Team USA played Japan to open group stage action
The United States women’s national basketball team rolled to a win over Japan at Pierre Mauroy Stadium to begin its gold medal campaign at the Summer Olympic Games in Paris. However, it was a pre-game scene, well before the opening tip, that captured the attention of two US stars instead of a feisty Japan squad.
If their bemused reactions were any indication, Brittney Griner and A’ja Wilson seemed to notice a small fan-made sign at pre-game shootaround that not only called for the inclusion of WNBA rookie sensation Caitlin Clark on the Olympic team — but predicted disaster for the national team following her controversial exclusion from the 12-player squad.
Team USA 👀 a sign that reads, “You need Caitlin Clark to beat us.” USA-Japan tipping off shortly. pic.twitter.com/ymyJ6mSuXQ
— Kerith Burke (@KerithBurke) July 29, 2024
A small sign…but a big reaction
Sideline reporter Kerith Burke captured footage of Griner, Wilson, and Alyssa Thomas — players with three WNBA championships between them — pointing and snickering over a Japanese fan’s sign that read “you need Caitlin Clark to beat us.” Head coach Cheryl Reeve has not spent much time talking about Clark’s hotly-debated omission from the squad, but the conversation has now crossed continents, with fans wanting to see Clark play in Paris.
Clark was named an All-Star as a rookie, and the Indiana Fever guard helped Team WNBA defeat Team USA at the All-Star Game in Phoenix on July 20. She is the league leader in assists per game — and given her rapid improvement in recent weeks, it stands to reason that the former Iowa Hawkeyes star and the top overall pick in the 2024 draft might have been on the flight to France had roster selections occurred just a little later.
Even still, Griner, Wilson, and their US teammates didn’t seem overly affected by the swirling debate as to why Clark didn’t make the cut. Wilson, the two-time WNBA MVP, led the United States to its 56th consecutive win at the Olympics with a 24-point, 13-rebound double-double, as the Americans eventually pulled away for a dominant 102-76 win to open up Group C.
