Meet the ladies’s U.S. Olympic basketball workforce that just about by no means loses

The 2024 U.S. Girls’s Olympic Basketball workforce has the potential to be one of many biggest assemblages of expertise ever. The ladies’s program is among the many most dominant in all ofsports, with a 70-3 all-time file in Olympic play and a file seven consecutive Olympic titles.

Plus, they have not misplaced an official recreation since 1992.

So, with group play tipping off in France on Monday, July 29, let’s get to know every member of the roster, by way of our collection of profiles within the lead-up to the video games.

Diana Taurasi, the oldest participant within the WNBA, is on the lookout for her sixth Olympic gold medal

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At 42, Diana Taurasi is by far the oldest WNBA participant, however stays an elite level guard, averaging 16.1 factors and 4.2 assists per evening. Taurasi is 5 years older than the second-oldest participant within the league, Alysha Clark, who’s 37 and comes off the bench for Las Vegas. Taurasi, partly, credit her longevity to her plant-based weight loss program.

“I’ve been vegan for about three years now and I believe it’s one thing I’ve actually benefited from,” she informed Girls’s Health in 2015. “Simply staying away from meals that trigger numerous irritation, fat and sugars that everybody is aware of are clearly a little bit counterproductive in the event you eat giant quantities of them.”

Taurasi has been remarkably constant all through her profession, averaging double-digits in every of her 19 seasons. That sort of longevity is unparalleled within the WNBA, and Taurasi hasn’t proven many indicators of slowing down. Her stats for this season aren’t considerably decrease than her profession averages — Taurasi is averaging 16.1 factors this season, having averaged 19 factors for her profession.

Learn extra issues to learn about Diana Taurasi right here.

A’ja Wilson is the consensus greatest participant on this planet

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A’ja Wilson is a two-time league MVP, a two-time Defensive Participant of the 12 months, and final 12 months’s Finals MVP. But — by some means — she’s enjoying her greatest basketball proper now. Wilson is averaging a 27.2 factors per recreation on 52.7% capturing, the very best scoring common of any participant within the WNBA. She’s the league’s second-best rebounder, with 11.9 boards a recreation, and she’s the main shotblocker, averaging 2.8 blocks per evening.

Because it at present stands, Wilson appears to be the main candidate for 2 distinct common season honors – MVP and DPOY. Her school coach, Daybreak Staley, not too long ago acknowledged she believed Wilson ought to win each awards, in addition to the Most Improved Participant honor.

That’s not prone to occur, however Staley’s sentiment displays the truth that Wilson has by some means managed to raise her recreation even additional this season.

Examine how A’ja Wilson used to hate basketball, however now she’s Workforce USA’s greatest participant right here.

Napheesa Collier is launching her personal basketball league whereas enjoying at a WNBA MVP-level

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Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart, shut mates since their shared time on the College of Connecticut, not too long ago introduced the launch of a brand new basketball league that might very nicely change the panorama {of professional} girls’s basketball.

Recognizing that the league’s stars should spend their offseason abroad, the 2 determined to pair as much as launch Unequalled, a three-on-three basketball league based mostly in Miami that 30 WNBA stars will compete in beginning in January. One of many distinctive parts of the league is the pay — all salaries might be six figures, and taking part gamers will even maintain fairness.

“It’s actually necessary to us,” Collier informed The Related Press. “Compensation is a big a part of Unequalled as a league and a enterprise. All of the gamers on this first 12 months may have fairness within the league. For gamers to have a chunk of the pie primarily to develop their generational wealth is one thing we’re actually enthusiastic about.”

Learn extra about why Napheesa Collier may very well be essentially the most underrated participant on Workforce USA right here.

Breanna Stewart ruptured her Achilles, by some means acquired higher, and is within the GOAT dialog

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Few resumes — in any sports activities — rival Breanna Stewart. Stewart — sometimes called “Stewie” — has two WNBA championships beneath her belt (2018, 2020) and two accompanying Finals MVPs. She’s gained league MVP twice (2018, 2023) and been named to the All-WNBA First Workforce 5 instances (2018, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023).

Previous to changing into knowledgeable, she led UConn to 4 consecutive nationwide championships, the kind of sustained dominance we very nicely may not see once more in school basketball. In all 4 runs, Stewart was named the event’s Most Excellent Participant because the Huskies achieved a uncommon four-peat.

Her transition to the professionals was fairly seamless; she was named Rookie of the 12 months in her first 12 months and was an All-Star by her second. Just some years after that, Stewie was firmly positioned in girls’s basketball GOAT debate.

Maybe the wildest half is — she’s solely 29. So, the prolonged and almost unequalled checklist of accomplishments continues to be rising.

Learn extra about how Breanna Stewart’s resume is as storied as they arrive right here.

