Former NBA no. 2 pick admonishes Caitlin Clark's Team USA exclusion and Kyrsre Gondrezick waiver: "Idk what's crazier"

After the exclusion of Caitlin Clark on the Team USA roster and recently the waiving of Kysre Gondrezick by the Chicago Sky, the former NBA two draft pick and current analyst Evan Turner threw shade at the WNBA this week. He questioned the recent decisions regarding Team USA and the Chicago Sky.

Turner, known for his outspoken personality, took to social media to express his bewilderment at the exclusion. He didn't hold back, as he tweeted:

"Idk what's crazier to the game of basketball: caitlin clark not making team usa or Kysre Gondrezick getting waived from the Chicago sky. If marketing matters then the game needs both, low key IMO"

The comments by Turner are in the wake of a tumultuous week for the WNBA. The Indiana Fever rookie phenom Caitlin Clark, who was expected to make the final roster of the Paris Olympics, was omitted from it. Clark has emerged as one of this year's WNBA breakout stars, the best-selling player jersey and top-performing branded merchandise.

That was followed by the Chicago Sky's announcement that they had waived Kysre Gondrezick, the guard who was drafted fourth overall in the 2021 season, having played just one season as an Indiana Fever. Gondrezick's rookie campaign did show flashes of brilliance but lacked consistency.

Turner's tweet across social media created conversation among fans and analysts. A number of people supported Turner, saying there must be a way to market the league and grow business. Those in the league defended its moves, saying there is plenty of competition just to make the team and that Chicago needs wins now.

Whether their exclusion truly hinders the WNBA's marketing efforts remains to be seen. But Turner's comments have undeniably put a spotlight on the league's constant struggle to balance on-court excellence with attracting a wider audience.

Former Iowa star Caitlin Clark repeats as Big Ten female athlete of the year

The Queen of Big Ten athletics remained the same today, as former Iowa basketball phenom Caitlin Clark made history by becoming the first Iowa Hawkeye ever to be named Female Athlete of the Year for a second straight season.

The announcement from the Big Ten Conference office cements Clark as one of the elite performers in the league's history.

"The B1G’s Best 🤩"

Clark has an absurd 31.6 points per game, the best in the country, and is also averaging a ridiculous 8.9 assists per game, setting the conference record for three-pointers made in a season from deep with 201.

Clark, who was the top-ranked recruit in her class prior to college, burst onto the national scene last year when she led Iowa to a championship game while sweeping National Player-of-the-Year honors.

After that year, she never stopped, breaking college records with another dominant regular and post-season but falling short again vs. powerhouse South Carolina in the championship match.