US women's basketball is 'uninteresting' without Caitlin Clark, ex-college basketball coach says

The United States women’s basketball team beat Japan handily on Monday, 102-76, to open their Olympic pool play strong. But former college basketball coach Seth Greenberg, a self-proclaimed basketball junkie, didn’t watch.

"I haven’t watched one second of the women’s [basketball team], and I probably would have watched if [Caitlin Clark] was playing." Greenberg said during an appearance on OutKick’s "Don’t @ Me with Dan Dakich" on Wednesday.

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ESPN basketball analyst Seth Greenberg (Mitchell Layton/Getty Images/File)

"During watching some other Olympic activity this week, they clipped [to] the game against Japan, and some 5-foot-2 player was guarding someone who was a good player. It was uninteresting, to be honest with you. No disrespect, it just wasn’t interesting. It didn’t grab me. Watching women’s gymnastics grabs you. Watching beach volleyball grabs you."

"And if [Clark] played, I probably would have watched just to see what kind of pass she would throw or shoot a logo three."

The 22-year-old WNBA rookie phenom was not chosen to be on the roster, but Dawn Staley, South Carolina women’s basketball head coach and member of Team USA Women’s National Team Committee, suggested during an interview with NBC’s Mike Tirico on Sunday that maybe Clark’s play warranted her selection.

CAITLIN CLARK SIGN CATCHES ATTENTION OF US WOMEN'S BASKETBALL STARS BEFORE JAPAN BEATDOWN

Caitlin Clark is shown before the WNBA All-Star Game on July 20, 2024, in Phoenix. (Alex Slitz/Getty Images)

"As a committee member, you’re charged with putting together the best team of players, the best talent," Staley said. "Caitlin is just a rookie in the WNBA, wasn’t playing bad but wasn’t playing like she’s playing now. If we had to do it all over again, the way that she’s playing, she would be in really high consideration of making the team because she is playing head and shoulders above a lot of people."

With or without Clark, the U.S. women’s team are the heavy favorites to win gold again.

The team might be the best current dynasty in sports as it seeks its eighth consecutive gold medal this year at the Paris Olympic Games.

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Caitlin Clark of Team WNBA handles the ball against the USA Basketball Women's National Team during the WNBA All-Star Game on July 20, 2024, in Phoenix. (Juan Ocampo/NBAE via Getty Images)

However, there is no doubt that Clark attracts eyeballs to the sport. The WNBA has seen both attendance and ratings soar in Clark’s rookie season.

Team USA has two more games in pool play:

• Aug. 1, Belgium vs. USA (3 p.m. ET)
• Aug. 4, Germany vs. USA (11:15 a.m. ET)

Fox News' Ryan Gaydos contributed to this report.

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