American basketball star Brittney Griner will be competing at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris on the Women’s National team, according to a spokesperson for USA Basketball, and contrary to an article shared online saying that Griner was dismissed from the team for misconduct.
Renee Felton, a representative for USA Basketball, said in an email that it is “untrue” that Griner was dismissed.
One Facebook post, opens new tab from an account describing itself as a Caitlin Clark fan page shared a photo of Griner with text on the picture reading: “Brittney Griner Booted from Team USA for Misconduct: ‘We Can’t Allow That Kind of Behavior – The World Is Watching’.”
Reuters Image
The account added the comment: “Breaking: Brittney Griner Booted from Team USA for Misconduct: ‘We Can’t Allow That Kind of Behavior – The World Is Watching’. This paves the way for Caitlin Clark to join the team. It also makes the team much more respectable.”
Griner and Clark were among 14 players invited to an Olympic training camp in Cleveland, Ohio in April.
Griner was selected, opens new tab on June 11 for the 2024 Women’s National Team, opens new tab competing at the Olympic Games in Paris in July. Clark did not , opens new tabmake the Olympic team.
The Facebook post includes a link to an article, opens new tab with the same headline on a website that redirects to unrelated product advertisement sites.
The article says that Team USA announced Griner’s dismissal for “undisclosed reasons.” It does not link to the purported announcement or mention when it was released.
The website that published the article does not include a satire disclaimer and did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
No such announcement appears on USA Basketball’s website, opens new tab or its social, opens new tab media, opens new tab accounts, opens new tab.
Griner’s profile is still listed on the USA Basketball website, opens new tab, which says she was selected for the 2024 Women’s National Team competing in the Olympic Games.
VERDICT
False. American basketball star Brittney Griner was not dismissed from Team USA competing in the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.
This article was produced by the Reuters Fact Check team. Read more, opens new tab about our fact-checking work.
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