Stephen A. Smith Goes Viral For Hot Take On Caitlin Clark Olympics Snub

Following the announcement of WNBA's Team USA for the 2024 Paris Olympics, many sports fans were outraged to see Brittney Griner's name but not Caitlin Clark's.

The 2024 Olympics will be hosted in Paris, France, from July 26 to August 11, 2024. This marks Paris's third occasion as the host city for the Summer Olympics, having previously held the event in 1900 and 1924.

With many athletes set to travel to Paris to compete in their sporting events, one of the biggest names in the WNBA will be watching from home.

Sports analyst Stephen A. Smith has broken his silence on Caitlin Clark's 2024 Olympics snub, and his reaction has gone viral.

The USA Women's Basketball Summer Olympics roster is as follows:

• A’ja Wilson
• Breanna Stewart
• Diana Taurasi
• Brittney Griner
• Alyssa Thomas
• Napheesa Collier
• Jewell Loyd
• Kelsey Plum
• Jackie Young
• Sabrina Ionescu
• Chelsea Gray
• Kahleah Copper

After seeing the official team, many sports fans couldn't help but notice that the latest WNBA sensation, Caitlin Clark, was not listed.

After the uproar from sports fans, Caitlin Clark broke her silence, telling reporters that she is "excited for the girls that are on the team."

"I know it's the most competitive team in the world, and I know it could have gone either way -- me being on the team or me not being on the team," she said on Sunday, per ESPN. "I'm going to be rooting them on to win gold. I was a kid that grew up watching the Olympics, so it will be fun to watch them."

"Honestly, no disappointment. It just gives me something to work for; it's a dream," the WNBA star added. "Hopefully, one day, I can be there. I think it's just a little more motivation. You remember that. Hopefully, when four years comes back around, I can be there."

Following the backlash from fans, Stephen A. Smith is breaking his silence.

On Monday, days after Team USA announced its roster for the 2024 Paris Olympics, Stephen A. Smith spoke out about Caitlin Clark being left off the list.

"This is about what I will personally label 'The Idiocy of Team USA Women's Basketball.' How dare you make this decision. It's stupid," he said, per reports. "Caitlin Clark does not deserve a spot ahead of any of the players on this roster -- if we're talking just basketball. You know we're not."

Although Smith claims that Clark's WNBA performance falls short compared to the current rostered players, he argues that her ability to generate attention for the team should have secured her a spot.

"It was a stupid decision. Because it compromises what your ultimate goal is, which is to elevate the WNBA brand," he added. "How could you be that idiotic and not make that call, when throughout history, Team USA has been, in part, about marketing? It's dumb, period."

After hearing Stephen A. Smith's hot take, sports fans flooded X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, to express their thoughts.

"Mansplaining the Olympics, after mansplaining NCCA tournament, and mansplaining WNBA is such sick programming," one X user said. "Mansplaining marketing is also so sick. Thank you, ESPN, this content is making my eyes bleed."

"He [doesn't] learn," another simply wrote.

"No player on the Olympic team has scored more 3-pointers this year in the WNBA than Caitlin Clark and only one woman on the Olympic team has more assists than Clark," a third said. "She is a generational talent who sells out arenas. So it makes perfect sense to exclude her. Fools."

Many other X users slammed Stephen A. Smith for his take on the Caitlin Clark snub. "When are we canceling Stephen A Smith's peanut head a--? I’ve had enough," one user wrote.

"He’s becoming (or always has been) a self-absorbed 'savior' for black sports/sportscasters.. I had to do some deep diving on his soap box takes.. he gets a little too weird at times," another expressed.

"This is actually quite revealing about why Stephen A. Smith is the way he is," one fan wrote in a social media post. "Money, marketing, self-promotion, that's what he cares about above all else."