KD: Clark not ready for Olympics but will definitely be on future team

Kevin Durant agrees with the decision to leave Caitlin Clark off Team USA's squad for the 2024 Olympic Games, but believes the Indiana Fever rookie is well on her way to qualifying for a future roster.

Durant shared his thoughts on Clark's omission in an interview with The Wall Street Journal, explaining that there were more qualified candidates for the women's squad.

"I still think there's proper steps you have to take in our world to be considered an Olympian," Durant said. "I think she's definitely going to be on one of these teams going forward, but right now, there's better candidates out there, I think.

"But Caitlin's just gotta continue to keep showing up every day. The WNBA is doing a great job of showcasing her. I'm seeing her games on ESPN every other day. I see talks around her - no matter what they're talking about, there's a lot of dialogue around the game right now, so that's good as well. But I think if she could continue to keep getting better as a player, her production on the court gets better, then the league will grow, along with some of the other women as well."

USA Basketball cited experience as a primary reason Clark, the No. 1 pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft, didn't make the roster. The team includes several returnees from the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, including Diana Taurasi, A'ja Wilson, Breanna Stewart, and Brittney Griner.

Durant, a three-time Olympic gold medalist, is heading to the 2024 Games in Paris as part of the men's national team.