USA Basketball might be in search of its eighth consecutive Olympic gold medal this summer time with the first step coming at the Olympic qualifying match in Antwerp, Belgium, from Feb. 8-11. The 12-player roster for that match might be the first approximation of the crew that may defend the Americans’ gold medal in Paris.
Based on the 18 gamers who’ve been invited to the nationwide crew camp from Feb. 2-4 in Brooklyn, N.Y., the committee has a terrifically difficult process to pick that closing roster, a determination that may seemingly be additional sophisticated by the present collegians — primarily Caitlin Clark, however USA Basketball veterans Paige Bueckers and Cameron Brink could additionally consider right here — who flip professional at the finish of the 2023-24 season.
The closing roster will finally make a assertion about what the committee values: youth and the future or expertise and confirmed success. USA Basketball has typically balanced young and old on the worldwide crew in order that the youthful gamers can carry the torch and protect the tradition. Including — or not together with — Clark poses a distinctive dilemma with the wealth of choices earlier than the committee.
18 athletes might be in camp with the 🇺🇸 #USABWNT Feb. 2-4 in prep for the #FIBAOQT in 🇧🇪 Antwerp.
— USA Basketball (@usabasketball) January 23, 2024
On the reverse finish of the spectrum from Clark is Diana Taurasi, one among eight Olympians from Tokyo in 2021 who’s again in the nationwide crew pool. Taurasi is in search of to turn out to be the first basketball participant of both gender to compete in six Olympics. She would even be the oldest basketball Olympian ever and the third American lady of any sport to take part in six video games. Assuming Taurasi is wholesome, she is a lock to return to the roster. The 41-year-old even participated in the USA Basketball faculty barnstorming tour in November towards Tennessee and Duke, which presumably was not obligatory for a participant together with her pedigree.
Taurasi is joined by Ariel Atkins, Napheesa Collier, Chelsea Gray, Brittney Griner, Jewell Loyd, Breanna Stewart and A’ja Wilson from the Tokyo crew. Atkins is the solely a kind of returnees — aside from Griner, who has extenuating circumstances, and is one other lock to swimsuit up in purple, white and blue if she so chooses — whose play has declined since the final Olympiad, however contemplating she additionally performed for the USA throughout the 2022 FIBA World Cup, Atkins will seemingly be prioritized by the committee. However, her standing as a 2024 Olympian might be the most tenuous of those eight gamers.
That leaves at most 5, and certain 4, spots for new blood, and the competitors is fierce. Kahleah Copper, Sabrina Ionescu, Betnijah Laney, Kelsey Plum and Alyssa Thomas have been all moreover a part of the World Cup squad. Ionescu averaged the fewest minutes in Australia, however she, Thomas and Plum all have been All-WNBA picks inside the previous two seasons, with the latter two ending top-five in MVP voting. Plum’s historical past with the three-on-three crew must also give her a leg up with the committee, which brings us to her fellow gold medalists in that sport’s debut in 2021: Allisha Gray and Jackie Young. Both gamers appear too good to be left off of the roster, particularly Young, however that’s all the time the case with the American nationwide crew.
All seven of these gamers can be cheap picks for the Olympics, and that doesn’t even embrace Aliyah Boston, Rhyne Howard and Arike Ogunbowale — three of the youthful camp invitations. All Boston has accomplished is put collectively one among the most adorned faculty careers in current reminiscence, plus gather a number of gold medals for the U.S. at youth ranges, whereas incomes rookie of the yr honors and beginning in the WNBA All-Star Game. Frankly, Boston looks as if one other lock, filling in the sixth frontcourt spot behind Wilson, Stewart, Griner, Thomas and Collier. Howard and Ogunbowale — each All-Stars who can be the main scorers on nearly another nationwide crew in the world — are in all probability on the outdoors trying in till the 2028 Olympics.
Then, there’s the youth query. The No. 1 picks in the 2004, 2008 and 2016 WNBA drafts made the Olympic groups as rookies (Nneka Ogwumike’s omission in 2012 was curious then, and her absence from subsequent Olympic rosters has made that snub much more ridiculous in hindsight), and a equally loaded draft class is on deck to hold that custom. The children take their place at the finish of the roster after which develop into the future leaders. Wilson has talked about studying from Taurasi and Sue Bird find out how to set the customary, which she put into apply together with Stewart at the final World Cup.
It would make sense for Clark to be the newest ingénue to take her place as Team USA’s twelfth participant, however with the 2004 No. 1 decide Taurasi nonetheless kicking, there is probably not sufficient area. Perhaps the committee will take solace in Boston representing the present technology, whereas a cohort of older guards compete in the backcourt. Deciding between Atkins, Copper, Allisha Gray, Ionescu, Ogunbowale, Plum and Young for what figures to be three spots might be tough sufficient with out including Clark to the combine.
Then once more, the Caitlin Clark impact is actual. How could USA Basketball select to not capitalize on the rabid recognition of one among the recreation’s greatest stars when whoever takes her place doesn’t determine to play many minutes anyway? The Olympics are the greatest showcase of ladies’s basketball worldwide. A participant like Clark belongs on that stage if the choice committee needs to construct off the momentum the sport is producing stateside.
There might be loads of superstars on the nationwide crew whether or not Clark makes the reduce or not. And the U.S. might be prohibitive favorites no matter what mixture of those gamers fits up in Paris. The particular composition of this roster, nonetheless, will reveal what the committee prioritizes, be it nationwide crew historical past, home success, stability of youth/veterans or the most marketable names. All of these prospects are on the desk.
(Photo of Caitlin Clark: Marc Piscotty / Icon Sportswire by way of Getty Images)
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