Grant Williams highlights lack of media coverage for US women’s basketball at the Olympics – and he’s right

Grant Williams, who is currently at the Olympic Games in Paris, pointed out the vast difference in media attention for the men’s and women’s basketball teams.

“The disparity between the men and women after the game is disrespectful and the women deserve better,” Williams wrote on X shortly after the U.S. women defeated Australia to advance to the gold medal game.

The reality is that the U.S. women’s basketball team is one of the most dominant teams at the Olympics. They have won 60 consecutive Olympic Games, led by double digits for most of the tournament, and will be going for an eighth consecutive Olympic gold medal on Sunday.

The roster includes some of the sport’s greatest heroes: Diana Taurasi, the WNBA’s all-time leading scorer; A’ja Wilson, the WNBA’s undisputed greatest player; Kelsey Plum, who broke the all-time NCAA Division I scoring record; Sabrina Ionescu, one of the world’s best shooters; Breanna Stewart, one of the most decorated athletes in the world — the list goes on.

Yet, many people’s first reaction when the team’s greatness is discussed is to bring up the player who not in the selection: Caitlin Clark.

It’s an understandable instinct. After all, Clark has generated unprecedented attention for women’s basketball this year, with WNBA viewership and ticket sales at record highs. There’s also no question that if Clark had been on the roster, there would have been more media coverage of these games.

And from a basketball standpoint, she could have easily made the roster — after a slow start to her rookie season, she hit her stride in the weeks leading up to the midseason break and is now averaging 17.1 points and a league-high 8.2 assists per game on the year. Last month, she even broke the WNBA record for assists in a game with a 19-assist outing against the Wings.

Dawn Staley, the current coach of the South Carolina women’s basketball team and a member of the USA Basketball Olympic Committee, recently admitted that Clark likely would have been selected if she had gotten going earlier.

“As a committee member, you’re responsible for putting together the best team,” Staley said. “Caitlin is just a rookie in the WNBA. She wasn’t playing bad, but she wasn’t playing the way she’s playing now. If we had to do it all over again, the way she’s playing now, she would definitely be eligible to make the team.”

But there’s no reason for USA Basketball to be too concerned about the decision — not from a basketball standpoint, anyway. That’s because Team USA steamrolls their opponents, recently beating Australia by 21. They seem like a sure bet for gold, and everyone has played their roles nearly perfectly.

The continuity in the roster is evident, as is the buy-in from all 12 players on the roster. A’ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart have been two of the most dominant players of the Olympics, and Jackie Young has been outstanding at both ends of the court. All 12 players have been consistent contributors, and the defensive connectivity of the team is undeniable.

So, while one could argue that Clark should have been on the list, the players on the list are clearly doing their jobs and winning basketball games. Olympic selection decisions shouldn’t be made with marketability in mind — they should be made purely from a basketball perspective. When the U.S. list was compiled, Clark was just beginning her professional career.

If there’s a lack of excitement surrounding this U.S. women’s basketball team, it’s not because the players selected aren’t exciting to watch — it’s because those players haven’t received the attention they deserve in their careers that Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese and some of the younger players in the game have. Their stories haven’t been told on a national level, at least not on the scale and with the attention that Clark has.

That’s not to say that there haven’t been individual media entities and reporters who have dedicated their lives to this reporting — because there certainly have been revolutionaries in this field. This reporting simply hasn’t benefited from the same level of financial investment.

From a basketball perspective alone, Kahleah Copper is as exciting as they come. Kobe Bryant called Jewell Loyd the Gold Mamba, and for good reason. When Sabrina Ionescu is on a roll (which is often), her three-point shooting is nothing short of spectacular. And if you’re a basketball purist, you’ll be mesmerized by Jackie Young’s two-way excellence.

Grant Williams noted that after the women’s match there were “3-4 media outlets covering the match”, while after the men’s matches there were between 60 and 80 media outlets covering the match.

“Getting viewers is not the battle, it’s the marketing,” he wrote.

He also noted that if people had recognized Diana Taurasi’s greatness, they would not have questioned the program’s decision to include her in the Olympic roster.

The good news is that past problems with media attention are still correctable. The 12 players on the U.S. women’s basketball roster are talented, marketable, and worth investing in. Their games are compelling, as are their personalities — when given the chance to express themselves in a meaningful way.

Most importantly, they are on the verge of winning an Olympic gold medal — the program’s eighth in a row — and many of them will soon be competing for a WNBA championship. It’s not too late.

Caitlin Clark will soon be one of the best players in the world, if she isn’t already. She’s practically guaranteed the next Olympics. But her rise in the game should also prompt fans and media to learn more about the older players who have been doing it all along — the players who have been hitting deep threes, throwing crazy passes, and playing the game at an elite level for a long time.

Not sure if you know those players? A good place to start is by tuning into the U.S. Women’s National Team gold medal game on Sunday.