Jen Rizzotti said she was aware of the buzz around Caitlin Clark’s absence, in particular. But the committee, she said, was tasked to make a decision based on the criteria they were given, which included factors like attitude, adaptability to the international game and likelihood of contributing to team success, among others.
“We don’t live in a bubble,” she said. “We’re not on a jury where we’re quarantined in a hotel without any access. All of us are seeing and hearing and getting texts and calls about this decision. And that was expected.
“Certainly the success that Caitlin had in college in addition to the way that she’s played in the beginning parts of the (WNBA) season was taken into consideration as we talked about this roster, but I think out of respect for the process, we tried to make sure we upheld our integrity when it came to selecting the roster. Marketability, popularity, TV viewership, jersey sales was not something that we were supposed to be measuring.”
There has been public speculation that not selecting Clark, the uber-popular 2024 No. 1 pick, goes against part of USA Basketball’s stated mission, which states, “USA Basketball is a worldwide leader in the sport through competitive excellence in international competition and by promoting, growing and elevating the game at all levels.”
Rizzotti acknowledged that the idea of broadening the sport is part of the organization’s mission. But she added: “USA Basketball does a lot for youth basketball in the United States. It has dozens of programs around the country that support the mission statement, but also part of its mission is to win Olympic Gold medals. And so the board selects and approves a committee to make those decisions, and they give us criteria to make those decisions. We did our job based on that criteria.”
Rizzotti disputed a USA Today report that cited two long-time USA Basketball veterans stating the committee’s “concern about how Clark’s millions of fans would react to what would likely be limited playing time on a stacked roster was a factor in the decision making.”
“What people have to remember is that the committee does not determine playing time,” she said. “The committee does not tell Cheryl who to start, who to play. Our job is to put together the best team. Playing time can’t come into consideration because it’s not our purview.”
Continue reading.
GO FURTHER
Team USA chair explains Olympic roster decisions, Caitlin Clark’s absence
