Team USA coach Cheryl Reeve's Caitlin Clark posts were ‘stunningly bad behavior': author
The USA Today columnist and author ripped the coach of Team USA and the WNBA's Lynx for her 'stunningly bad behavior' heading into the selection process for the 2024 Paris Olympics — specifically her treatment of then-Indiana Fever rookie Caitlin Clark.
'How on earth is that OK with the US Olympic and Paralympic community and the USA basketball team that its coach is actively tweeting and going on social media about someone who is in the selection pool?' Brennan asked on 'The Adam Gold Show' on Monday.
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3 USA Today sports columnist Christine Brennan asks a question during an IOC press conference.
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Brennan, on the show to discuss her new book, 'On Her Game,' which examines Clark and her impact on women's sports, referenced Reeve's May 2024 post on X, which seemed to take a shot at the WNBA putting Clark on TV as a rookie while other teams didn't get nearly the same treatment.
'ALSO in action tonight – @minnesotalynx vs @chicagosky. 7 pm CST,' Reeve wrote, 'Though fans won't be able to watch, #Lynx fans can go to the Lynx app to follow along via play by play.'
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Reeve's missive was hard to miss.
'Just stunningly bad behavior by Cheryl Reeve, tweeting at and about Caitlin Clark, kind of blaming her for not having Minnesota Lynx games on TV, but only Caitlin games on TV,' Brennan said.
A month later, when the 12-woman Team USA roster was revealed, Clark was not on it and Reeve was at the center of questions regarding the selection process.
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The coach stated at the time that she did not have a role in the selection process and selection committee chair Jen Rizzotti explained the decision came down to basketball criteria. The goal was to create the best team and not weigh in the extra viewers Clark would bring.
'When you base your decision on criteria, there were other players that were harder to cut because they checked a lot more boxes,' Rizzoitti told the AP last summer. 'Then sometimes it comes down to position, style of play for [coach] Cheryl [Reeve] and then sometimes a vote.'
3 Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve looks on against the Connecticut Sun.
Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images
3 Caitlin Clark playing for the Indiana Fever.
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Brennan tried asking Reeve about her omission of Clark at the time, but she would not respond.
Brennan herself is now without controversy, either.
During the WNBA playoffs last year, Clark was hit in the eye by the Suns' DiJonai Carrington. As the incident gained national attention, Brennan asked if Carrington had intentionally hit her — which swiftly drew the ire of the WNBA players union, which sought to ban her.
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