WNBA

Team USA selection committee chair Jen Rizzotti is addressing the outrage over leaving Caitlin Clark off the Olympics roster ... saying it simply came down to putting together the best possible squad -- not the most popular.

Many considered the 2024 WNBA No. 1 overall pick's omission from competing in Paris a snub ... or at least called it a bad move, as Clark's presence in the sport has attracted a ton of new fans who could tune in to the Summer Games to watch the superstar in action.

Rizzotti defended the team on Tuesday ... and specifically spoke about Clark.

The critique of Caitlin Clark by her WNBA peers continued on Monday night ... when a Sun player was so pissed over the way the rookie appeared to embellish a foul call -- she actually mocked her right on the court.

The moment happened during the Fever's game against Connecticut at Mohegan Sun Arena ... when in the second quarter of the tilt, DiJonai Carrington nudged a driving Clark, and was whistled for a foul.

Carrington clearly believed the Indiana guard flopped to get the call ... so she taunted her. She threw her head and neck back to imitate the exaggerated motions that Clark made on the play -- which seemed to tick off the former Iowa superstar.

Bill Maher believes Caitlin Clark is being targeted by some of her WNBA peers because she's straight and white.

The TV host discussed the Indiana Fever star and her recent in-game altercation with Chennedy Carter on last week's episode of "Real Time with Bill Maher" ... and he made it clear, he thinks CC's sexuality and race did have roles in the incident.

Maher said WNBA players "f***ing hate" the rookie ... and when he later expounded on why -- he said, "it's everything," including her skin color and her sexual preferences.

The Caitlin Clark racism narrative is largely fake news ... so says Dan Dakich who tells us the hate towards the number one overall pick is pure jealousy!

Clark's been gettin' beat up since her WNBA debut last month -- we all saw what Chennedy Carter did to the Fever superstar last weekend -- so we asked Dakich, a former Indiana Hoosier player and coach, if it's just basketball ... or something else.

"Of course, she's being targeted," Dakich, host of Outkick's "Don't @ Me" told Babcock on the "TMZ Sports" TV show (prior to the Olympic team snub).

Caitlin Clark's addressing the snub heard round the world ... getting candid about missing out on the Olympics after she was shockingly left off the roster.

The first-round pick addressed all the hubbub Sunday ... and, she says she's totally cool with the choice -- expressing her excitement for the players who did make the team.

Clark said, in part, "I know it’s the most competitive team in the world and I know it could’ve gone either way, me being on the team or me not being on the team. I’m excited for them, gonna be rooting them on to win gold."

Magic Johnson tells TMZ Sports he's loving what he's seeing from Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese so far in the WNBA ... praising the rookies for how they're transitioning to the pros.

We spoke briefly with the NBA legend out in L.A. this week as he was getting hounded by autograph seekers ... and he made it clear, he's a big fan of the W's newest stars.

He said emphatically they're "doing great things" -- helping their league explode in popularity.

Caitlin Clark will not be a part of the Team USA squad that goes for a record 8th-straight gold medal at the Summer Olympics in Paris, and basketball fans are puzzled by the move!

According to multiple reports, 22-year-old Clark, the most famous female hooper in the world, was not named to the 12-player squad ... which will represent America in France next month.

An official announcement has not yet been made, but the team is made up of a mix of veterans and first-time Olympians. But, no Clark.

The guy behind the viral 'Crazy' trend on TikTok is reaping a ton of benefits after setting the internet on fire with the latest frenzy -- and he's already got a gig out of it ... with the WNBA.

We talked to Stephen Glickman -- who's already famous from the "Big Time Rush" show -- on "The TMZ Podcast," where he discussed his now-viral TikTok sound ... in which he does a slow, dramatic rendition of Gnarls Barkley's 2006 hit, "Crazy." Tons of stars have hopped on the trend -- lip-syncing to his track and sharing something cringe-worthy from their past.

There's nothing cringey about Stephen's success, however ... 'cause he says he's set to perform a WNBA halftime show soon. SG tells us he and his band are gonna fly out to Las Vegas ... where he will perform for the sold-out crowd at the Aces vs. Minnesota Lynx game.

