Charles Barkley gives unpopular opinion on Caitlin Clark not making Olympic team

By Avi Shravan

Modified Sep 04, 2024 13:54 GMT

NBA Icon Charles Barkley gave an unpopular opinion on Indiana Fever rookie star Caitlin Clark's US Olympics exclusion. Barkley appeared on Bill Simmons' podcast, where he talked about various topics with the talk show's host.

During a segment of the interview, Barkley expressed his opinion on Clark, praising the rookie for her growth and appreciating her exclusion from the national team.

"I'll tell you what really good happened to (Caitlin Clark) her, not making the Olympic team," Barkley said on the Bill Simmons podcast. "Giving her that time off has given her a chance to recharge her batteries."

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Chuck pointed out that even though the WNBA is experiencing a great season from the Minnesota Lynx, the A'ja Wilson-led Las Vegas Aces and the Connecticut Sun, there is still "petty jealousy" among players when it comes to Clark.

The 11-time NBA All-Star also praised the transformation of the Indiana Fever, applauding them for playing selfless basketball. He praised Caitlin Clark for realizing that she can play the game off the ball as well.

The "Inside the NBA" host said that Clark is gaining trust in her teammates, which in turn is helping her teammates to perform better as well.

Caitlin Clark can repeat a historic feat in her rookie season

Caitlin Clark is having an incredible rookie year; she has turned around a franchise that had a poor start to the season into a playoff-bound team. Clark is averaging 18.7 points, 5.6 rebounds and 8.4 assists (first in the league) per game.

She also broke the record for most assists in a single game when she dished out 19 against the Dallas Wings earlier this season. Last month, she broke the record for the most assists by a rookie; she currently has 276 assists.

On July 6, 2024, Caitlin Clark became the first rookie in league history to record a triple-double after she helped the Fever take down the New York Liberty 83-78. She posted 19 points, 12 rebounds and 13 assists.

In her last matchup against the Chicago Sky on Friday, the Fever rookie posted 31 points, collected four rebounds and dished out 12 assists, delivering one of her best performances against Angel Reese, her rival for the Rookie of the Year award.

Caitlin Clark can repeat WNBA icon Candace Parker's feat and win both the Rookie of the Year and the league MVP award. However, for now, A'ja Wilson seems to be the frontrunner for the MVP award.