GettyFever guard Caitlin Clark on May 24, 2024 in Los Angeles, California.

Team USA did not include Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark on the 2024 Olympic roster. While the omission sparked a major debate among fans and analysts, Clark is using the decision as fuel.

Speaking to reporters on Sunday, June 9, Fever head coach Christie Sides admitted she was “a little disappointed” Team USA passed Clark over. “That’s the hardest team in the world to make, right?” Sides added. “She’s young and she’s going to have so many opportunities in the future.”

Sides revealed they were on the bus when Clark got the call that she didn’t make the Olympic roster. As a coach, Sides was asked how she turned this moment into a motivating factor. However, Sides didn’t have to do much.

The text she received from Clark, “Hey, Coach. They woke a monster.” Sides called Clark’s reaction “awesome.”

Clark told Sides “hey coach, they woke a monster” when telling her she didn’t make it.

Looking at the situation as glass half-full, Clark gets a three-week break after going straight from an intense run to the NCAA championship game to being a starter in the WNBA.

“That is the silver lining,” Sides said. “She is going to get some rest.”

During the Fever’s latest win over the Washington Mystics, the No. 1 overall pick became the first player in WNBA history to record at least 200 points and 75 assists in her first 12 career games. The Fever/Mystics matchup at the Capital One Arena in Washington D.C. drew a sold-out crowd on 20,333 fans — the most attended WNBA game in 17 years.