7x Gold Medalist Katie Ledecky Expresses Her One Wish for Caitlin Clark

Remember the time when Caitlin Clark blew up the internet with her Michael Phelps phone wallpaper? Well, this time around, the swimming world has mentioned her name. The swimmer who dipped in seven Olympic gold medals, Katie Ledecky, has distracted herself from some pool time to watch the NCAA’s scoring queen. Not just that, she has also made it known that she wants one of her wishes involving the two-time national player to come true, hopefully at the Paris Olympics.

Talking to Ryan Gaydos of Fox News, Ledecky quite clearly wished to meet Caitlin Clark someday. She said, “I have not met her. Hopefully, at some point, I’ll have the opportunity. She’s great.” Continuing to praise the 22-year-old athlete, she said, “I think the way she elevated women’s basketball over the past year, really the past couple of years, and how excited people are to watch her and watch her game, watch all the athletes—it’s incredibly exciting.”

The Stanford University alum will be at the Olympics, held in 41 venues in Paris this year. While Clark is among the names we are hearing, she surely has competition at the camp itself. The NBA announced the USA team for men’s basketball a couple of days ago. However, with the busy scheduling of the March Madness and the 2024 WNBA draft, the women’s team needs more time.

However, Clark has opened up about what getting into Team USA will mean for the rookie. She said, “That’s one of my dreams as a kid. Growing up, you always want to be an Olympic gold medalist.” With talent from completely another division recognizing Clark’s worth on Team USA, what do others and herself have to say?

What will having Caitlin Clark on Team USA for the Paris Olympics mean?

While there is no doubt that a player of Clark’s caliber could be a game-changer for the entire 12-player roster, a few things that could hinder her dream this year are there. Clark will soon play as a part of the Fever team in the WNBA’s next season, which begins on May 14, 2024. At the same time, the Olympic events will tip off on July 26, 2024, and continue until August 11, 2024. If No. 22 could manage so much, nothing would hide the fact that she is a young player.

Despite being a part of multiple international tournaments with three FIBA gold medals representing America, Clark did not have much time to be around the group. She also did not get to be at the minicamp held in Cleveland, as Iowa’s sensational athlete was busy winning the Final Four.

Hence, Dawn Staley’s comments make quite sense. She had previously said, “It’s unfortunate because we can’t take a young player and have her take the spot (of a veteran).” She further told USA Today, “We gotta win. We’re far behind the eight-ball with training, so we’ve got to give (head coach) Cheryl (Reeve) the best 12 players.”

Whether Caitlin Clark can wear a USA jersey this year or not is not a surety yet. But Breanna Stewart has shown her excitement to play with her. She said, “I would love to have the opportunity to be teammates with Caitlin. The committee is in an interesting situation because we haven’t named our team yet, and we have more than 12 amazing players on this roster.”

It seems like many people wish to watch the generational talent on the Paris Olympics floor. Probably, she will get to do it if she can go through the camp. Nevertheless, for now, the 2x Naismith POY has a lot on her hands. Do you want to see her at the Olympics?