One of the biggest topics in the basketball work over the past few days is Caitlin Clark not being named to the U.S. Women’s basketball roster for the upcoming Olympics. Among those to share their thoughts on the move was Philadelphia 76ers head coach Nick Nurse.
On Monday afternoon, Nurse sat down with Colin Cowherd on The Herd to discuss an array of topics. Among the things brought up was Clark not cutting the summer Olympics. The Sixers coach admitted the added pressure probably wouldn’t have been good for her but is still a little surprised she wasn’t picked.
“I almost can’t believe it because I agree with you that the ratings and just everything probably continues to roll on if she’s on the team,” Nurse told Cowherd. “I’m pretty surprised she’s not on the team.”
Following a historic run in college at Iowa, Clark entered the WNBA with massive expectations. She’s performed well thus far, posting averages of 16.8 PPG and 6.3 APG. While Clark has been one of the most impressive rookies in the WNBA, the Olympic roster is loaded with a handful of the game’s top stars. Some of the women who were chosen include Breanna Stewart, Sabrina Ionescu, A’ja Wilson, and longtime WNBA star Diana Taurasi.
As for Nurse, he is gearing up for what will be his second season as coach of the Sixers. In his first year as head coach, he posted a 47-35 record in the regular season and made the postseason. However, Joel Embiid and company were bounced in the first round following a hard-fought series with the New York Knicks.
