Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese to Take on Olympics Team USA

Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese are going to take on the Olympics Team USA in a much-anticipated game. There's been a lot of talk lately about Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese being left off Team USA at the 2024 Olympics. The ladies have both been handling the snub with class. It's not really a snub, anyway, when you consider that both Clark and Reese are brand new to the WNBA. They'll likely eventually play for the USA in the Olympics, it's just not their time yet.

Clark and Reese will play on the same team together for once, as the two join forces in the 2024 WNBA All-Star Game as members of Team WNBA. They'll go up against the Olympics Team USA. There was a fan vote for this team, which counts 25% toward the final roster. Clark ended up first in the fan voting portion and Reese finished fifth.

The players who were automatically named All-Stars are Clark (Fever), Aliyah Boston (Fever), Dearica Hamby (Sparks) and Arike Ogunbowale (Wings). They all finished in the top 10 of overall All-Star voting and were not already on the Team USA roster. Reese and a handful of other players were selected to Team WNBA after the coaches voted. Per the rules, coaches were not allowed to vote for their own players, and they also couldn't vote for Team USA players, because they were already assigned to an All-Star team. So, they tried to keep the selections as fair as possible. The rest of the All-Stars include DeWanna Bonner (Sun), Allisha Gray (Dream), Brionna Jones (Sun), Jonquel Jones (Liberty), Kayla McBride (Lynx), Kelsey Mitchell (Fever) and Nneka Ogwumike (Storm).

This year's Olympics Team USA includes Napheesa Collier (Lynx), Kahleah Copper (Mercury), Chelsea Gray (Aces), Brittney Griner (Mercury), Sabrina Ionescu (Liberty), Jewell Loyd (Storm), Kelsey Plum (Aces), Breanna Stewart (Liberty), Diana Taurasi (Mercury), Alyssa Thomas (Sun), A’ja Wilson (Aces) and Jackie Young (Aces).

The All-Star Game will build excitement leading up to the 2024 Paris Olympics. The event will take place at Footprint Center in Phoenix on Saturday, July 20 and can be viewed at 8:30 p.m. ET on ABC. Before the big game, a skills challenge and three-point contest will happen Friday, July 19 at 6 p.m. ET and air on ESPN. I'm excited to watch the Olympics this year, and this event will mark my kickoff.

The NBA playoffs are in full swing, and it's been one of the most exciting playoffs in recent years. Many of the top NBA superstars today are in the playoffs, while others are watching, following some upset losses. Either way, there's no denying that the NBA has a ton of talent right now. So many of the games have come down to the wire, which makes for some pretty incredible, and stressful, endings. So, who are the top NBA superstars of the minute?

Before we get into the top NBA superstars today, let's do some NBA history and look at the top players of all time. There's a reason they call LeBron James the GOAT. He's the best ever, according to the raw statistics and numbers via NBA.com. James knows how to really handle the pressure and fame.

In a recent interview with the New York Times, James went into detail about his fame and how it has impacted his life, both personal and professional. "I don't want to say it ever becomes too much, but there are times when I wish I could do normal things," he said. "I wish I could go to Target sometimes and walk into Starbucks and have my name on the cup just like regular people." He obviously can't do that without everyone rushing to meet the greatest basketball player of all time. NBA experts know that when you have a superstar as big as James, he never plays an away game. No matter what city he's in, people will go to that game just to see him. I have yet to see the GOAT in action, so I hope he returns next year, so I can catch him live.

No. 2 on the list of the greatest NBA players of all time, according to the NBA's stats, is Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. He played until he was 42 in an era where that was even more rare than it is today. So, how did he avoid burning out? Speaking with the Harvard Business Review, Abdul-Jabbar said, "I just thought that I had the greatest job in the world, and I wanted to keep it as long as I could. I knew it wouldn't last forever." He also noted that in one of his books, he quoted Jackie Robinson saying, "Athletes die twice," because when you're no longer playing professional sports, it's a kind of a death. That's deep.

Now, let's get into the top NBA superstars today.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's stats currently have him at No. 4 in the NBA, according to NBA.com's Player Impact Estimate. He's a great driver and fantastic defender. That's a dangerous combination. He's one of the hottest players of the season.

Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks is sitting at a Player Impact Estimate of No. 3 in the league via NBA.com. Sadly, before the playoffs began, Antetokounmpo suffered a calf injury, so he was unable to participate. Now, the Bucks are out.

Some might say that putting LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers this far up on the list is a bit surprising. Overall, as I mentioned above, he's the all-time greatest player in the NBA. However, he's currently No. 5 in the NBA right now, according to NBA.com's Player Impact Estimate. He's the GOAT, so I have to put him at No. 3.

Luka Doncic of the Dallas Mavericks is an absolute beast on the court. That doesn't always mean his always team wins, but he's always out there, giving it his all. Doncic is ranked the No. 2 NBA player right now, via the NBA.com's Player Impact Estimate.

Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets, "the Joker," is one of the greatest centers of all time. He's ranked No. 1 in the NBA, according to NBA.com's Player Impact Estimate. He has gotten some raised eyebrows lately, due to some weak Nuggets games in the playoffs. But, there's no denying this MVP is the best right now.