The United States women were more talented than the smaller but more physical Japanese team. But the disparity in three-point shooting was glaring in a 102-76 U.S. victory in the Americans’ first game in the Olympics women’s basketball competition. Team USA hit just four out of its 20 three-point attempts as A’ja Wilson (24 points) and Breanna Stewart (22 points) did most of their work within the arc.
What Japan lacked in height it made up for in spunk, quickness and three-point shooting, hitting 15 of 39 attempts for a 38 percent clip. Early on it kept them in the game. The U.S. lead was only 50-39 at halftime.
Team USA Made Just 4 of 20 3-Pters Against Japan: Caitlin Clark Is The Answer?
The horrible shooting from distance did very little to sway the outcome the romo over a Japan team that hung in there as long as it could.
The U.S. team was too big and talented this time around, but what happens as they advance against taller and tougher teams?
If three-point shooting is what they need and Sabrina Ionescu is the only consistent threat and Diana Taurasi doesn’t shoot it the same at 42, then “Team Clark” will continue to ask questions about CC’s snub.
Mark Gray, a sports analyst for Sports Rap Radio 1270 AM in Detroit said, “Calling Caitlin Clark”, in reference to Team USA’s shoddy three-point performance in the blowout win. “Imagine CC with the freedom to launch threes without being triple-teamed?” Gray told The Shadow League.
After all, Clark shoots as many three-pointers as anybody in the WNBA, just over eight per game (8.3), and although her shooting percentage has been in the low 30s all season, she is capable of long-range outbursts at any moment.
Gray has a point, because playing with a team full of future Hall of Famers is much different than being the one player that every team game-plans against and the one player on your team with your skill set.
Clark could have been on the Olympic team as a specialist. A three-point shooter who can also pass the ball. as she leads the WNBA in assists (8.2 pg).
As you survey that Team USA roster, outside of Ionescu and Kelsey Plum, who shoots the three at about 36 percent and also takes about eight per game, there aren’t many consistent knockdown three-point shooters.
Clark Would Have Exceled As Another Piece, Not Focal Point Of Opposing Defense
That’s Clark’s specialty and how she would have loved to not be the focal point of everyone’s defensive efforts and just be a piece of this incredible compilation of talent.
Even South Carolina women’s coach Dawn Staley, who played a part in forming the women’s Olympic team that excluded Clark, seemed to have a change of heart this week about Clark’s value to Team USA.
Speaking with NBC’s Mike Tirico, Staley, who led Team USA to the gold medal in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, said:
“If we had to to do it all over again, the way that she’s playing, she would be in really high consideration of making the team because she is playing head and shoulders above a lot of people.”
Clark would have contributed a dimension that would have undoubtedly added interest and entertainment value, because no matter how you try to downplay her, she’s the brightest and most famous star in the WNBA.
A’ja Wilson is the best player, but Clark is the biggest brand. While she’s probably enjoying her downtime, the competitor that she is probably watched that game against Japan and thought about what could have been.
The fact that this Olympics is the farewell to six-time Olympian and WNBA all-time leading scorer Diana Taurasi is also a reason why the committee probably didn’t want to complicate the flowery send off.
If the ineptitude from three-point range continues for Team USA, you will hear the grumblings and second-guesses from everyone who has anointed Clark the WNBA queen and complained about her Olympic team snub, claiming that it was political and not basketball-related.
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