INDIANAPOLIS — Indiana Fever rookie Caitlin Clark was on a team bus when USA Basketball called her late Friday night. Indiana had just picked up its third win of the season, taking down the Washington Mystics in D.C. Clark had a career-high seven 3-pointers in that game, breaking a Fever rookie franchise record.

But USA Basketball wasn’t calling with good news. Representatives from the selection committee told her she wasn’t one of the 12 players picked for the U.S. Women’s National Basketball Team, meaning she would not be competing in the 2024 Paris Olympics.

“They called me and let me know before everything came out, which was really respectful of them,” Clark said. “I appreciated that, and they did the same for every girl that made the team, or every girl that didn’t make the team. There’s a lot of players in the Olympic pool, so it wasn’t like I was the only one they had to call. They had to make quite a few calls.”

USA Basketball has not yet officially announced the team or any potential alternates. Gray, the Aces’ point guard, has been out with a foot injury she suffered in the 2023 WNBA Finals. She has not played in a WNBA game since, and it is unclear if she will be fully recovered in time for the Olympics.

Clark did not specify if she would take an alternate spot if asked by USA Basketball, instead emphasizing her focus on the Fever and their improvement.

“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’ve gone either way of me being on the team, me not being on the team,” Clark said. “I’m excited for them, I’m going to be rooting them on to win gold.”

Ultimately, it was an uphill climb for Clark to make the team. She didn’t attend either of the training camps (through no fault of her own) in November or April, so she didn’t have any opportunity to jell or play with other Olympic hopefuls.

Ultimately, it was an uphill climb for Clark to make the team. She didn’t attend either of the training camps (through no fault of her own) in November or April, so she didn’t have any opportunity to jell or play with other Olympic hopefuls.

She was officially included on the invitee list for April’s camp, but her attendance was subject to Iowa’s advancement in the NCAA tournament as the camp was held the same week as the Final Four. When Iowa advanced to the Final Four and national championship game, she had to pull out of the training camp.

On top of that, she was being judged against multiple-time All-Stars, MVPs and other top WNBA veterans for a coveted spot on the 12-person roster. The selection committee also leaned more toward experience with this Olympic roster, as the youngest player is Ionescu at 26 years old.

“A lot of my focus was on the college season, I didn’t have time to go to a training camp,” Clark said. “Then, obviously, it was a quick turnaround to come here. I think it’s just good motivation for us, and we all know how talented that team is. If you look at that roster, a lot of players had already had the opportunity to play in this league that are just so good, and I know they’re going to go out there and dominate.”

If anything, being left off this Olympic roster just gave Clark more motivation to improve.

“She texted me to let me know, and I just tried to keep her spirits up,” Fever coach Christie Sides said. “And what she said was, ‘Hey coach, they woke a monster,’ which I thought was awesome.”

Now, Clark will have over three weeks off in the middle of the WNBA season to rest — something she hasn’t had ample time for since October 2023.

She will be able to get into the weight room, work on offensive schemes, and prepare for the rest of the season. It will also be good extended practice time for the Fever, who started the season with 11 games in 20 days and are 3-9.

“It’s going to be really nice,” Clark said of getting an extended break from basketball. “I’ve loved competing every single second, but it’s going to be a great month for my body to first of all get rest, get healthy, and just get a little bit of time away from basketball and the craziness of everything that’s been going on, just to find some peace and quiet for myself.”

Clark, 22, is just a rookie, not even a month into her WNBA career. She will have other opportunities to make the Olympic team, with the next one coming to Los Angeles in 2028.

“Honestly, no disappointment,” Clark said. “I think it just gives me something to to work for. It’s a dream, so hopefully one day I can be there. I think it’s just a little more motivation, you remember that, and hopefully when four years comes back around I can be there.”