The news that Caitlin Clark had not been chosen for the USA Women’s Basketball Olympic team did not come as a surprise to many. People may argue that it has played a significant role because they have been winning and have already guaranteed a spot in the next round before they play Germany, another team that has been performing quite well.
Nevertheless, there has been significant debate about what the team’s representatives ought to have done prior to revealing the players that were chosen. First Take Stephen A. Smith of ESPN has spoken up and left his mark on this issue. Smith said,
“How does it feel, Team USA? To have six games, four of them drew over 20,000, and the one that didn’t still drew 2,000 more than you,” . “That means… that outside of that, the other games drew more than 6,000 fans compared to you. How does it feel?,”
All of us watching @usabasketball 👀
Get to know the 12 former @MarchMadnessWBB stars competing at the #ParisOlympics!#OlympiansMadeHere | https://t.co/c4jy9HndsA pic.twitter.com/EmwMfINEfx
— NCAA (@NCAA) August 2, 2024
Stephen A. Smith continued, having nothing to conceal
Even more than what we witness during the WNBA games, Caitlin Clark would have had a significant influence on the Olympics. That’s what Stephen A. Smith is attempting to convey when he says that the numbers and ratings would have skyrocketed. He said,
“See, we want to play like marketing and business don’t play a role in all of us. Have you ever been to the Olympics? Do you know that they’ll remove you from events if they have a sponsorship from Coca-Cola and you drink Pepsi?,” “I would know. I’ve been to two of them. I covered the Olympics in Sydney, Australia in 2000. I covered it in Athens, Greece, in 2004. I would know. I haven’t been back since, don’t want to go back. I can’t stand the Olympics. I’m not talking about the games,” “I’m not talking about the competition; I’m talking about the way the Olympics treat people, particularly the media. I can’t stand it. You have no rights. Everything is so restrictive. Because you’re doing business with everybody, and you’re milking every penny for all its worth, every chance you get.”
USA made a statement in opening game in the Olympics winning 102-76 vs. Japan. @_ajawilson22 finished with a double-double 24PTS & 13REB pic.twitter.com/l4HjRnTK0j
— Ballislife Womens Basketball (@ballislifewbb_) July 29, 2024
