When the USA Basketball Girls’s Nationwide Group goes for an eighth-straight, and tenth general, gold medal on the 2024 Olympic Video games in Paris, the next 12 gamers will probably be representing the pink, white and blue:
- A’ja Wilson, Las Vegas Aces: The 2-time WNBA MVP and 2023 WNBA Finals MVP will look so as to add a second gold medal to her increasing trophy assortment.
- Alyssa Thomas, Connecticut Solar: It will likely be the primary Olympic Video games for the WNBA’s triple-double engine and 2023 MVP runner-up.
- Breanna Stewart, New York Liberty: The MVP of the Olympic Match in 2020 and the WNBA’s MVP for a second time final season can safe a 3rd Olympic gold medal.
- Brittney Griner, Phoenix Mercury: The 6-foot-9 singular inside presence is blessedly again for her third Olympic Video games.
- Chelsea Grey, Las Vegas Aces: A 2020 Olympian, the 2022 Finals MVP is predicted to function the Individuals’ start line guard.
- Diana Taurasi, Phoenix Mercury: The WNBA’s all-time main scorer who will probably be 42 years previous when the Video games start, will pursue her document sixth (and presumably last?) gold medal in Paris
- Jackie Younger, Las Vegas Aces: The 2020 3×3 gold medalist will characterize the 5×5 nationwide group squad for the primary time in a serious worldwide competitors.
- Jewell Loyd, Seattle Storm: It’s the second Olympic Video games for final season’s WNBA main scorer.
- Kahleah Copper, Phoenix Mercury: The 2021 WNBA Finals MVP and 2022 World Cup winner will play on the Olympic stage for the primary time.
- Kelsey Plum, Las Vegas Aces: It will likely be the primary 5×5 Olympic expertise for the 3×3 gold medalist in 2020 and World Cup champion in 2022.
- Napheesa Collier, Minnesota Lynx: This member of the 2020 Olympic group returns after incomes First Group All-WNBA honors in 2023.
- Sabrina Ionescu, New York Liberty: The WNBA’s 3-point queen, who received gold as a member of the 2022 World Cup group, makes her Olympic debut.
Chelsea Grey’s lingering lower-leg damage, suffered throughout Recreation 3 of the 2023 WNBA Finals, raises uncertainty about her standing for Paris. She has but to play for the Las Vegas Aces throughout the 2024 season, but she participated in Group USA’s coaching camp in early April and constantly has expressed her intention to play within the Olympics.
The roster was assembled by a six-person choice committee, which, in response to The Athletic, included three former Olympians in South Carolina head coach Daybreak Staley, who received two gold medals as a participant for Group USA (1996, 2000) and one as a coach (2020), recently-named LSU assistant coach and three-time gold medalist Seimone Augustus (2008, 2012, 2016) and Previous Dominion head coach and two-time gold medalist Delisha Milton-Jones (1996, 2000). The chair of the committee was Jennifer Rizzotti, president of the Connecticut Solar and coach of the USA Basketball 3×3 ladies’s Olympic group, whereas Bethany Donaphin, WNBA head of league operations, additionally was a member of the committee. Minnesota Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve will function coach of the group.
The choice committee opted for an skilled squad, eschewing including a number of youthful, future-focused additions, such because the Indiana Fever’s Caitlin Clark or Aliyah Boston. This posture is a departure from previous priority. For instance, Stewart was nonetheless a collegian when she made her first Olympic group in 2016, whereas, in 2020, Collier had but to determine herself as a surefire, international-caliber star. One might argue USA Basketball is erring in not persevering with that custom. Or, one might posit that USA Basketball ought to all the time have been specializing in the now, fairly than the subsequent. For as nice as Stewart has develop into, solely the fiercest Husky trustworthy and most fervent Woman Vol haters would argue that she ought to have been chosen over prime Candace Parker in 2016. And in 2020, Nneka Ogwumike arguably deserved the spot over the less-seasoned Collier.
In comparison with previous iterations, the 2024 version of Group USA, lastly, displays an try to put the most effective group collectively, no matter recognition, politics or different privileges. And with the 12 members of Group USA combining for 18 WNBA titles, seven WNBA Finals MVPs, 5 WNBA MVPs, 4 WNBA Defensive Participant of the 12 months awards and 44 All-WNBA honors, on high of an accumulation of All-Star picks, statistical achievements and collegiate accomplishments, it’s arduous to dispute USA Basketball’s course of or outcomes.
Attempt to come for his or her jobs. An eighth-straight gold is on the way in which.
