Caitlin Clark's Team USA Snub Controversy Resurfaces With New Statement
Caitlin Clark's rookie season in the WNBA featured several highly-publicized storylines, including her omission from Team USA's Olympic basketball roster.
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Despite her rising superstardom and elite on-court production, Clark was left off the Olympic roster that ultimately went on to win gold at the 2024 Paris games.
The decision to leave Clark off the team sparked some serious controversy around the basketball world. USA Today writer Christine Brennan even accused Team USA coach Cheryl Reeve of "stunningly bad behavior" regarding Clark's consideration in the selection process.
Before the 2024 WNBA season, Reeve publicly criticized the league for only advertising Clark's preseason debut with the Indiana Fever. These social media posts came out during the Olympic selection process.
Now a year later, this controversy is resurfacing.
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Earlier this week, Brennan doubled down on her criticism of Reeve with comments on "The Adam Gold Show."
'How on earth is that okay with the Olympic and Paralympic Committee and USA basketball, that its coach is actively tweeting and going on social media about someone who is in the selection pool?' Brennan asked.
A few days later, Reeve fired back with a response on "Golic & Golic."
'What she wrote is fiction. And if she were paying attention, one of the things I have done for years is hold the league accountable for their missteps, mishaps, their lack of representation of all teams," Reeve said.
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"So that particular situation had nothing to do with Caitlin Clark,' she continued. 'It had everything to do with a WNBA social media post that promoted one preseason game and not all preseason games. And so I simply said that, by the way, the Minnesota Lynx are playing the Chicago Sky."
Team WNBA guard Caitlin Clark (22) alongside USA Women's National Team head coach Cheryl Reeve during the 2024 WNBA All Star Game at Footprint Center.© Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Reeve recognized that she's the "villain" in Brennan's story.
'If Christine Brennan were being thorough and a legitimate reporter in this situation, she would have gotten full context," the Minnesota Lynx coach concluded. "But it didn't fit the narrative. Christine Brennan likes to have a villain in her storytelling. I am Christine Brennan's villain, that's the sword she's going to die on.
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"It's a fiction, the stuff that she has written about me and my interest in Caitlin Clark being on or off the team."
Related: WNBA Fans React to Caitlin Clark's Historic Achievement on Sunday
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 23, 2025, where it first appeared.
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