I HAVE TO REST SHE SAID: Caitlin Clark WAVES AN EXPECTED GOODBYE FOR BEE…….

Caitlin Clark’s initial performance in the WNBA will essentially serve as her audition for a spot on the U.S. Olympic women’s basketball team for the Paris Games, with the roster not set to be finalized until June 1, according to a report by The Associated Press. Clark, unable to attend the U.S. training camp due to her commitments with Iowa during the Final Four, will have the early stages of her WNBA career to demonstrate her abilities to the U.S. women’s basketball selection committee.

Jennifer Rizzotti, chair of the selection committee, emphasized the importance of introducing new players into consideration, focusing on talent, positional suitability, loyalty, and experience. While attending the training camp was not mandatory for team selection, it would have provided Clark an opportunity to showcase her skills against top-tier players. The U.S. women’s team, aiming for an eighth consecutive Olympic gold medal, boasts a talented pool of guards including veterans like Diana Taurasi and emerging talents like Chelsea Gray, Ariel Atkins, Jewell Loyd, Kelsey Plum, and Sabrina Ionescu.

Rizzotti, who is also the president of the Connecticut Sun where Clark will debut in the WNBA, highlighted the significance of grooming future talent alongside established players. While Clark lacks experience at the senior national team level, her achievements with junior USA teams, including gold medals at FIBA tournaments, demonstrate her potential and dedication to playing at the highest level of 5-on-5 basketball.