SHOCKING Reason Caitlin Clark Was Not Selected To Olympic Roster | This Is INSANE

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Caitlin Clark left off Team USA roster for Paris Olympics

Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark playing in late May, 2024.Michael Conroy/AP

CNN —

USA Basketball’s roster for the women’s Olympic basketball team that will chase gold in Paris this summer will not include WNBA rookie sensation Caitlin Clark, according to CNN sports analyst Christine Brennan.

Brennan wrote in USA Today, citing three unnamed sources, that Clark’s omission from the team was due in part to “concern over how Clark’s millions of fans would react to what would likely be limited playing time on a stacked roster.”

RELATED ARTICLECaitlin Clark enjoys record-equaling night as Indiana Fever beat Washington Mystics in Commissioner’s Cup

CNN has reached out to USA Basketball for comment but did not immediately hear back.

The roster is expected to include WNBA stars and past Olympic champions Brittney Griner, Diana Taurasi, Breanna Stewart and nine others.

Last year, Griner said she would “never go overseas again” to play basketball – unless it’s for the Olympics – after being detained in Russia.

The two-time Olympic gold medalist spent nearly 300 days in Russian custody following her detention in February 2022 and was sentenced to nine years in prison under drug-smuggling charges after authorities in the country found cannabis oil in her luggage.

She was released in December last year in a prisoner exchange with Russia.

RELATED ARTICLEBrittney Griner tells The Cut she ‘worried someone might shoot the plane down’ after her release from Russian detention

The US women’s team will play an exhibition game against Germany in London on July 23 before their first game of the 2024 Paris Olympics on July 29. The team will face Japan, Belgium and Germany in the group stage.

The USA women’s 3×3 team features some of America’s younger talent. WNBA rookie Cameron Brink as well as college player Hailey Van Lith were selected to the team to join WNBA veteran Rhyne Howard and Cierra Burdick, who currently plays professionally in Spain and previously played in the WNBA. 3×3 basketball is being contested in just its second Olympic games, with the US winning the inaugural women’s gold medal in Tokyo in 2021.

The USA women’s national team, consistently loaded with a surplus of talent, has won gold at seven straight Olympic Games dating back to 1996.

HOT NEWS:

TAYLOR SWIFT’S YOUNGER BROTHER AUSTIN SWIFT AND GIRLFRIEND SYDNEY NESS WELCOMES THEIR FIRST CHILD ‘ ANOTHER TAYLOR IN THE HOUSE

Taylor Swift’s younger brother Austin Swift and girlfriend Sydney Ness welcomes their first child ‘ another Taylor in the house

Taylor Swift’s younger brother, Austin Swift, might just be off the market.

Austin kept a low profile — he seemed to be dressed as Santa Claus — as he appeared alongside rumored girlfriend Sydney Ness while attending the Kansas City Chiefs game on Christmas in 2023. His sister, Taylor, and their parents, Scott and Andrea Swift, were also in attendance.

 

Austin has been romantically linked to Ness since September 2022, when they were first spotted holding hands during a walk around New York City. The duo have kept their relationship out of the public eye, rarely getting spotted together.

Ness did, however, attend Taylor’s iconic 4th of July celebration in July 2023. She was spotted wearing a blue bikini in a photo shared via the singer’s Instagram at the time.

While Ness’ Instagram account is full of her modeling photos, Austin barely uses social media, so there are no pictures of their rumored romance thus far.

However, the pair were seen showing Taylor some support in her new relationship when attending a separate Chiefs game in October 2023. At the time, Austin walked alongside Ness and Blake Lively as Swift entered MetLife stadium for a Chiefs game against the New York Jets.

Travis Kelce had a lot of compliments for Taylor Swift’s brother, Austin Swift, on the Friday, December 29, episode of his and brother Jason Kelce’s “New Heights” podcast.

Jason’s wife, Kylie Kelce, gave Austin, 31, the honor of “New Heights Holiday Stamp of the Week.”

