Caitlin Clark told her coach Team USA 'woke a monster' by not picking her for Olympic team

The No. 1 overall pick spoke on Sunday and confirmed that she did not make the team for Paris

By Jack Maloney Jun 9, 2024 at 5:05 pm ET• 3 min read

Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark and Fever coach Christie Sides spoke on Sunday for the first time since news broke that the No. 1 overall pick had not made Team USA's final roster for the 2024 Olympics in Paris next month. While Clark was as even-keeled as always in her reaction, Sides gave away her star's immediate reaction to the news. 

"She got the call on the bus and she texted me to let me know and I just tried to keep her spirits up," Sides said. "The thing she said was 'hey coach, they woke a monster,' which I thought was awesome."

An official roster announcement is not expected until Tuesday, but news of Clark's omission came out shortly after midnight on Saturday, and the full roster followed a few hours later. As expected, the team is made up of MVPs, All-WNBA stalwarts and future Hall of Famers, including A'ja Wilson, Breanna Stewart, Alyssa Thomas, and Napheesa Collier, just to name a few. 

The level of talent and experience -- no players are younger than 26 -- is one of the main reasons Clark said she had "no disappointment" about not making the cut.