basketball.”
Green then made it clear that he did not mean to disrespect any of the players on the U.S. women’s basketball roster. In fact, he even made an extremely bold claim about A’ja Wilson’s future in the league.
“Listen… of the women we have, I think A’ja Wilson is going to be the best. But from a pure branding and marketing perspective, Caitlin is the greatest.”
Baron Davis, who also spoke with Green on the show, then said that Angel Reese should have been on the team with Clark as well. Green agreed with Davis’ statement.
Signing Clark and Reese would have been a good marketing decision. Ultimately, Team USA is still playing well. Plus, Clark and Reese are getting the rest they need.
The star rookies didn’t have much of a break between the end of the college basketball season and the start of the WNBA season. Their teams are battling for spots in the postseason, so both players will be ready for the final weeks of the regular season after this break.
