Caitlin Clark could still represent Team USA in the Olympics despite being left out of the roster, as Chelsea Gray faces a race against time to recover from injury after making the initial squad.
If Gray can’t suit up, head coach Cheryl Reeve would seek a backcourt replacement.
Clark enjoyed a record-breaking spell at Iowa, leading the Hawkeyes to back-to-back national championship appearances while departing college as the all-time leading scorer in NCAA history. The 22-year-old has taken the sports world by storm, but she will not be going to the Olympics as part of the original roster.
Clark, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft, is impressing as a rookie. She is averaging 17 points, six assists and five rebounds for the Indiana Fever. The 22-year-old dropped 30 points in a tight win over the Washington Mystics on Friday night, which makes the news of her omission from the Olympics particularly surprising for some fans.
However, she could still get on the plane to Paris with Gray yet to return from injury. If the 31-year-old guard is unable to compete, she will be replaced by a healthy alternative – which could be Clark.
Five-time WNBA All-Star Gray sustained a lower left leg injury during last season’s Finals win over the New York Liberty before the Las Vegas Aces clinched a second title in a row. She is yet to return this year, leaving her Olympic participation in doubt.
The Aces have offered little information on Gray’s injury, detailing only that she sustained it on her left leg. Gray’s timeline to return also appears unclear, with Aces head coach Becky Hammon noting that there’s no rush in getting the team’s star point guard to return to the court.
Gray was selected No. 11 overall in the 2014 WNBA Draft by Duke, playing one season for the Connecticut Sun before joining the Los Angeles Sparks, where she spent five seasons. Since a 2021 move to Sin City, Gray has started every available game while averaging at least 11 points and five rebounds per contest.
Last season, Gray provided a career-high 7.3 assists per game to stellar teammates Kelsey Plum, Jackie Young and two-time MVP A’ja Wilson – who are all heading to Paris. The remainder of the roster is filled by Diana Taurasi, Brittney Griner, Breanna Stewart, Napheesa Collier, Jewell Lloyd, Alyssa Thomas, Sabrina Ionescu and Kahleah Copper.
Clark has international experience with USA Basketball at youth level, but she wasn’t able to make the national training camp in Cleveland despite receiving an invite, as she was leading Iowa to the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament. For months, her possible selection has been a hot topic of speculation, and back in April, four-time Olympic gold medallist Lisa Leslie told Sporting News: “I don’t know how you leave the country without her.”
The U.S. team will play an exhibition game in London versus Germany before heading to France, where it will face Japan, Belgium and Germany in pool play at the Olympics. Clark will likely not be there, but any hopes are directly linked to the status and availability of Gray.
