Last month, as Cheryl Reeve was preparing for her role as head coach of the 2024 U.S. Olympic women’s basketball team, she also was posting on X (formerly Twitter) about the first preseason game for the WNBA team she coaches, the Minnesota Lynx.
Specifically, she was telling her followers where and how to keep track of the game since it was not being televised like the first preseason game of another WNBA team, the Indiana Fever, Caitlin Clark’s new team.
In her posts, Reeve chose to single out the 22-year-old Clark as she discussed the decision to televise one game rather than both.
With USA Basketball in the midst of evaluating Clark and other candidates for the women’s team that will go to Paris this summer, Reeve posted two comments on X on May 3 referring to the popular rookie.
She first reposted a WNBA post promoting Indiana’s upcoming game with Dallas, adding this message on top of it:
“ALSO in action tonight — @minnesotalynx vs @chicagosky 7 pm CST. Though fans won’t be able to watch, #Lynx fans can go to the Lynx app to follow along via play by play. Or if you are in market, come to the game…as we start the season off right.”
Reeve then added two hashtags to her post: “#12teams” (the number of WNBA teams) and “#theWismorethanoneplayer” i.e., The (WNBA) is more than one player.
Someone else on X, under that post, asked, “Is there a reason why it’s not being shown?”
A second person wrote, “Because they only care about Caitlin”
To which Reeve replied, “That part”
USA TODAY Sports has made multiple requests for comment from Reeve through a USA Basketball spokesperson over the past four days.
“Cheryl told me that she would not be commenting,” the spokesperson, Michael Terry, wrote in a text to USA TODAY Sports.
When asked what Reeve’s role was in the selection of the Olympic team, Terry replied: “She does not have an official role in picking the 12.” But Reeve is involved in the run-up to the Olympics, including gathering information on players in phone calls and also speaking at the Team USA Media Summit in mid-April in New York.
“The roster is selected by the committee as per the selection procedures,” Terry wrote Wednesday in a text message. “The coach is responsible for outlining on-court principles and style of play, which can be considered by the committee. Additionally, the coach is responsible for instruction at USA Basketball camps, exhibitions and competitions.”
USA TODAY Sports also asked for comment from USA Basketball on the appropriateness of Reeve’s X posts regarding Clark, coming as they did during the Olympic team selection process. Terry said the national governing body would not have a comment.
Spokespeople for the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee did not return two phone calls and a text message requesting comment on Reeve’s posts about Clark.
Clark, the WNBA’s Rookie of the Month who has already achieved several historic rookie milestones in the league, was not selected for the Olympic team that Reeve will coach.