Angel Reese and her Chicago Sky teammates claim a relentless camera guy harassed Chennedy Carter outside their Washington, D.C. hotel on Wednesday ... praising their security staffers for stepping in and de-escalating the situation.

A number of Sky hoopers went to X to share their side of the interaction ahead of Thursday's contest against the Mystics ... with several saying the photog crossed the line when trying to speak with Carter about her recent flagrant foul on Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark over the weekend.

A clip of the alleged moment was briefly posted to the photog's social media account ... but was later deleted.

The WNBA is the talk of the town right now, but that doesn't stop its star players from getting their cars towed ... just ask Phoenix Mercury guard Sophie Cunningham, who had to find that out the hard way.

The six-year vet documented the whole thing on Instagram on Wednesday ... saying she had to go all the way to "bum f*** nowhere" in the middle of Arizona in order to get her whip back.

She explained she got home around 2 AM and must've planted her car somewhere unauthorized ... 'cause when she woke up, it was gone.

WNBA star Cameron Brink couldn't contain her emotions when she found out she's representing the United States at the 2024 Olympics ... breaking down in tears during the big reveal.

USA 3x3 basketball announced the four women who would compete for a gold medal this summer in Paris ... with Brink, Cierra Burdick, Hailey Van Lith and Rhyne Howard getting the nod.

The organization shared a special video of the moment the Los Angeles Sparks hooper found out she made the team ... and grab a box of tissues, 'cause it'll have you in your feels.

The outside world was super critical of Chennedy Carter, but the home fans have her back ... and that was crystal clear in the Sky's return to Chicago, where CC received a rousing ovation in her first game since the controversy!

Carter and the Sky played against the New York Liberty on Tuesday at home -- their first game since Chennedy's body check of Caitlin Clark during last weekend's matchup.

It seems the Sky fans didn't care about the play, which was called dirty by many ... 'cause when she checked into the game, they cheered her on in a big way.

11:30 AM PT -- The WNBA just announced one of Reese's technical fouls has been rescinded ... which means she'll at least save a bit of money, as the league penalizes players for each tech.

Angel Reese was not on the floor for the last couple minutes of the Sky's game Tuesday night ... and it's all 'cause a ref booted her from the action for bickering over a call.

The Chicago star's spat with the game official happened with 2:31 left in the fourth quarter of the Sky's tilt with the New York Liberty at Wintrust Arena.

The 22-year-old was whistled for a personal foul ... and she made it clear immediately she didn't agree with the call. She appeared to hurl some words at the ref -- before waving him off in disgust. However, after she made the motion with her hand, the official quickly called her for two technical fouls, and threw her out of the game.

If Caitlin Clark's teammates won't protect her from cheap shots on the court, Angel McCoughtry will ... saying she's down to sign with the Indiana Fever in a return to the league where she starred for years!

37-year-old McCoughtry joined Babcock on the "TMZ Sports" TV show (airs weekdays on FS1) ... days after Chicago Sky guard Chennedy Carter's body check of Clark sparked a conversation around the basketball world.

Angel believes it's time for Caitlin (and all teammates across the WNBA) to protect each other.

Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese may not be the best of friends, but their careers will forever be tied to each other's ... so says Jemele Hill, who sees early comparisons to Magic Johnson and Larry Bird!!

The Atlantic reporter joined Harvey and Charles on "TMZ Live" on Tuesday to discuss the ongoing situation between CC and AR ... and she believes both stars need each other -- comparing it to the Lakers and Celtics legends' on-court battles during their respective playing days.

"Larry Bird and Magic Johnson had the most watched men's national championship game in history," Hill said. "They had a rivalry from that game and they brought all that with them to the NBA."

Everything seems to be A-OK with Pat McAfee and Caitlin Clark following his controversial "white bitch" comment -- the ESPN personality said Tuesday the WNBA star has accepted his apology for the remark.

The former NFL player said on the "Pat McAfee Show" he reached out to Clark and the Indiana Fever as soon as he realized he had set the internet on fire with his statement.

He said a short time after he extended the olive branch, the team messaged him back and said they were "all good."