Caitlin Clark Rejected Spot on Team USA for 2024 Olympics

Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark quickly became one of the best players in the WNBA during her rookie season. 

Averaging 19.2 points, 5.7 rebounds and 8.4 assists per game in 2024, Clark led the Fever to their first postseason appearance since 2016, on her way to All-WNBA first team honors.

However, despite her dominance, Clark was not selected for the USA women's national basketball team in the 2024 Paris Olympics. Other guards such as Sabrina Ionescu, Chelsea Gray and Jewell Loyd were chosen over her.

Team USA went on to win a gold medal without Clark, but the former Iowa Hawkeyes star had a different chance to participate in the Olympics.

USA Today reporter Christine Brennan has a new book coming out called "On Her Game: Caitlin Clark and the Revolution in Women's Sports," set for release on July 8. 

In the book, Brennan mentions Clark received an offer to play for the Team USA women's 3x3 team, which featured stars such TCU Horned Frogs guard Hailey Van Lith (now a member of the Chicago Sky) and the Los Angeles Sparks' Dearica Hamby. The women's 3x3 team went on to win a bronze medal.

"Clark did have another option to get to Paris: the US women’s 3x3 team," Brennan wrote, according to People. "Even though she had never played on a national 3x3 team (she had experience on U.S. under-16 and under-19 5x5 teams), USA Basketball offered her a spot on the 3x3 team well before June, knowing there was a qualifying event for her to play in to become eligible for the Olympics, according to two sources with knowledge of those conversations."

However, Brennan continued to mention Clark rejected Team USA's 3x3 offer.

"The answer from Clark and her team was simple: No. She did not want to play 3x3 basketball at the Olympics," Brennan added.