“I was going to pick on Travis. I was going to say whoever wore the Santa suit,” Kylie, 31, said at the end of the episode when picking someone to give the coveted award to.

“That was Austin Swift,” Travis replied. “Well, it was Santa.”

Kylie commended Austin for wearing the Santa outfit to Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City on Monday, December 25, as the Chiefs played the Las Vegas Raiders, but unfortunately lost the match.

“I respect a full commit,” Kylie said, to which Travis replied: “It was a full commit. He 𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁ed it. He actually made me feel like a child because his gift to me was straight out of the bag.”

Travis then revealed what Austin’s gift was.

“[He] handed me a VHS of my favorite football movie of all time … Little Giants,” Travis revealed.

HOT NEWS:

ANGEL REESE GETS IN HEATED ALTERCATION WITH NAZ HILLMON DURING CHICAGO SKY LOSS

Angel Reese gets in heated altercation with Naz Hillmon during Chicago Sky loss

The Atlanta Dream got the last laugh.

Polarizing Chicago Sky star Angel Reese got into a heated altercation with Atlanta’s Naz Hillmon during the team’s 89-80 loss to the Dream on Saturday.

With the Dream leading 78-75 in the fourth quarter, Hillmon blocked Reese’s shot before staring her down and shouting at her.

“@nazhillmon not having it…!”#AtlantaDream pic.twitter.com/e6Z2ibxp86

— Atlanta Dream (@AtlantaDream) June 8, 2024

WE KNOW THAT’S RIGHT NAZ! #atlantadream pic.twitter.com/uSwW1s2AhT

— Atlanta Dream (@AtlantaDream) June 8, 2024

Reese quickly responded, and appeared to yell “What the f–k is wrong with you?”

The two were separated by referees, but it had already cooled down and did not become physical.

The Dream then posted the clip twice on X, writing that Hillmon was “not having it!”

4Naz Hillmon (R.) blocks Angel Reese’s shot during the Dream’s win over the Sky on June 8, 2024.ScreengrabThey later posted the clip again from a different angle, writing “WE KNOW THAT’S RIGHT NAZ!”

Hillmon finished with eight points, while Reese scored 13.

Reese also added 13 rebounds.

4Angel Reese (L.) got into an altercation with Naz Hillmon during the Sky’s loss to the Dream on June 8, 2024.Screengrab

LOL ANGEL REESE! pic.twitter.com/o5uxJxwMCf

— BullsKickAss (@Bullskickass) June 8, 2024

The Sky fell to 4-6, and Reese sent a message to her teammates after the game.

“Yeah, it’s tough,” Reese said. “It’s tough because I hate losing, and I try to go out there every night and try to be as consistent as I can.

“I think having consistency one through 12 is important from the jump ball to the end. It’s not the coaches or the other team, it’s us.”

4Angel Reese (L.) got into an altercation with Naz Hillmon during the Sky’s loss to the Dream on June 8, 2024.ScreengrabShe’s made ample headlines in recent days — she was ejected from the Sky’s 88-75 loss to the New York Liberty on Tuesday after receiving two technical fouls back-to-back while arguing with a referee, but on Wednesday the WNBA rescinded the second technical foul.

And later on Wednesday, Reese claimed on X that a man harassed her and her teammates — particularly Chennedy Carter — while they tried to get off their team bus and go to their hotel in Washington D.C.

“Finding out our teams hotel to pull with a camera as we get off the bus and put it in my teammates face & HARASS her is NASTY WORK [sic],” Reese posted on X on Wednesday. “This really is outta control and needs to STOP.”

4Angel Reese has made a plethora of headlines in recent days.APLast week, Reese was fined $1,000 for not making herself available to the media following the Sky’s 71-70 loss to the Indiana Fever.

Prior to that game, Reese pushed back on Caitlin Clark receiving credit for the recent surge in interest in the WNBA.

“I know I’ll go down in history,” Reese said. “I’ll look back in 20 years and be like: ‘Yeah, the reason why we’re watching women’s basketball is not just because of one person, it’s because of me too, and I want you to realize that.”