“She way better than half your squad right now”: Dawn Staley draws flak from fans over comments about picking Caitlin Clark for Team USA

Dawn Staley, a four-time Olympic gold medalist for the United States, is a member of a presidential delegation attending the 2024 Paris Olympics opening ceremony. Staley is also the first basketball player to be a US flag bearer at the Olympic Games,

The South Carolina basketball coach spoke with Mike Tirico of NBC on Sunday, discussing Team USA's game against Japan on Monday, and explaining why Caitlin Clark is not on the team.

"Caitlin is just a rookie in the WNBA... If we had to do it all over again, the way that she’s playing, she would be in really high consideration of making the team because she is playing head and shoulders above a lot of people," Staley told Tirico.

However, her comments on Clark's not being on the US Olympic team did not sit well with many fans who believed that she deserved a spot on the roster.

"Don’t wanna hear it from ms “angel reese is ROY," one fan mocked Staley for picking Angel Reese as the WNBA Rookie of the Year.

"You made a mistake... Even at the time, it was a mistake," another disappointed fan wrote.

"She way better than half your squad right now. For example: Brittany Grinder and many more," one fan commented.

"Nooo wayyy, NBA twitter has more ball knowledge than someone of these coach’s I’m crying," another fan said.

Meanwhile, some people defended Dawn Staley, saying the team selection was made way earlier.

"lol it wasn’t a mistake the team was picked at least a year before the team still going to win gold," one fan sided with Staley.

"She’s playing elite right now during the consideration she wasn’t playing at this level," another fan commented.

Dawn Staley meets rapper Flavor Flav at Paris Olympics

Dawn Staley, a three-time NCAA champion, met with an American rapper, Flavor Flav, during a visit to Team USA house at the Olympics. Flav arrived in Paris as the official hype man for the United States women’s water polo team.

"DAWN STALEY givin me a run for my money on friendship bracelets," Flav tweeted Saturday.

Coach Staley showed off her new Taylor Swift-inspired friendship bracelet that matches one worn by the rapper.

On July 1, Flavor Flav, a famous Hall of Fame rapper, signed a five-year deal to support the US men's and women's water polo teams. As a result, he will act as the team's official hype man for the Paris Olympics.