“The biggest fail to grow women’s sports in my lifetime” — NASCAR spotter reacts to Caitlin Clark snub for the Olympics

The 2024 Paris Olympics is around the corner, but WNBA rookie and decorated basketball star Caitlin Clark won't be a part of the U.S. women's basketball team. The news spread like wildfire because many, if not everybody expected Clark to be included in the national team. Among those is NASCAR spotter Brett Griffin, who cited the selection committee's decision as the "biggest fail to grow women’s sports in my lifetime."

Griffin outlined sports icons like NBA's Michael Jordan, PGA Tour's Tiger Woods, MLB's Babe Ruth, WTA's Serena Williams, ATP's Andre Agassi, and the first American woman to win an Olympic medal in judo, Ronda Rousey, to express how Caitlin Clark could be a breakthrough for WNBA.

"Not putting @CaitlinClark22 on the Olympic team may be the biggest fail to grow women’s sports in my life time. Fellow players not embracing her and the ability to transcend the game are fools. Michael Jordan. Tiger Woods. Pele. Babe Ruth. Serena Williams. Andre Agassi. Ronda Rousey. Get the point?" the spotter wrote via X, formerly known as Twitter.

WNBA league play began in 1997, but compared to the NBA, the women's game hasn't garnered much attention. In 2024, Caitlin Clark entered the picture for the Indiana Fever after being selected as the first overall pick of this year's WNBA Draft.

Shortly after she joined the WNBA, the TV ratings surged by nearly 600 percent compared to the previous year. Also, the 2024 WNBA All-Star Game attracted 3.44 million viewers compared to the 2023 game's 1.4 million.

Lack of experience in the national team ruled out Caitlin Clark from the U.S. women's basketball Olympic team's roster

Since her basketball days at the collegiate level for Iowa, Caitlin Clark has amassed countless achievements. Moreover, her global distinction is evidenced by her three gold medals in international play. She won gold in the 2017 FIBA Under-16 Americas Championship in Argentina, along with the 2019 FIBA Under-19 World Cup in Thailand and the 2021 edition in Hungary.

Nonetheless, the point guard's collegiate-level achievements and three gold medals couldn't help her pass the six screenings of the player selection committee for the 2024 Paris Olympics.

To be eligible, the player has to meet a range of criteria. They need consistent performance at a high level in their league, an invitation to the USA national basketball team’s rigorous training camp, showcasing prowess in exhibition games, a performance review by the USA women’s selection committee, and then the roster is created upon a final nod from USA Basketball's Board of Directors.

Caitlin Clark was invited to the national training camp in March this year. However, unlike the four WNBA rookies who previously made it to the Olympics — Diana Taurasi in 2004, Sylvia Fowles and Candace Parker in 2008, and Breanna Stewart in 2016 — Clark doesn't boast the national-team experience that the above four had.