Fever rookie Caitlin Clark received an expected WNBA All-Star invitation and will face Team USA in the showcase game on July 20. But is there still a chance she could switch sides?
Clark’s omission from the U.S. Olympic women’s basketball roster raised some eyebrows, as proponents of the rising star’s inclusion saw the Summer Games as an opportunity to grow the sport via Clark’s celebrity. The selection committee instead opted for a more veteran group to compete on the world’s biggest stage.

Meanwhile, the 22-year-old guard has found more consistency on the court since she was left off the Olympic roster. Clark is averaging 16.7 points, 7.3 rebounds and 9.3 assists over his last seven games and shooting 37% from 3-point range. After scoring in the single-digits four times across her first 14 WNBA games, she’s scored at least 13 points in each of her last seven.

As she adjusts her game to the WNBA, is the door open for a last-minute Olympic bid? A key injury is feeding speculation that Clark’s Olympic hopes aren’t dead yet.

Is Caitlin Clark going to the Olympics?

Lynx standout Napheesa Collier left Thursday’s game with a foot injury, putting her Olympic status in question. Minnesota didn’t have an update on Collier’s injury immediately after the game.

If Collier is unable to play in Paris, someone else will move into her Olympic roster spot. Could Clark be next up?

Clark is considered an alternate for Team USA, but her selection isn’t likely in place of Collier. Though similar in stature, the 6-1 Collier is a forward, while the 6-0 Clark is a guard. Sun center Brionna Jones, who stands at 6-3, is also among the top alternates and may be a more natural fit.

In more ways than one, it might benefit Clark to simply sit out the Olympics. She’s played basketball nearly nonstop since November 2023 thanks to the way the WNBA season directly follows the college basketball schedule, and she’s dealt with a skyrocketing public profile at the same time. The Olympic break should give her some time to recover, both mentally and physically.

While nothing is guaranteed, it would be pretty surprising if Clark wasn’t a future Olympian. She has a chance to be part of Team USA in both 2028 and 2032, and her current trajectory should put her on track to be a lock for the roster four years from now. That might make it more worthwhile for her to wait to make her Olympic debut.

Clark didn’t say she was disappointed when she was left off the initial roster in June, instead treating the decision as an opportunity.

“I think it just gives you something to work for,” Clark told reporters at the time. “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, I can be there.”

Clark is set to face Team USA along with the rest of the WNBA’s All-Stars on July 20, ahead of an Olympic break that spans more than three weeks.

Napheesa Collier injury update

Collier exited Thursday’s Lynx 78-73 loss to the Sun in the third quarter and didn’t return. The team announced she was dealing with a foot injury and did not have an update on her status after the game.

The first indication about Collier’s injury might come Saturday, when the Lynx host the Mystics.

The Olympics are close enough at this point that it wouldn’t necessarily take a serious injury to keep a player off the floor in Paris. Team USA begins competition in just over three weeks and leaves sooner, so all eyes will be on Collier’s status to see if the 27-year-old forward is dealing with anything that might cause her to miss time.

Collier is averaging 20.0 points, 10.2 rebounds and 2.2 steals per game this season after finishing fourth in MVP voting a year ago. Sh