Caitlin Clark’s Omission From Sue Bird’s Team USA National Camp Poster Infuriates Journalist

Indiana Fever superstar Caitlin Clark has focused her 2025 offseason to prepare for Team USA's winter training camp.

Caitlin Clark’s Omission From Sue Bird’s Team USA National Camp Poster Infuriates Journalist

Caitlin Clark and Sue Bird (Image via FirstSportz)

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The last time Team USA battled for supremacy on the international stage, Caitlin Clark was not called upon to represent her country. At the time, they preferred to go with experience and continuity.

That decision courted controversy, with many analysts believing that the national team top brass were not helping women’s basketball grow far and wide as the men’s side has done.

Many felt that even if Clark was warming the bench, her mere presence would have brought in millions of fans and helped the sport grow. Now, after more than 1 year, the Indiana Fever superstar is about to get her chance.

When she finished her second WNBA season, Caitlin Clark revealed that she would not play in the Unrivaled league, as she was focused on making Team USA’s final roster for the upcoming 2026 FIBA Women’s World Cup.

This is so interesting: if USA Basketball really wanted to go all out promoting WBB, bring new fans in and get unprecedented attention for a team that dropped in TV viewership at the Paris Olympics, they would have added the photo of one other player to this graphic. But no.

Christine Brennan wrote on X

This was renowned journalist Christine Brennan, who felt that Team USA, whose director is Sue Bird, should have placed the most popular women’s basketball player on their cover poster.

Considering how Clark can elevate the team and draw millions of fans, the USA Today reporter felt the national team should have focused on her, rather than repeat their Paris Olympics mistake.

Journalist hopes Team USA channels Caitlin Clark’s popularity to grow women’s basketball

Now that Caitlin Clark will be a part of the 18-member training camp, Team USA is going to get an opportunity to groom the next generation of international players, while also helping to grow the sport.

I’ve covered the Olympics and US sports national governing bodies (NGBs) for 40+ yrs and plan to be covering them for many more. An NGB’s mission is to win medals but also grow its sport. USA Basketball utterly failed to grow WBB at the 2024 Olympics. This is a continuing story.

Christine Brennan wrote on X

The journalist hopes that USA Basketball takes the opportunity they have and ensures they channel Caitlin Clark’s popularity to help grow women’s basketball.

The last time they had the opportunity, they chose to focus on the veterans. Brennan hopes the Fever superstar becomes an essential member of the final roster.

Caitlin Clark will be teammates with Angel Reese if selected

As Team USA women’s basketball director, Sue Bird, along with her top executives, was tasked with helping the next batch of elite women’s basketball players get ready to represent their country.

Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese during the 2024 WNBA All-Star game
Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese during the 2024 WNBA All-Star game (Image via Awful Announcing/X)

They focused on veterans and continuity when selecting the team that eventually won gold at the Paris Olympics. They can continue with most of them, as, other than Diana Taurasi, the rest of the team is still playing at a high level.

However, just like in the men’s game, France and other teams have proved that they are progressing to a point where they can topple the Americans. For that purpose, Team USA has called upon the WNBA and college basketball’s best young players.

Caitlin Clark will be joined by her fellow members from the famed recruiting class of 2020, in Cameron Brink, Paige Bueckers, and, most importantly, Angel Reese.

Fans would be waiting to see the two rivals play together on the international stage, and that should be enough impetus for Team USA to focus on the two most popular women’s basketball players in the world.

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