Caitlin Clark gets candid reflecting on undeserved Olympic roster snub

Long before she set foot on a WNBA court, Caitlin Clark was already the most talked-about female basketball player.

That's why some thought the Indiana Fever star was a lock to make Team USA's roster for the Paris Olympics, even though she was just a rookie.

Clark's numbers were remarkable right out of the gate, and one could make a case for her deserving a spot. However, she did not make the team and she believes it may have been a blessing in disguise.

"(Making the Olympic team) is a huge, huge goal,” Clark said on Tuesday, via TIME. " ... (It) will definitely motivate me my entire career."

Caitlin Clark reacts to criticism over her silence on racial issues

Unfortunately, Caitlin Clark's popularity and rise to the top were not free from controversy.

The media portrayed her and Chicago Sky star Angel Reese as rivals. It didn't take long before the story took a turn with racial undertones, just like during the Magic Johnson-Larry Bird era.

Several people called her out for not stepping up and urging the fans to tone it down a little, including WNBA legend Sue Bird.

“What comes with being a professional athlete is speaking on important issues,” Bird said in July, via TIME. “And so I imagine she's going to continue to educate and get better at that as well. In today's world, people will use you if you don’t speak about your own feelings and thoughts. So by getting more comfortable and confident in your voice, you can eliminate that.”

Clark acknowledged that she could've been a little more proactive in that regard. Even so, she's learning on the fly.

“I'm probably the most popular player in the league at the moment, and somebody a lot of people turn to to have a voice on this type of stuff,” Clark said. “I hope we can do a better job as a league of protecting our players and putting better resources around them to make it a safer environment. And obviously, there's only so much you can police on social media, because we don't have full control over social media. But there is real responsibility. I understand that, and I acknowledge that.”

Clark is one of the most influential athletes in the world, and she'll have to carry some burdens she didn't ask for. Just like with basketball, she'll only get better at it over time.