USA Women’s Basketball Olympic Gold Medal winner justifies Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese snubs. Source: Imagn

The USA Women’s Basketball team is set to begin their Olympic campaign this week, with many wondering why Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese are not on the roster. The two rookies were snubbed in favor of a more experienced lineup. Former WNBA star Lindsay Whalen justified the decision to leave the two young stars out, questioning whether they are prepared for the Olympic level.

Whalen is a two-time Olympic gold medal winner, earning a medal with Team USA in London in 2012 and Rio de Janeiro in 2016. The 42-year-old has been involved with the WNBA since its early days, making her debut in 2004 for the Connecticut Sun. Along with her success at the Olympic Games, she was also selected for the All-Star Game on five occasions and won four championships.

In a recent interview on SiriusXM NBA Radio, Whalen went on to say that while Clark and Reese are incredibly talented, she believes they have not had ample time to train with the national team.

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“This is a four year process to make this team…There’s training camps, there’s practices, there’s Zoom calls, and there’s so much that goes into it,” said Whalen.

Experience will be a major factor when Team USA looks to win their eighth consecutive gold medal in Paris.

It has been just 103 days since Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese were selected in the WNBA Draft and just 74 and 75 days since they made their respective professional debuts.

“It was just a lot of timing and availability…Caitlin, Angel, they are in college trying to win national championships and this group over here is practicing and training to win a gold medal,” added Whalen

Clark and Reese (both 22 years old) have combined for just 50 games in the pros so far. To put that into perspective, Diana Taurasi and Brittney Griner, two of Team USA’s veteran players, have featured in over 850 WNBA games combined.

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Team WNBA forward Angel Reese passes to guard Caitlin Clark at Footprint Center. Photo Credit: Imagn
Clark and Reese will both be disappointed to miss out on the Olympic Games and will now focus their attention on a WNBA title and the prestigious Rookie of the Year award.

Angel Reese has been a key contributor for a Chicago Sky team that sits in eighth place in the standings with a 10-14 record. She is averaging 13.5 points, 11.9 rebounds and 1.8 assists.

The Indiana Fever’s star Caitlin Clark has hit the ground running, averaging 17.1 points, 5.8 rebounds and 8.2 assists over 26 starts. Earlier this year, she became the first rookie in WNBA history to record a triple double.