Dawn Staley claps back at media over A’ja Wilson and Caitlin Clark comments

USA Basketball legend Dawn Staley has given a crisp reply to media members suggesting that A’ja Wilson isn’t at the FIBA World Cup because of Caitlin Clark.

Team USA began their FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup campaign by comfortably beating China. It was a game in which Caitlin Clark made history.

As always, Clark has been one of the central topics of conversation, as she comes off the bench for the team alongside other young superstars like Paige Bueckers and Angel Reese.

One name that’s missing from the roster is A’ja Wilson. Wilson’s ‘health concerns’ are the reason she isn’t participating, and have led to fans and media members speculating wildly.

Following a recent suggestion that her absence has something to do with Caitlin, Dawn Staley had to speak out and that’s exactly what she did.

A’ja is a certified basketball legend, having achieved nearly everything there is to in the sport at the age of 30. Her resume is incredible, especially compared to Clark’s young career.

This didn’t stop former ESPN sportscaster Linda Cohn from suggesting that Wilson didn’t want to watch the World Cup become the ‘Caitlin Clark Show’. But Staley shut her down with a simple response.

“Linda please!” Staley wrote on X in response to Cohn’s suggestion that some sort of jealousy has played a role in keeping Wilson off the team.

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A’ja has two Olympic gold medals and has helped Team USA to two golds at prior FIBA World Cups as well. The Las Vegas Aces star has absolutely nothing left to prove to anyone.

Angel Reese: 14ppg, 3.7apg, 17.7rpg Caitlin Clark: 35.5ppg, 11apg, 4rpg

Staley stepping in is a good example of how ridiculous some in the world of women’s basketball find this line of thinking to be. A’ja is a very successful athlete and much too accomplished for her commitment to the success of Team USA to be overshadowed by jealousy.

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