12 and only 12

 Shaquille O'Neal

Alonzo Mourning

Clyde "the Glide" Drexler    

Christian Laettner

Isiah Thomas

Domique Wilkins

Tim Hardaway

***

It is 1991 and what would come to be known as the "Dream Team" was being chosen by a selection committee.  They announced the first ten players.

Magic Johnson

Charles Barkley

Karl Malone

John Stockton

Patrick Ewing

Chris Mullin

Larry Bird

David Robinson

Scottie Pippen

Michael Jordan

***

All of the players listed in the first paragraph were available when the committee chose the final NBA player to be added to the team. The player selected was Clyde Drexler.

The final place on the team went to someone who had not yet played in the NBA. Christian Laettner was still playing for Duke University. His selection was a nod to previous Olympic teams where the players were all college players.

Why not Isaih Thomas? In 1991 he'd led the Detroit Pistons to NBA titles the two prior seasons. Some claim most of the others selected to the Dream Team would not play with Thomas. There are unconfirmed stories that Michael Jordon said if Thomas was on the team, he wouldn't be.

The point of all of this is that there are only 12 spots on the team. Just like there are only 12 slots on the 2024 USA women's basketball team. A lot is being written about how the choice to leave Caitlyn Clark off of that team is a major snub.

I do not follow the WNBA closely enough to evaluate comparative performance of its players.  I have no idea of Ms Clark's particular skill sets would or would not be a good fit with the other 11 players. Christian Laettner was a non-factor in the Dream Team's gold medal achievement. Who knows with any level of certainty how Ms Clark would contribute to the 2024 team?

What I do know is that Caitlyn Clark has brought about a much higher level in women's professional basketball.  Average attendance at Washington Mystics home games for each of the last three seasons is under 5,000 per game. This week the Mystics hosted the Indiana Fever, Caitlyn Clark's team. The game was played before a sellout crowd of 20,333. Caitlyn Clark is a major attendance draw.

When there is a factor that increases a team's revenues, you don't hide whatever is behind the increase. You promote it.

That is why leaving Ms Clark off of the USA Women's basketball team is a bad choice.