Caitlin Clark won’t be in Paris representing the United States in women’s basketball, and it led to heated debate after the 12-woman roster was announced by USA Basketball.
But through all the controversy talk, Kristin Meyer, Clark’s high school basketball coach, sent a text to her to remind the WNBA phenom that this wasn’t the first time she was left off a USA roster despite trying out.
Yahoo Sports spoke with Meyer, who watched a high school sophomore Clark try out for the U-17 World Cup USA squad in 2018, and it was expected she would make the team after helping them qualify for the tournament in Summer 2017.
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However, despite Meyer saying Clark performed well during those tryouts, she wasn’t chosen for the U-17 roster.
"She actually broke her pinkie early in the tryouts, but I don’t think that was necessarily the determining factor," Meyer told Yahoo Sports. "There were just some players that I guess the committee thought played better."
Clark was the highest-ranked prospect that played for the U-16 team the summer prior that was left off the U-17 roster.
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So, instead of wearing "USA" across her jersey in Belarus alongside players like Paige Bueckers, Indiana Fever teammate Aliyah Boston and others, Clark had to head back to her home in Des Moines, Iowa, to do the only thing she knew how to: work on her game.
Meyer said a "locked-in attitude" was seen in Clark in the gym.
"She was really driven to get better."
Clark’s skills continued to improve, with Meyer mentioning that her decision-making was fortified as well as her body language when things weren’t going her way.
Fast-forward to next year, Clark was invited to try out for the U-19 World Championships squad that would be heading to Bangkok in the summer. She was only 17 years old at the time, being among the youngest on the court trying out.
With an improved game, Clark made the team. Two years later, she was invited back to the U-19 World Championships team again, this time after her freshman season at Iowa where she averaged 26.6 points per game as her stardom rose.
Team USA would win gold in the World Championships, never losing a game over their seven contests, and she scored a team-high 14.3 points per game.
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So, what did Meyer say this time when Clark didn’t make the Olympic team? While not reciting word for word, she told Yahoo Sports that she encouraged her former pupil to lean into the mindset she had years ago when the same thing happened.
"When adversity hits, either you kind of crumble and feel sorry for yourself or it causes you to dig a little deeper," Meyer said. "Those things that really hurt you and disappoint you to the core have in the past helped take her to the next level in her game, in her attitude, in her preparation and in her work ethic."
Clark’s current coach, Indiana Fever head Christie Sides, recalled her superstar saying "they woke a monster" after learning about USA Basketball’s decision to leave her off the roster.
Since then, Clark made WNBA history with the first triple-double by a rookie in league history while also breaking the single-game assists record with 19 in her final game before the All-Star Game/Olympics break.
USA Basketball selection committee chair Jen Rizzotti told the Associated Press that the criteria for choosing the roster that went to Paris came down to experience among other factors.
"When you base your decision on criteria, there were other players that were harder to cut because they checked a lot more boxes," Rizzotti said. "Then sometimes it comes down to position, style of play for [head coach] Cheryl [Reeve] and then sometimes a vote."
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