Lisa Leslie still believes Team USA missed a huge opportunity with Caitlin Clark - RAW CHILI

Lisa Leslie still believes Team USA missed a huge opportunity with Caitlin Clark originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Nearly two years after the debate first exploded across the sports world, Lisa Leslie made it clear she has not changed her stance on Caitlin Clark and the 2024 Olympic roster controversy. The Hall of Famer appeared on ESPN’s “First Take” on Thursday and revisited one of the most polarizing basketball discussions from Clark’s rookie season: whether Team USA should have included the Fever superstar on its roster for the Paris Olympics.

Leslie did not hesitate when asked about it.

“I don’t know how we left the country without her,” Leslie said during the segment.

Even now, long after Team USA captured another gold medal, the conversation surrounding Clark’s omission continues to follow women’s basketball.

Lisa Leslie believes Caitlin Clark changed the sport immediately

Leslie’s comments were not centered around sympathy or controversy alone. Instead, they reflected how dramatically Clark altered the visibility of the WNBA almost immediately after entering the league. Clark arrived from the University of Iowa carrying unprecedented attention following her record-breaking college career. Once she joined the Indiana Fever as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft, that attention only intensified.

Attendance surged across the league. Television ratings skyrocketed. Opposing arenas sold out whenever the Fever visited. For Leslie, that kind of impact mattered when discussing Olympic representation. During her appearance, the Sparks legend explained that Clark “moved the needle” for women’s basketball in ways the sport had rarely experienced before. Leslie added that while Clark may not have fully earned a roster spot through experience at that point, she still believed the young star deserved to be part of the Olympic team.

The debate around Caitlin Clark never fully disappeared

What made the original decision so controversial was not simply basketball ability. Many fans argued Clark’s inclusion would have elevated the global visibility of both the WNBA and women’s basketball during one of the biggest international sporting events in the world. Others believed Team USA prioritized veteran continuity over long-term growth opportunities.

The debate became one of the defining storylines of Clark’s rookie season.

Since then, Clark’s resume has only continued growing. After helping return Indiana to the playoffs, Clark later made her senior Team USA debut during the FIBA World Cup qualifying tournament earlier this year. The Fever star led the Americans to a perfect 5-0 record and earned tournament MVP honors in the process.

That success has only intensified retrospective conversations about whether she should have been part of the Paris Olympic roster from the beginning.

MORE: Lisa Leslie’s latest announcement shows why her influence still stretches far beyond basketball

Lisa Leslie’s voice still carries weight in women’s basketball

Few opinions inside the WNBA community hold as much credibility as Leslie’s. The former Los Angeles Sparks icon remains one of the foundational figures in league history after winning three MVP awards, two championships, and helping elevate the sport during the WNBA’s early years.

So when Leslie publicly continues backing Clark on an issue that once divided the basketball world, people still pay attention. And judging by Thursday’s comments, Leslie clearly believes Team USA missed more than just a basketball player when it left Clark home from Paris.

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