Three-time Olympic gold medalist Kevin Durant agrees with Team USA’s decision to leave Caitlin Clark at home, but praised her impact on the WNBA and helping the league grow

Caitlin Clark’s omission from Team USA’s basketball team for the upcoming Olympic Games was heavily questioned by her fans, but NBA veteran Kevin Durant believes it was the right decision.

Due to Clark’s rapid rise in basketball, many fans assumed she’d be on the roster heading to Paris, firstly based on her ability but also due to her potential become a role model bringing more attention to women’s sports. Durant, however, thinks otherwise and feels that it takes time for a player to prove themselves worthy of being an Olympian due to the history of the event.

“I still think there’s proper steps you have to take in our world to be considered an Olympian,” Durant told the Wall Street Journal. “I think she’s definitely going to be on one of these teams going forward, but for right now there are better candidates out there I think.

“But Caitlin’s just gotta continue to keep showing up every day. The WNBA is doing a great job of showcasing her. I’m seeing her games on ESPN every other day. No matter what they’re talking about, there’s a lot of dialogue around the game right now, so that’s good as well.

“But I think as she keeps getting better as a player, her production on the court gets better, then the league will grow, alongside some of the other women as well. A’ja Wilson, there’s just so many great players in our league, that Caitlin has helped shine that light on them. And that’ll help the league grow over time.”

Clark has remained the ultimate professional throughout the debate about her place, paying respect to the players who were selected to represent Team USA. Clark did admit she’s been watching the Olympics since she was a child but appreciates how competitive fighting for a place can be.

“I think it just gives you something to work for,” Clark told reporters after being snubbed. “It’s a dream. Hopefully one day I can be there. I think it’s just a little more motivation. You remember that. Hopefully, when four years comes back, I can be there.”

Caitlin Clark was respectful when discussing her omission from the Team USA roster ( 
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“I’m excited for the girls that are on the team,” Clark added. “I know it’s the most competitive team in the world, and I know it could have gone either way of me being on the team or me not being on the team.

“I’m excited for them. Going to be rooting them on to win gold. I was a kid that grew up watching the Olympics. It’ll be fun to watch them.”

Clark also defended Team USA’s decision and revealed that officials personally called her before the news went public. “They called me and let me know before everything came out, which was really respectful of them, and I appreciate that,” Clark said. “They did the same for every girl that made the team or every girl that didn’t make the team. There are a lot of players in the Olympic pool. It wasn’t like I was the only one they had to call. They had to make quite a few calls.”