“It is what it is.” The Indiana Fever rookie and the first overall pick Caitlin Clark has long resolved her snubbing from Team USA. However, her passionate fans continue to bring out the bones that she wishes to keep in the closet. This has especially become stronger as she once again pulled a record crowd to the State Farm Arena in Fever’s win over the Atlanta Dream.
Last night, Indiana topped Atlanta in front of a record 17,575 fans in the State Farm Arena. This was the biggest crowd for the franchise. Previously, they had a standing record of 11,609 fans in 2008 in their debut game. Otherwise, Dream is playing all the games in their original arena, the Gateway Center. This facility only has the capacity for 3,500 fans. Atlanta’s matchups against mogul teams like the New York Liberty and Connecticut Sun were displayed here, but they were not sold out.
On the other hand, the demands for their game against the Fever featuring Caitlin Clark kept increasing. The result? They had to shift the game to the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks facility. Their next matchup will also take place in the State Farm Arena as well. This shows that the Iowa phenom truly has a magnetic ability. The power that the WNBA could have utilized for their profit by sending her with the Team USA, as per Stephen A. Smith.
USA Today via Reuters
But the fans? Well, they stand divided in their decision to what should have been.
Caitlin Clark not being on the Olympics roster continues to be a disappointment for some
On June 10, 2024, Team USA announced its 12 players had been cut for the Olympics 5×5 event. But long before that, the probable crew was announced. The surprising thing for many was that Caitlin Clark did not get into the talented squad. Since then, the debate on who should and should not get to wear the red, blue, and white jersey has been going on. Consequently, the fans have strong opinions still.
One fan tweeted their followers to confirm if they will continue to watch the Olympics without Caitlin Clark. While they were probably expecting to see everyone agree with them, the plan did not go just as well. They got some mixed reviews from the basketball family. Nevertheless, looks like they are adamant about ignoring the women’s basketball event completely.
“Who is boycotting the Olympics with Caitin Clark out”
Who is boycotting the Olympics with Caitin Clark out pic.twitter.com/1iuoqzULi6
— Val Madison (@Sportz_DC) June 12, 2024
At the same time, one sports fan joined the comments section and hard pass on the boycotting plan. The fans said that while others can do whatever they want, they will be watching the Summer Olympic Games. Certainly, it is good to see that despite their thoughts not aligning, there was no respect lost.
“Boycott the Olympics? No, I’m not boycotting the Summer Olympic Games. You do you, though.”
While many believe that the WNBA begins and ends at Caitlin Clark, not everyone agrees. These also include some of the Hooper’s supporters. Resonating on the same, one women’s basketball follower expressed their views. They gave a lesson mentioning how the league has many more players. Nevertheless, they too agreed that not taking Caitlin Clark to Paris was not the wisest of ideas since she has sown her potential both on and off the floor.
“There is more to the Olympics than one person. So that is a no for me, but I do think it is a bad mistake not to put her on the team.”
A Caitlin Clark fan came to the crowded comment section to speak their mind as well. After pretending to agree with the tweet, they confessed that they were not going to watch the event in the first place. However, they did mention that if the 2x NPOY was on the roster, they just might have. They also mentioned how they watched her playing for the Hawkeyes as well. Seems like Gilbert Arenas and Stephen A. were quite correct about the fact that the rookie would have brought more eyes to the league.
“Sure….? Oh who am I kidding.. I wasn’t going to watch it anyways… though I may have if she was playing (I did watch women’s college BB this years because of her)”
The Olympic games are evolving. However, there are just too many events to follow. Hence, one fan suggested that instead of not watching the event because Clark was not on the roster, they would simply continue to not watch. Seemingly, they have not been following the thrill and pride that one gets to see the best of their country earn a medal.
“It’s more like I’m going to continue not watching instead of boycotting.”
Caitlin Clark has become one of the most polarizing athletes in the sports world right now. While many want to see her thrive, some simply wish to cheer on their favorites. While we do not know how long this conversation will continue, we do know that the Fever rookie herself simply wants to play basketball.
Stay tuned for more such updates, and to follow what Shaq’s ex-agent, Leonard Armato, has to say about the infamous Shaq-Kobe feud, Caitlin Clark’s Olympic snub, and more, watch this video.