Sabrina Ionescu holds an NBA and a WNBA three-point contest file

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Final 12 months, Ionescu made historical past by scoring 37 factors within the Starry 3-Level Contest — she shot 23/25 from the sector, and a couple of/2 on additional balls. That marked the very best level whole by any WNBA or NBA participant at an All-Star Weekend, and her efficiency turned a viral sensation.

Because of that record-breaking efficiency, Ionescu opted to take part in a three-point contest towards Steph Curry, which turned a flagship occasion at NBA All-Star weekend, hailed as Steph vs Sabrina. She in the end fell to Curry, scoring 26 factors to his 29.

“Me and Sabrina talked about how cool of a possibility it’s to do one thing that’s by no means been finished earlier than in our recreation,” Curry stated after the sport. “And for her to have a presence on this stage goes to do quite a bit to encourage the subsequent era of younger girls and boys that wish to compete and see themselves in both of us. Wherever it goes from there, we all know we will form of plant our flag as doing one thing actually particular.”

Learn extra about how Sabrina Ionescu and her sneakers each broke information this 12 months right here.

Kahleah Copper, the 2021 Finals MVP, went from bench participant to famous person almost in a single day

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Early on in Kahleah Copper’s profession, it appeared unlikely that she would someday be a Finals MVP. She got here off the bench in her first three seasons with the Sky, enjoying round quarter-hour an evening and averaging lower than 7 factors per recreation.

She was efficient, and a dependable contributor — however didn’t seem like on the point of stardom.

That each one modified rapidly. Copper was elevated to Chicago’s beginning lineup in 2020, and instantly capitalized on the chance, averaging 14.8 factors per recreation on 49.6% capturing in her first season as a starter. The next season, in 2021, she was named an All-Star for the primary time — and subsequently led the Sky to a first-ever title. After averaging 17.7 factors on 52% capturing all through the 2021 postseason, Copper was named Finals MVP.

Up to now this season, Kahleah Copper is averaging a career-high 23.3 factors, the second-most of any WNBA participant, behind two-time MVP A’ja Wilson. A 35.6% profession three-point shooter, she’s lengthy proven she will rating in any respect three ranges — repeatedly driving to the basket, sinking midranges, and hitting threes.

Copper has been on an absolute heater by way of the primary half of the WNBA season — she’s already scored at the very least 30 factors eight instances in 20 video games. Her scoring prowess was highlighted by a stretch in Might through which she exploded for 38 factors towards the Dream and adopted that up with 37 level displaying towards the Aces.

Learn extra about Kahleah Copper, who remodeled from a bench participant to a Finals MVP in historic vogue, right here.

Jewell Loyd has lived as much as her ‘Gold Mamba’ nickname

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Jewell Loyd averaged a career-high 24.7 factors per recreation throughout the 2023 common season, the very best amongst all WNBA gamers. Her 939 whole factors had been additionally good for first overal.

As a child, she was primarily a tennis participant, and seen basketball as extra of a facet pastime. However someday, a few boys on the park excluded her from enjoying basketball with them, and so she ended up teaming up along with her older brother and matching up towards them. That heated basketball recreation — punctuated by her brother dunking in such a dramatic vogue he evoked pictures of Michael Jordan in her thoughts — modified every little thing.

“That is what drives me, that is what I need,” she stated, reflecting on that afternoon on the park. “Ever since then, I used to be locked in.”

Kobe Bryant famously gave two WNBA stars offshoot Mamba Mentality nicknames: Diana Taurasi and Jewell Loyd. He heralded Taurasi, the league’s all-time main scorer, because the White Mamba, and subsequently gave Loyd a Mamba nickname of her personal — the ‘Gold Mamba.’

“That identify brings a smile to my face. It brings numerous recollections, conversations, of somebody who simply impressed me and believed in me,” Loyd stated in her Andscape video collection.

Learn extra about Jewell Loyd’s scoring prowess and Olympic aspirations right here.

After spending a 12 months in Russian captivity, Brittney Griner is especially proud to signify Workforce USA

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Brittney Griner was enjoying basketball abroad with the Russian Premier League when she was arrested for possession of lower than a gram of medically prescribed hash oil. After an unsure and public detainment that spanned ten months, she was launched in a highly-publicized prisoner alternate for Russian arms vendor Viktor Bout.

It’s been a 12 months and a half since her return to the US, and this might be her first Olympics competitors for the reason that detainment. So, whereas Griner already has two gold medals beneath her belt, she informed reporters that the prospect to signify the US post-detainment is additional particular now.

“It all the time meant every little thing to me,” Griner stated, by way of andscape.com. “My dad fought for our nation. He’s a Marine… So, it’s all the time been one thing that we’ve all the time cherished, however now much more so. My nation actually saved my life and I’m capable of signify them once more and it simply means a lot extra.”

