WNBA star Caitlin Clark reacts to USA Basketball snub for 2024 Olympic Games in Paris - 'They've woken a monster'

Caitlin Clark has ominously vowed to battle back after reportedly being left out of the USA Basketball roster for the Olympic Games in Paris, claiming that the snub has "woken a monster".

The Indiana Fever rookie - the No. 1 overall pick from the 2024 WNBA draft - was not included in the 12-player squad that aims to defend their gold medal in the French capital.

Clark has quickly become one of the biggest names in American sport after her record-breaking career at the University of Iowa, with news of her exclusion from the Olympics roster coming as a surprise to many.

Clark helped guide the Iowa Hawkeyes to the 2024 National Championship final and was named Women's College Player of the Year twice during her collegiate career.

She would finish her time at Iowa with the most career points in NCAA Division I basketball history.

Although her Indiana Fever team have struggled so far this season, Clark has averaged 16 points and six assists per game, despite being on the receiving end of multiple instances of physical plays by established WNBA players.

Despite the disappointment of missing out on her first Olympics, Clark has the 2028 games on home soil in Los Angeles in her sights.

Indiana coach Christie Sides revealed: "She [Clark] got the call on the bus and we talked. I just tried to keep her spirits up. She said, ‘hey coach, they’ve woken a monster’, which is awesome."

Clark herself added: "I think it just gives you something to work for. It’s a dream. Hopefully one day I can be there.

"I think it’s just a little more motivation. You remember that. Hopefully when four years comes back around, I can be there.

"I’m excited for the girls that are on the team. I know it’s the most competitive team in the world, and I know it could have gone either way of me being on the team or me not being on the team.

"I’m excited for them. Going to be rooting them on to win gold. I was a kid that grew up watching the Olympics. It’ll be fun to watch them."

The Clark-less US team will be looking to continue their era of dominance in women's basketball, having won every gold medal since the event's debut during the 1996 Games in Atlanta.

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