A furious Dave Portnoy has blasted Team USA’s ‘dumb’ decisionmakers amid talk of Caitlin Clark being left out of the women’s basketball roster for the Olympic Games.
Despite her record-breaking college success at Iowa, and the impressive start to her WNBA career with the Indiana Fever, The Athletic claims Clark will not be heading to Paris with Team USA for this summer’s Olympics.
The 22-year-old is bringing more attention to women’s basketball than ever before, with her highly-anticipated debut breaking ESPN viewership records last month.
Nevertheless, it is believed there is no room for her in USA’s Olympic team, which has left Portnoy incensed.
The Barstool Sports chief said in an explosive video rant on X: ‘This is about Caitlin Clark being left off the Olympic team… how dumb are these women?
Dave Portnoy (left) is furious with Caitlin Clark (right) not expected to go to the Olympics
‘I don’t know who’s making the decision, Women’s Olympic Committee or whatever it is. I don’t care if you don’t think Caitlin Clark talent-wise belongs on this team, even though she does put up 37 at 13 – the most points in the history of the league for a rookie.
READ MORE
Caitlin Clark drops an astounding 30 points in close 85-83 victory over the Washington Mystics
‘None of it matters. These women – and I love women, I’m a pro-women guy – they complain, they cry about equal rights, equal wages, blah blah blah… Hey dummies, for the first time in the history of basketball, you have arguably the player who is the most popular player in the world.
‘You can argue that Caitlin Clark is the most popular, most puts-a**es-in-the-seats, single basketball player in the world. You can argue that. And you leave her off the Olympics team?
‘It’s not only a showcase for her, it’s for the sport and the other WNBA players that are on this team. How dumb, how braindead, how idiotic do the people running this thing have to be? It’s one thing after another with her.’
Portnoy then appeared to take aim at WNBA chiefs by saying: ‘The business part of my brain is like, these people – and maybe it’s a guy, whoever it is – I don’t ever want to hear you complain about flying commercial, or not getting salaries, or this and that… you’re too dumb! You’re too dumb!
‘You have a cash cow. The Olympic women’s basketball could be the No. 1 thing people watch with Caitlin Clark.
‘As it is, I would rather watch grass grow. I’d rather watch paint dry. I’d rather watch dirt be moved around, because Caitlin Clark’s not on the team.
WNBA rookie Clark will reportedly miss out on an Olympic place with Team USA this summer
Portnoy has accused ‘dumb women’ of making the decision to leave the 22-year-old out
‘You people, whoever did this, take your brain, put it in a museum and study it for how dumb you are.’
Clark was one of 14 players called up to a training camp with Team USA in April but was unable attend as it came in the midst of Iowa’s run to the NCAA championship game.
While at Iowa, she became the all-time leading scorer in NCAA Division I basketball. She also rose to become among the biggest names in American sports.
Clark went on to be selected by the Fever with the No. 1 overall pick in April’s draft and has averaged 16.8 points on 37.3 percent shooting, 6.3 assists and 5.3 rebounds per game in 12 starts.
She scored a career-high 30 points on 7-of-13 three-point shooting in the Fever’s 85-83 win over the Washington Mystics on Friday night.
However, head coach Cheryl Reeve has reportedly favored experience in her roster selection as Team USA looks to defend their Gold in Paris.