Team USA Women's Basketball: Meet the Paris Olympics Squad
The Olympics are officially underway in Paris, with the USA women's basketball team looking to secure yet another gold medal. The women have not lost a game in Olympic competition since 1992 and are the odds on favorites to continue to compile the wins they've stacked since. Here is the 12-woman roster made up of WNBA stars that will be competing for more glory.
1. Diana Taurasi
Taurasi will be going for a record sixth gold medal in Paris. The Phoenix Mercury guard is in her 20th WNBA season and is a three time champion. That is to go with 14 All-WNBA selections and her status as the league's all-time leading scorer. All following a decorated college career at UConn, where she also won three titles.
2. A'ja Wilson
A'ja is the star of the back-to-back champion Las Vegas Aces and the favorite to win MVP this season. The first overall pick out of South Carolina in 2018 has already registered two Most Valuable Player awards and three first-team All-WNBA selections. Not to mention a gold medal in the Tokyo Olympics.
3. Breanna Stewart
Another Huskie, the New York Liberty star is the reigning league MVP. Stewie is a two-time WNBA champion, four-time NCAA champ, and two-time Olympic gold medalist. She was named the Olympic Tournament's Most Valuable Player in the last competition. Her and Wilson help form what is an absolutely stacked front court.
4. Sabrina Ionescu
Ionescu is the newest entrant to the American backcourt. Sabrina will be making her first Olympic appearance. The sharpshooter from Oregon should provide the steady guard play that has already earned her three WNBA All-Star selections since being picked first overall in 2020 by New York. Sabrina is a career 37% three-point shooter.
5. Kelsey Plum
The second of four Aces on the squad, Plum will also be making her debut in the backcourt with the Olympics roster. Though she won gold with the 3x3 team in Tokyo. Plum was the NCAA's all-time leading scorer at the University of Washington before being passed by Iowa's Caitlin Clark. She was picked first overall in 2017 when Las Vegas was still the San Antonio Stars and has won two titles since with three All-Star appearances.
6. Napheesa Collier
Napheesa is also returning from the loaded front court that won gold at the last Olympics. Collier was an All-American and NCAA champion at UConn and is a four time All-Star for the Minnesota Lynx. She was named MVP of the Commissioner's Cup just this season.
7. Brittney Griner
Griner is the biggest player on the team and the Mercury center has plenty of international experience, winning gold in the last two Olympics. Griner also won a national title at Baylor and a WNBA championship in 2014. She has been an All-Star ten times.
8. Jewell Loyd
Loyd will give the squad some scoring punch. The Seattle Storm guard is a two time WNBA champion and led the league in scoring in 2023. She was the number one pick in the draft in 2015 out of Notre Dame and was also on the Tokyo gold medal team.
9. Kahleah Copper
Copper, the talented swing-player, who is the third member of the Mercury on Team USA, is a former WNBA Finals MVP. She led the Chicago Sky to their first championship before moving on to Phoenix. Kahleah played her college ball at Rutgers and will be making her Olympic debut.
10. Jackie Young
Young gives the roster a strong two-way guard. Jackie has been integral to the Aces championship success since being drafted first overall out of Notre Dame. She, like Plum, was part of the gold medal 3x3 team last time around and is now getting called up to the main squad.
11. Chelsea Gray
The final Las Vegas representative, Gray is known for her point guard prowess. Chelsea is coming off injury, but before that was dropping dimes since coming out of Duke. Gray has won a Finals MVP for the Aces and was part of a championship team for the Los Angeles Sparks as well. She is returning to Team USA after competing in Tokyo.
12. Alyssa Thomas
Thomas, a forward for the Connecticut Sun, will give Team USA all around production as she can gather up rebounds and assists quickly. She played her college ball at Maryland and is a five time WNBA All-Star and consistent triple-double threat. This will be her first Olympics with the team.
Team USA will be coached by Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve. Reeve was an assistant to Geno Auriemma in 2016 and Dawn Staley in 2021. She will attempt to keep both the gold medal and overall Olympics winning streaks intact. The team begins play on July 29th taking on Japan in the Group Phase. That will be followed by contests against Belgium and Germany on August 1st and 4th respectively.
Robin Lundberg is a media veteran and hoops head who has spent the bulk of his career with iconic brands like Sports Illustrated and ESPN. His insights have also been featured on platforms such as Fox and CNN and he can currently be heard hosting shows for Sirius XM and on his burgeoning YouTube show. And now he brings his basketball expertise to Women's Fastbreak on SI!