Griner detailed her expertise in Russia and, and the next re-acclimation, in her guide, Coming House, which got here out in Might 2024. Diana Taurasi, who Griner has been teammates with for her complete WNBA profession, praised her for competing within the Olympics.

“What BG’s gone by way of within the final couple of years is clearly unprecedented,” Taurasi stated by way of GMA Community. “For her to have the ability to come again, to get on that flight, to return abroad, it was a giant second for her in numerous methods. However I’m glad she did it as a result of she’s a outstanding particular person.”

Learn extra about how Brittney Griner was the most effective defensive gamers in WNBA historical past in right here prime (and continues to be fairly good) right here.

Nicknamed the “Silent Murderer,” Jackie Younger is understood for her reserved persona

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Younger lets her recreation do the speaking and is extensively thought of one of many extra reserved stars within the WNBA. The Aces roster is stuffed with massive personalities — like A’ja Wilson, Kelsey Plum, Chelsea Grey, and Sydney Colson — and Younger’s quiet demeanor has stood out.

“Once I got here into this workforce, I stated, ‘You’re the silent murderer for actual,’” Grey stated throughout final 12 months’s Finals, per Yahoo Sports activities. “She’s a hooper, she’s a canine and I simply love that she’s a two-way participant on a regular basis offensively and defensively. And also you want that in your workforce.”

In 2022, Aces coach Becky Hammon informed Winsidr a objective of hers was to push Younger to be extra vocal and extra readily share her basketball data along with her teammates.

“What I’ve actually tried to do is encourage her to speak,” Hammon stated. “I would like her to make use of her phrases as a result of she is aware of what she’s doing! Like, share a few of that data! I challenged her early on to do extra speaking, and I believe she’s coming into her personal. That is her time.”

Learn extra about how Jackie Younger is an elite two-way participant right here.

On the final Olympics, Chelsea Grey was Workforce USA’s only guard

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On the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, Chelsea Grey averaged 7.3 factors per recreation on 58.1% capturing and three.2 assists, essentially the most quantity guards on the workforce. She began all six video games, and is anticipated to be a starter in these Olympics, regardless of experiencing some offensive struggles in her return to the Aces.

As a member of the 2020 World Cup, Grey averaged 9.2 factors and 5.2 assists per recreation as Workforce USA went 8-0 en route their fourth consecutive Olympic gold medal recreation.

Learn every little thing you could learn about Chelsea Grey, the US Olympic basketball workforce’s Level Gawd.

Earlier than Caitlin Clark, Kelsey Plum was the all-time scorer in NCAA Division I girls’s basketball

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As a senior on the College of Washington, Plum broke the all-time girls’s basketball scoring file with a 57-point senior evening that catapulted her to three,397 factors.

That evening come on the heels of an unbelievable collegiate basketball season capped by a a virtually unprecedented senior season. Plum averaged 31.7 factors on 52.9% capturing, together with 42.8% from three.

“I most likely performed the most effective particular person years of basketball of all time,” Plum informed Simply Girls’s Sports activities.

She took some time to regulate to the WNBA — averaging single-digit factors in her first three seasons — however her collegiate greatness stays rivaled by only some.

Plum has been open, nonetheless, about how she struggled with psychological well being throughout her senior season, and all through the sooner portion of her skilled profession. So, she was completely happy when Caitlin Clark broke the all-time scoring file.

“I’m really very grateful to go that baton,” Plum stated on February 2, per NBC Sports activities. “I’m very completely happy for her… I keep in mind, to be sincere, [the record] was very a lot a low level in my life. It felt like numerous strain, and my identification was form of caught up in that file.”

Learn extra concerning the two-time WNBA champion right here.

Alyssa Thomas acquired essentially the most first-place votes for league MVP in 2023

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The Liberty’s Breanna Stewart gained MVP final 12 months, however it was Alyssa Thomas who recorded the most first-place votes. Thomas averaged 15.5 factors, 9.9 rebounds, 7.9 assists, and 1.8 steals final season.

The Solar, regardless of shedding All-Star heart Brionna Jones for the season to an achilles tear, earned a 27-13 file. Thomas’s prowess on each ends of the court docket – she’s additionally an elite defender – was a giant motive why.

“I’ve to advocate what I’m doing,” Thomas informed Yahoo Sports activities forward of the MVP. “It’s not regular. It’s by no means been finished earlier than. It’s by no means been seen on this league and would possibly by no means be seen once more. So yeah, I believe you’ve acquired to maintain saying these sorts of issues for folks to appreciate that it’s not regular what I’ve been doing.”

Learn extra issues to learn about Alyssa Thomas, Workforce USA’s triple-double machine.