Credits: USA TODAY Sports
The entire world of basketball is so focused on the USA’s Men’s national basketball team that the Women’s team seems to have gone under the radar. For those who were unaware of Team USA’s Women’s basketball team, they recently defeated Germany in a USAB Showcase matchup. However, the women’s national team does not feature the two biggest sensations to enter the WNBA this year, Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese.
WNBA legend and four-time champion Lindsay Whalen was a recent guest on SiriusXM NBA Radio. The former WNBA star went on to explain why neither of the two rookies made the cut for Team USA’s women’s team. She mentioned how the core group of players have been training together for the past four years. And the amount of chemistry and understanding they have been able to build with one another is invaluable.
“This is a four-year process to make this team. And there’s training camps and there’s practices and there is, I’m sure, Zoom calls. There’s so much that goes into it that I understand. Obviously, we have some incredible young players and rookies that have infused so much into the league.”
Lindsay made an extremely valid point about team chemistry. As she mentioned, making the national team to represent the country is a bit different from the process of making the Men’s national team.
“But we’re talking about an Olympic team. It’s to me, it was just a lot of timing of availability. Not by anyone’s fault. Caitlin-Angel, they’re in college trying to win national championships. And this group over here is practicing and training to win a gold medal.”
Moreover, when the current roster for the Women’s national team was under their four-year process, Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese were still in college, battling one another and competing for NCAA titles.
So, it is quite understandable why one would not want to mess with the current core group’s chemistry. However, there is a good chance that if not both but at least one of the two may end up making the cut for the Women’s national team for the next set of international events.
Caitlin Clark opens up on the current women’s national team
Indiana Fever’s rookie sensation, Caitlin Clark was recently asked to give her views on the current roster for the Women’s national basketball team.
“I’m excited for the girls that are on the team and I know it’s the most competitive team in the world. And I know I could’ve gone either way of me being on the team, or me not being on the team. So, I’m excited for them. I’m gonna be rooting them on to win gold.”
When asked about any disappointment she may have felt of not making the team, Clark displayed sportsmanship like none other.
“Honestly, no disappointment. It just gives you something to work for, you know, that’s the dream. Hopefully, one day I can be there.”
Clark is perfectly fine with not being able to make the roster. However, she did go on to express her interest in playing for the Women’s national team in case of an unexpected injury to anyone on the roster.
Hopefully, no player gets injured during this time, but in case of such an event, it would be a historic moment for Caitlin Clark to represent her country in one of the biggest stages of all; the Olympics.
