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Honestly, that’s the main reason I’m not doing it, to be honest. I’m pretty mentally, physically, and emotionally exhausted. Oh gosh, that’s tough. No, I mean basketball’s competitive. I get it. Sometimes your emotions get the best of you. It’s uncommon for a rookie to secure a spot on the WNBA All-Star team. You have another teammate on this WNBA All-Star Squad who is also a rookie. It is rare for rookies to make the All-Star team, and it’s even more rare for those rookies to have the kind of dynamic rivalry that you and Angel Reese have, both in college and now in the pros.

How do you think that rivalry, which so many fans have been excited by, impacts the kind of play you can have? Tomorrow night, fans are buzzing as the WNBA All-Stars gear up to take on Team USA. I think people are just excited to watch. I think that’s been the biggest thing about it, the number of fans that are probably going to tune in and watch this. Not only are we two rookies on the same team, but also the dynamic of playing against Team USA. That only comes around every four years. It’s the best in the WNBA versus the best in our country, and Team USA.

The WNBA All-Stars versus Team USA is shaping up to be a fierce competition. I think it’s going to be super fun and competitive. You don’t always see that in All-Star games. People are going to try to win. That’s what we’re here to do, win and compete. That’s what Miller said to us in the huddle: “Winning is fun, let’s get after it.” So, I think it’s going to be a lot of fun for us and for everyone watching.

Will Caitlin and Angel have a special plan? Real quick, do you have anything special planned with Angel? Any pick-and-rolls? Honestly, we just have plays the team’s going to run and whatever happens, happens. You mentioned that format, which hasn’t been done since 2021, because that was the last Olympic year. Here’s what Caitlin Clark thinks about Arike Ogunbowale. Now, that year, Ogunbowale did not make Team USA, but she went out and balled out. She led the WNBA All-Stars to a win and won MVP as well. What are your thoughts on yourself, perhaps being motivated by anything different this year?

I’m not motivated by anything. Honestly, I’m just going out there to have fun. I’m not here to prove anything to anybody. For me, this is my first All-Star game. I just want to have fun and enjoy the experience. Sports accomplished its intended purpose. Finally, sports did what sports were supposed to do. Forget how much you’re going to grow. Forget the name. Go with the best basketball players in the world, and I think that’s what they did here.

Caitlin Clark is going to be a great basketball player. Has Caitlin Clark grown this game? Absolutely, but she’s not the 12th best. Simply being Caitlin Clark doesn’t mean she has the authority to adjust the USA roster. So you’re sitting here telling me, just because she is Caitlin Clark and she might bring some attention, that I’m going to leave a player off who is better than her? I don’t think that’s fair, and I don’t think that’s disrespectful to Caitlin Clark. She’s going to be on a bunch of Olympic teams. She is still going to grow this game.

What was the reason Caitlin didn’t participate in the Three-Point Contest? How much are you looking forward to this break coming up, and how much did that play into it? People would love to see you at the Skills Challenge and Three-Point Contest. Honestly, the main reason I’m not doing it is that I’m pretty mentally, physically, and emotionally exhausted. When Caitlin is competing, tasks that seem easy for others can be quite difficult for her. I’ve been competing for a year straight, and at times that can seem pretty easy to most people, but it’s really hard and taxing, not only on my body but also mentally and emotionally. I’ve been very fortunate to have so many great opportunities over the last year, and I know there are going to be many more great opportunities to come. I’m pretty sure I’ll be in a three-point competition for everyone to watch at some point, so everybody needs to relax.

There’s going to be a ton of eyeballs on that game on Saturday night. This is a question I’ll be asking Caitlin in a few minutes as well, but is there something from her skill set, from her game, that you would want to add to your own? Obviously her passing. She finds her teammates wherever she needs to get them the ball, and her deep threes. She takes the logo threes. I’m excited to play off of her and see what we can both do.

This topic has sparked a lot of divisive opinions. Now she has been left off the Olympic team. Twelve players have made it, and she did not. She said there was no disappointment, adding, “I think it’s just a little more motivation.” There have been a lot of polarizing opinions on this topic. This will be the most debated conversation we will have all day. So buckle up and get ready. Was it disrespectful to leave Caitlin Clark off the Olympic roster? No, I don’t think it was disrespectful to leave Caitlin Clark off the Olympic roster. She is not one of the 12 best professional basketball players in the United States of America right now.

The goal of the US women’s basketball team is to win a gold medal. That is their goal. That is the goal of the people that put this team together. That is the goal of the team heading to Paris, and that should be their only goal. Ratings are somebody else’s problem, and that is not the priority, nor should it be even considered when putting together a roster that is going to compete at the highest level, on the biggest stage in the world, which is the Olympics. Remember how salty we got when the men weren’t winning the gold? That was a problem. This is the best team in the world. It is a very hard team to make. They take a lot of considerations for who makes the team, not just who the best players are, but how they’re going to play together. They aren’t just assembling an All-Star group. They’re putting together a team of players that have to play together.

Caitlin is going to have an incredible career. She will have an opportunity to go to the Olympics. She will have an opportunity to develop as a player. I think she is going to be one of the greatest players the game has ever seen. I’ve enjoyed watching her start in the WNBA, but the factors like ratings, popularity, and growing the game are not the responsibility of the US Women’s National team. Their goal is to win. Caitlin is the absolute star of basketball right now, no doubt about it.

So you look at Caitlin, and it’s like, “Yo, this is the biggest player we have in basketball ever.” We’re not saying the best, but the biggest. So now, when people are tuning in to watch these games, it’s not just me talking, it’s all the numbers. From going from 4,000 people to 17,000 average attendance, talking about the viewerships averaging like two million viewers every time they play. So now you take the biggest draw of WNBA basketball players. You take her away to replace her. For who? Why? So now, people who were watching before, are they going to watch again? People in other countries know who she is. Are they going to watch her now? When they go to the games, they want autographs. They want to see the women play. Who are they going to see? That’s a serious thing.

So now, when I look at the commission, I look at the group that put this together. It’s like, “Yo, y’all are dropping the ball. This is stupid. You’re going to lose money.” The max you can make in a woman’s contract is what, 250k a year? If you want to grow the game and make it bigger, not just for Caitlin, but for the whole league for years to come, you put this girl on the roster. You market it a certain way. You take her to other countries and let them see her. And now the money drives up, and everybody can make more money. This is dumb.

It’s even rarer to have you and Caitlin have the kind of dynamic you are bringing to this game. Have you guys talked at all before this game? Do you have anything special planned? How is that dynamic going to play out when you are on the same side of the ball at the same time? We haven’t had that talk yet. Obviously, everybody can cheer for both of us for one day, which is going to be cool. I’m excited. This is going to be the first of many. I know we’re going to be on All-Star teams together in the future, and Olympic teams together in the future too. I’m just excited to be here in this moment and for everyone to watch. I know it’s going to be a sold-out crowd.

Women’s sports are going into a new era. I want my legacy to be the impact I can have on young kids. I think it’s important to respond better. The WNBA game is always intense and physical, like a nonstop showdown of strength and strategy. The WNBA game has always been physical and violent. Everybody is getting fouled hard, not just Caitlin Clark. Caitlin is stepping up big time, poised to lead our squad to new heights. We’ve been watching you evolve and seeing you become more of a vocal leader to the team.

The question of whether Caitlin Clark faces suspension due to flagrant fouls looms large in discussions surrounding her performance as a prominent player in her sport. Caitlin’s aggressive style of play has occasionally led to incidents that raise