Team USA 5-on-5 roster includes top WNBA stars, but not Caitlin Clark

The GIST: The Team USA Olympic 5-on-5 women’s basketball roster was announced this weekend, and Indiana Fever rookie Caitlin Clark didn’t make the cut. It’s a reality check that despite Clark’s rapid ascent, there’s still levels of the game she’s not quite ready for. And while Clark may have an edge in popularity, this U.S. squad will definitely draw a crowd — and marketing dollars.

The context: Leading up to the Olympics, the selection committee addressed inquiries about Clark making the roster for Paris 2024. After the Fever drafted Clark, selection committee chair Jennifer Rizzotti said she would consider Clark’s WNBA debut as her tryout because she missed the Olympic training camp — an important opportunity to build team chemistry — for March Madness.

• Some fans and pundits were outraged over Clark’s exclusion from the roster, calling it a “snub.” The main critique? That the Clark Effect — which is being spun into TV gold — won’t be able to boost Olympic ratings.

• However, rookies are rarely named to Olympic 5-on-5 U.S. rosters and, as The Athletic pointed out, this would never even be a conversation if it were the NBA. Kobe Bryant didn’t appear in Atlanta 1996, and though LeBron James represented the U.S. at Athens 2004 as a rookie, he still spent most of the Olympics on the bench.

The roster: Even without Clark, the Team USA 5-on-5 roster boasts plenty of recognizable faces, and the women’s team has quite the reputation to uphold: It has a 70-3 record and has won seven (!!!) straight gold medals. Moreover, there’s plenty of marketability and draw on this Dream Team, proving that women’s basketball was already growing at hyperspeed before Clark’s assist.

• Of note, Fever forward Aliyah Boston was just honored with custom Adidas PE shoes paying homage to her St. Thomas roots, Las Vegas Aces center A’ja Wilson recently announced her signature shoe and apparel line with Nike, and NY Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu extended her Nike deal to include a second shoe.

• Plus, Liberty forward Breanna Stewart’s Unrivaled — the 3x3 women’s basketball league she’s launching with Lynx forward Napheesa Collier — just promised the highest average salary in women’s pro sports league history.

• And in May, Phoenix Mercury center Brittney Griner released her second book, Coming Home, which reflects on her months-long detention in Russia and has already become a New York Times bestseller.

Zooming out: The roster won’t just be representing the U.S. this summer — these W athletes are representing a collection of brands and sponsors who, like the Olympic committee, recognize what they have to offer beyond the game. It’s also a good opportunity for brands looking to capitalize on the Olympics and women’s basketball hype. A little more motivation.