USA Basketball announces women's Olympic roster: Diana Taurasi, Brittney Griner lead quest for 8th straight gold
USA Basketball has announced the official women's roster for the upcoming Summer Olympics in Paris. While most of the chatter lately has been about who isn't on the roster (Caitlin Clark of the Indiana Fever), now the focus can turn to the women who will be competing to win Team USA's eighth consecutive gold medal.
Good luck, world. See ya in Paris.
🇺🇸 #USABWNT x #ParisOlympics pic.twitter.com/4k5wzERroq— USA Basketball (@usabasketball) June 11, 2024
Here are the members of the 2024 U.S. women's Olympic team, along with their WNBA team and their previous Olympic experience:
Napheesa Collier, Minnesota Lynx (2020)
Kahleah Copper, Phoenix Mercury (none)
Chelsea Gray, Las Vegas Aces (2020)
Brittney Griner, Phoenix Mercury (2016, 2020)
Sabrina Ionescu, New York Liberty (none)
Jewell Lloyd, Seattle Storm (2020)
Kelsey Plum, Las Vegas Aces (none)
Breanna Stewart, New York Liberty (2016, 2020)
Diana Taurasi, Phoenix Mercury (2004, 2008, 2012, 2016, 2020)
Alyssa Thomas, Connecticut Sun (none)
A'ja Wilson, Las Vegas Aces (2020)
Jackie Young, Las Vegas Aces (2020 3x3 team)
Taurasi will make history at the Paris Games. The 20-year WNBA veteran, who turned 42 on Tuesday, will be the first women's basketball player to participate in six Olympics, and will become the oldest Olympic basketball player ever. Griner, 33, and Stewart, 29, are the only other players who come close to matching Taurasi's Olympic experience, and they've each played in two previous Olympic Games.
The U.S. women's basketball team has a worldwide reputation for absolute dominance. They've won gold at every Olympics since 1996, and winning their eighth-straight gold in Paris would be an all-time record. They also won gold in 1984 and 1988. They own a silver medal from the 1976 Olympics and a Bronze from 1992. They have a 70-3 record in Olympic play, and have no losses at all since 1992.