Caitlin Clark Is Not ‘Bummed’ About Missing Team USA’s Olympic Competition: ‘Four Years Comes Fast’ and She’s Ready for the Future.Giang

Caitlin Clark is cheering on Team USA at the 2024 Paris Olympics despite not making the U.S. women’s basketball team.

The Indiana Fever guard, 22, told reporters on Tuesday, July 30, that she’s watched “a good amount” of the Summer Olympics.

“I watched USA Women yesterday. That was fun. I watched USA men. I try to watch as much as I can,” she said. “Obviously, the perfect time is during practice with the time change in Paris, so maybe Christie [Sides] should cancel practice so I can watch more of the Olympics.”

When asked if she’s “bummed” not to be a part of the team, she opened up about why it only motivated her to work harder.

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“I think the break’s definitely been good. I mean, it’s certainly cool. It’s like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that you’re only going to ever get in four years. So, I wouldn’t say I’m necessarily bummed,” she said. “I think it gives you something to work for, for sure, and something to dream of.”

“And [in] four years, you can be there, and four years comes fast,” continued Clark. “It makes me think of like that’s your time in college. And I feel like I was just a freshman in college. So it shows you that you know you got to start working now if you want that to be your dream in four years. So I think that’s just that’s it for me is like, you know, work hard, and hopefully you can be there.”

Clark became the NCAA Women’s Basketball all-time leading scorer while playing with the Iowa Hawkeyes. Her collegiate career led her to be selected first overall in the 2024 WNBA Draft on Monday, April 15.

While the athlete may not be at the Olympics, she’s earned the respect of Brittney Griner, who is currently in Paris competing on Team USA’s women’s basketball team.

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“The hype that Caitlin and some others have right now is amazing for the league. There’s good talent coming in,” Griner, 33, told PEOPLE in May.

Team USA women’s basketball is scheduled to take on Belgium in its second matchup of the Paris Games on Thursday, Aug. 1. The team’s first game was against Japan on Monday, July 29, which they won 102-76.