Caitlin Clark Played Fewest Minutes as Team USA’s Win Over Spain Sparks Icing-Out Backlash

Adriana Stone 0 2 min read

Caitlin Clark Played Fewest Minutes as Team USA’s Win Over Spain Sparks Icing-Out Backlash

Team USA got past Spain, 76-66, in the FIBA semifinal in Berlin, Germany, on Saturday. But the result did not quiet the criticism surrounding Caitlin Clark’s role. The Gateway Pundit report argues that coaching decisions became the biggest story of the game. It also criticizes the officiating, saying the referees did not help Spain during a semifinal that stayed close for much of the contest.

According to the report, Clark entered the game with the strongest on-court production among the players involved. It also says she had already been breaking international records while coming off the bench. Despite that, the report says Clark played the fewest minutes on the team.

The central accusation is that Clark was not simply used sparingly. The report claims that when she entered, teammates did not look for her with passes while the coaches left her stationed in the corner. That decision became a flashpoint for fans who expected Team USA to use one of its most productive players more aggressively.

A post from Fever_Soldier argued that Clark had been brought to Germany only to stand in the corner, while also highlighting the attention she has brought to women’s basketball.

A separate Gateway Pundit post made the same case in even stronger terms. It pointed to Clark’s record-setting numbers, criticized the decision to keep her on the bench for most of the game, and alleged that the other players would not feed her the ball once she checked in.

Another post focused on the chaotic opening to the semifinal and specifically highlighted coach Kara Lawson’s decision to bench Clark. The post suggested that the move immediately frustrated fans watching the game.

The numbers cited in another post were used to argue that Clark’s impact was obvious when she was on the floor. The post reported that the veteran starters were down seven points in 3:01, while the first bench group was up two points in 3:13. It then said Clark entered with the United States trailing 16-11, posted a plus-eight stretch in 3:46, and helped the team close the quarter on a 10-2 run.

A different post made a similar point, saying Clark had played the fewest minutes of anyone on the floor despite being plus-seven during her three minutes of action. It also argued that women’s basketball had gained enormous attention through Clark and that the team was mishandling that opportunity.

Another statistical breakdown described Clark’s two stints in the game. It said she entered with USA down 11-16 and left with the team ahead 25-21, creating a nine-point swing. It then said she entered again with USA leading 46-45 and left with the team ahead 68-60, producing a seven-point swing. The post claimed that added up to a 16-point combined swing with Clark on the court.

The final cited post called the situation a disgrace and alleged that the failure to pass to Clark was intentional and orchestrated. That accusation reflects the anger running through the reaction to the game, even as Team USA ultimately secured the win.

The Gateway Pundit report directs its strongest criticism at Lawson and Stephanie White. It calls for both Team USA coaches to be investigated and argues that international fans were there to watch Clark play. The report portrays the decision to keep her away from the offense as petty internal conflict rather than sound basketball strategy.

The article closes by pointing readers toward additional video and commentary, including material from Venom and comments from the Ben Daniel Podcast.

The final score gave Team USA the result it needed. Still, the report says the controversy over Clark’s minutes, her positioning, and the lack of passes sent her way deserves as much attention as the win itself.

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