I got a Cuban Blowout from a girl named Caitlin in college once. Is that anything?
You've forgotten more about this sport than I'll ever know. One thing they should have taken into consideration is revenue/budget. I know that's not a "on-the-court" thing, but it's a factor. Our Olympic teams rely very heavily on the corporate partnerships and sponsorships. I don't really don't care, in the end, who is and who is not on this roster. But Clark is simply a big brand right now and could have helped secure a lot of private sector dollars for the next Olympic cycle. That may be unfair to some other athletes, but that's how money works. They don't get government funding like most other countries (other than some logistics and security support once they get to the host country for diplomatic reasons). And even moreso than the Men's side, Women's teams also rely heavily on 'personal fundraising', basically NIL before there was NIL. In the years and months leading up to the Games (and even while there), they do all kinds of appearances and exhibitions and clinics in their myriad sports and charge a lot for it.
This isn't like some famous 60 year old sprinter from Barcelona Games taking up a relay spot away from a more deserving runner. Because they were once a big name and could help secure some funding even now. This is, again on-the-court aside, a balancing act. Can we still win Gold while setting our 'program' up for massive financial support leading up to 2028? I don't know the answer, but it seems like some of the decision makers didn't know it either. In the end, I don't give a shit. Of course we want these athletes to win gold. and I want to watch a couple games with my daughter. It's just my finance brain talking.