Caitlin Clark didn’t replace Brittney Griner on the Olympic team; that’s fake news

This claim originated on a self-described satire page. Indiana Fever rookie Caitlin Clark didn’t replace Phoenix Mercury center Brittney Griner on the U.S. women’s basketball team for the upcoming Summer Olympics.

Basketball phenom Caitlin Clark, now with the WNBA’s Indiana Fever, was not among the names on the roster for the 12-player U.S. women’s basketball team for the upcoming Summer Olympics in Paris.

The decision drew the ire of some of Clark’s fans, including Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, who called members of the USA Basketball selection committee “imbeciles.”

But some recent social media posts claim that Clark has been newly tapped to join the team to replace Phoenix Mercury center Brittney Griner.

“Team USA had to release Britney Griner for undisclosed reasons, which some are interpreting as a rule violation related to her testosterone levels,” a June 15 Facebook post said. “Caitlin is in.”

“Hot News,” a June 16 Facebook post announced. “Caitlin Clark punches her ticket to the 2024 Olympics, while Britney Griner faces disqualification. The Olympic landscape sees a dramatic shift as Clark secures her spot on the world stage.”

As we’ve previously reported: Griner is not a man.

Also not true: that Griner has been cut and Clark named to the team.

This post among others was flagged as part of Meta’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram.)

This claim originated on the Facebook page of a self-described satire account, America’s Last Line of Defense. The account’s creator, Christopher Blair, has said its posts are satire intended to mock conservatives, The New York Times recently reported.

“I’m a liberal troll social justice warrior serving satirical nonsense with a mission,” Blair told the Times.

“TEAM USA: ‘Brittney Griner is OUT – Caitlin Clark is IN,’” the June 14 post said. “Team USA had to release Britney Griner for ‘undisclosed reasons,’ which some are interpreting as a rule violation related to her testosterone levels.”

The catch: The account has a caveat. “Nothing on this page is real,” it says.

But the Facebook posts resharing the story did not include any disclaimers.

We rate claims that Clark replaced Griner on the Olympic women’s basketball team for “undisclosed reasons” False.