USA Basketball might be in search of its eighth consecutive Olympic gold medal this summer season with step one coming on the Olympic qualifying event in Antwerp, Belgium, from Feb. 8-11. The 12-player roster for that event would be the first approximation of the crew that can defend the People’ gold medal in Paris.
Primarily 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 ultimate roster, a choice that can probably be additional difficult by the present collegians — primarily Caitlin Clark, however USA Basketball veterans Paige Bueckers and Cameron Brink might additionally consider right here — who flip professional on the finish of the 2023-24 season.
The ultimate roster will finally make an announcement about what the committee values: youth and the long run 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. Together with — or not together with — Clark poses a singular 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 alternative finish of the spectrum from Clark is Diana Taurasi, considered one of eight Olympians from Tokyo in 2021 who’s again within the nationwide crew pool. Taurasi is in search of to develop into the primary basketball participant of both gender to compete in six Olympics. She would even be the oldest basketball Olympian ever and the third American girl 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 within the USA Basketball school barnstorming tour in November in opposition to Tennessee and Duke, which presumably was not obligatory for a participant along with her pedigree.
Taurasi is joined by Ariel Atkins, Napheesa Collier, Chelsea Grey, Brittney Griner, Jewell Loyd, Breanna Stewart and A’ja Wilson from the Tokyo crew. Atkins is the one a type of returnees — apart from Griner, who has extenuating circumstances, and is one other lock to go well with up in purple, white and blue if she so chooses — whose play has declined because the final Olympiad, however contemplating she additionally performed for the USA through the 2022 FIBA World Cup, Atkins will probably be prioritized by the committee. Nonetheless, her standing as a 2024 Olympian might be essentially the most tenuous of those eight gamers.
That leaves at most 5, and certain 4, spots for brand spanking new blood, and the competitors is fierce. Kahleah Copper, Sabrina Ionescu, Betnijah Laney, Kelsey Plum and Alyssa Thomas had 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 choices throughout the previous two seasons, with the latter two ending top-five in MVP voting. Plum’s historical past with the three-on-three crew also needs to give her a leg up with the committee, which brings us to her fellow gold medalists in that sport’s debut in 2021: Allisha Grey and Jackie Younger. Each gamers appear too good to be left off of the roster, particularly Younger, however that’s at all times the case with the American nationwide crew.
All seven of these gamers could be cheap choices 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 achieved is put collectively some of the adorned school careers in current reminiscence, plus accumulate a number of gold medals for the U.S. at youth ranges, whereas incomes rookie of the yr honors and beginning within the WNBA All-Star Recreation. Frankly, Boston looks as if one other lock, filling within the sixth frontcourt spot behind Wilson, Stewart, Griner, Thomas and Collier. Howard and Ogunbowale — each All-Stars who could be the main scorers on nearly another nationwide crew on this planet — are in all probability on the skin wanting in till the 2028 Olympics.
Then, there’s the youth query. The No. 1 picks within 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 kids take their place on the finish of the roster after which develop into the long run leaders. Wilson has talked about studying from Taurasi and Sue Hen how one can set the usual, which she put into follow together with Stewart on the final World Cup.
It might make sense for Clark to be the most recent ingénue to take her place as Group USA’s twelfth participant, however with the 2004 No. 1 decide Taurasi nonetheless kicking, there will not be sufficient house. Maybe the committee will take solace in Boston representing the present era, whereas a cohort of older guards compete within the backcourt. Deciding between Atkins, Copper, Allisha Grey, Ionescu, Ogunbowale, Plum and Younger for what figures to be three spots might be tough sufficient with out including Clark to the combo.
Then once more, the Caitlin Clark impact is actual. How might USA Basketball select to not capitalize on the rabid recognition of one of many sport’s largest stars when whoever takes her place doesn’t determine to play many minutes anyway? The Olympics are the largest showcase of ladies’s basketball worldwide. A participant like Clark belongs on that stage if the choice committee desires to construct off the momentum the game 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 precise composition of this roster, nonetheless, will reveal what the committee prioritizes, be it nationwide crew historical past, home success, steadiness of youth/veterans or essentially the most marketable names. All of these potentialities are on the desk.
(Picture of Caitlin Clark: Marc Piscotty / Icon Sportswire by way of Getty Pictures)
