After being snubbed from Team USA’s 2024 Olympic roster, Caitlin Clark’s dream of donning red, white, and blue on the world stage may finally be back on track-thanks to a game-changing shakeup at the top of USA Basketball.
Despite a record-shattering college career at Iowa and an eye-catching WNBA debut with the Indiana Fever, the 22-year-old phenom was left off the Paris roster in favor of more seasoned players.
At the time, the youngest names on the team were 27-leaving Clark watching from the sidelines as Team USA secured its eighth straight gold medal. But the 2028 Games in Los Angeles are already casting a long shadow, and on Tuesday, Clark’s Olympic hopes got a major boost.
According to The Athletic, USA Basketball is set to announce a seismic change: legendary point guard Sue Bird will become managing director of the women’s national team, overseeing player and coaching selections for the 2028 Olympic cycle.
A new era begins for Team USA
Gone is the traditional committee approach. In comes Bird-an icon with five Olympic gold medals, four WNBA titles, and an unapologetic love for Clark’s game.
“Caitlin, in particular, her long-distance threes… I always said this, we finally got the antidote to dunking,”Bird said on her podcast Making It Weird with Sue Bird. “She snapped people out of this trance that was very negative towards women’s basketball.”
Clark, who will be 26 when the next Olympics roll around, is expected to be at the height of her powers-and with Bird now running the show, fans are hopeful that the rising star’s Olympic moment is no longer a matter of “if,” but “when.”
The situation demanded Bird’s presence
The leadership change also reflects USA Basketball’s evolving strategy. As opportunities in women’s sports and marketing soar, officials are banking on big names like Bird to keep the Olympic allure strong. “A phone call from Bird is going to go a long way,” one source told The Athletic.
So while the Indiana Fever star missed her Paris moment, Los Angeles may well be her coronation-and this time, a fellow legend is in her corner.
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