Kevin Durant says there are ‘better candidates’ than Caitlin Clark for U.S. Olympic roster

Kevin Durant, a three-time Olympic gold medalist, weighed in on the debate surrounding Caitlin Clark’s omission from the U.S. women’s basketball roster for the upcoming Paris Games, saying Tuesday he agreed with the decision but thinks she’ll make a future team.

“I still think there are proper steps you gotta take in our world to be considered an Olympian,” Durant said during an interview with the Wall Street Journal’s editor-in-chief Emma Tucker. “And I think (Clark is) gonna definitely be on one of these teams going forward, but right now, there are better candidates out there, I think.”

USA Basketball announced the team, which features a heavy veteran presence, last week. A’ja Wilson, Breanna Stewart, Diana Taurasi, Brittney Griner, Alyssa Thomas, Napheesa Collier, Jewell Loyd, Kelsey Plum, Jackie Young, Sabrina Ionescu, Chelsea Gray and Kahleah Copper make up the 12-player roster. The U.S. women have won gold at every Olympics since 1996 and appear positioned to be a favorite in Paris.

Seven of the 12 players selected have Olympic five-on-five experience and two more have three-on-three experience. Only three players — Thomas, Copper and Ionescu — are first-time Olympians.

“Caitlin’s just gotta continue showing up every day,” Durant said. “The WNBA is doing a great job of showcasing her. I’m seeing her games on ESPN every other other day. I’m seeing talks around her, no matter what they’re talking about, there’s a lot of dialogue around the game right now, so that’s good as well.”

“I think if she continues to keep getting better as a player, her production on the court gets better, then the league will grow. … There are just so many great players in our league that Caitlin has helped shine that light on them, and that’ll help the league grow over time,” Durant continued.

For the Olympic roster, the U.S. women’s national team committee prioritized athletes who are familiar playing with each other and within coach Cheryl Reeve’s system, committee chair Jen Rizzotti previously said. Clark did not attend a senior Team USA training camp during this Olympic cycle since she was competing in the Final Four with Iowa during USA Basketball’s final camp in April.

“We were supposed to be giving Cheryl a team that has experience and familiarity with international competition, familiarity with the coaching system, leadership abilities, versatility, depth at every position,” Rizzotti said. “The 12 that we selected, we felt were the best when it boiled down to a basketball decision.”

Clark was the NCAA’s all-time leading scorer and the No. 1 pick in the 2024 Draft. The 22-year-old Indiana Fever rookie leads her team in average points per game with 16.1 through 15 contests, but she also leads the league in turnovers per game at 5.5. She said she had “no disappointment” regarding the news of her not being on the roster for this Olympic cycle.

“I think it just gives you something to work for. That’s a dream. Hopefully, one day I can be there,” she said.

Durant, the U.S. men’s Olympic basketball all-time leading scorer, is slated to head to Paris for the 2024 Games, which take place from July 26 to Aug. 11.