The Paris Olympics is going to be a one-of-a-kind event. Unfortunately, not for Caitlin Clark. The Fever rookie despite an invitation to the Olympics training camp couldn’t attend and as a result, she is not on the Team USA roster. As revealed by her coach Christie Sides, it looks like this has “woken a monster.” But that was a thing of the past. The debate was all done and dusted until the Louisiana State University Lady Tigers star Flau’jae Johnson came forward to express her thoughts.

The podcast was posted on Apple Podcast and Spotify and had Johnson presenting her point of view as her mother Kia Brooks favored Clark’s selection. The argument started when Johnson asked her mother who would be the biggest Olympic snub this year.

Flau’jae Johnson discusses Olympic snub 

Brooks responded that the Dallas Wings guard Arike Ogunbowale deserved a spot in the team. To which Johnson agreed. The 20-year-old asked her mom to name another player. Brooks then took the name of “Caitlin.” Hearing that her NCAA rival was quick to ask why would her mother name Clark.

“I feel like Caitlin…Caitlin brings a lot to women’s basketball. Don’t get me wrong, I know that the Olympics is huge. People gonna watch Olympics anyway but haven’t really had me watching basketball in the women’s Olympics. I’ve never watched it, I always watched gymnastics…Caitlin would have brought more eyes to what we need and grown the game,” Brooks stated via Best of Both Worlds with Flau’jae.

This apparently didn’t go down well with Johnson who presented her mother with a scenario. As per Johnson, her mother would have felt bad had the scenario been different. She said, “if I was on Team USA and I have worked all of these years? I did all of these trials, I did all of these things, I went through all of these cuts and this girl comes… She ain’t do not do practice, not do nothing…She just come and she just takes my spot… How would you feel?”

Johnson was referring to the fact that Clark hadn’t attended the Olympics camp in April this year because she was busy preparing for the Final Four. Hence, the other players who had been on their feet for their Olympics dream deserved a spot over her.

Hearing her daughter’s arguments, Brooks did not hesitate in mentioning that it’s how the world works. A new person takes over the experienced candidate when it’s time for the veteran to retire. “In this new day and time, it happens. That’s like a job. Somebody… Comes in a newbie… You have been on this job 20 years and somebody with not even as much experience as you come over and take your position… Not saying it’s right but it happens,” Brooks remarked.

The narrative during Clark’s snub was that the veteran Diana Taurasi was preferred over her. This came as a setback to many fans since Taurasi is nearing the end of her career and is 42-years-old and hence, according to people Clark deserved a spot. Especially since as mentioned by Brooks, she would have brought more eyes to women’s basketball and that would have helped grow the game. However, despite so many points of view, Clark doesn’t seem to nurse any animosity towards any player or the selection committee.

Caitlin Clark takes her snub in good stride

Clark reflected on her journey from being a kid at Iowa to now playing in the WNBA in the wake of her Olympics snub. She also stated that she had grown up watching the Olympics and this time would be no different as she would see the top stars battle it out for her country. She also wasn’t upset about not getting a chance in the squad. And instead stated that she had “no disappointment.”

“I was a kid that grew up watching the Olympics, so it will be fun to watch them…Honestly, no disappointment,” Clark had stated back then. However, what Sides has stated also looks to have come true since Clark has become the first rookie to score a triple-double in the W last Friday against the New York Liberty. Furthermore, she looks to be going strong in her performances.

Perhaps, the debate about Clark will be put to rest and hopefully, for her fans, she will continue to perform well. Clark is just at the beginning of her career and she would be hoping to get opportunities from the next Olympics onwards.

Stay tuned for more such updates, and to follow what Shaq’s ex-agent, Leonard Armato, has to say about the infamous Shaq-Kobe feud, Caitlin Clark’s Olympic snub, and more, watch this video.