More often than not, Clark had been the first pick—the easy pick—for any award or honor. That is until the Paris Olympics. In a move that garnered some controversy, Clark was left off the United States women's basketball national team roster for the Paris Olympic Games.

One of the biggest stories in women’s basketball this past year was Caitlin Clark’s omission from the U.S. Olympic basketball team. Clark — amid an up-and-down beginning to her rookie season on the Indiana Fever — was left off the 12-woman roster,

Time Athlete of the Year and Fever guard Caitlin Clark recalls her initial reaction to not being selected by Team USA for the 2024 Olympics

After just one season in the WNBA, Caitlin Clark noticed one big difference between women's basketball at the professional level and basketball at the collegiate level: the IQ needed to thrive.

The Indiana Fever superstar reportedly said the college game's lacking in the "IQ of understanding of how the game works" did not prepare her for the WNBA.