Team WNBA's win over Team USA not 'vindication' for Caitlin Clark

Following her controversial Team USA snub, Caitlin Clark had the perfect opportunity Saturday to prove what her country will be missing at the 2024 Paris Olympics. 

Clark and her Team WNBA teammates squared off against Team USA at the WNBA All-Star Game, the final outing before Diana Taurasi and Co. head to France in pursuit of their eighth consecutive gold medal. 

While Clark didn't light up the exhibition game with a barrage of threes, she did finish with a game-high 10 assists as Team WNBA defeated Team USA, 117-109. 

After the game, Clark was asked if the win served as "vindication" for her and others who may have felt slighted by the Team USA omission.

"No," Clark responded in a news conference. "I mean, they're really good. They have plenty of talent on that team. It was the same four years prior — I'm pretty sure Team WNBA beat Team USA [and] they were perfectly fine in the [Tokyo] Olympics. If anything, it shows how good this league is.... From my standpoint, this is a great opportunity and will help prepare them for Paris and I'm going to be supporting them and cheering them on. I love the Olympics, I've loved the Olympics ever since I was a young kid and they're going to be just fine. They're going to win gold and dominate so I'm not worried."

Clark added that Team WNBA's win over a star-studded Team USA roster featuring A'ja Wilson, Breanna Stewart and Co. was a reminder of the talent pool in the country. She noted that "a lot of players" who didn't make the trip to the All-Star weekend were probably deserving of opportunities as well. 

Besides Clark, Arike Ogunbowale was another player many felt should have made the final 12-woman Team USA roster. Ogunbowale validated those critics by dropping a game-high 34 points Saturday courtesy of a record-breaking second half. The Dallas guard was named MVP for her historic showing.

With the WNBA season entering a one-month hiatus, Team USA will now face Germany in an exhibition game in London on Tuesday. The 2024 Paris Olympics campaign kicks off against Japan on July 29.