Team USA women’s basketball roster, schedule for 2024 Olympics: Americans eyeing eighth consecutive gold
The U.S. Olympic women’s basketball team is now just two wins away from an eighth consecutive Olympic gold medal after cruising past Nigeria, 88-74, in the quarterfinals of the Paris 2024 games. Team USA will now play Australia in the semifinals on Friday morning, with tip-off set for 11:30 a.m. ET.Â
Las Vegas Aces star A’ja Wilson once again led the way with 20 points and 10 rebounds on 9-of-11 from the field against the undersized Nigerians. Her Aces teammate Jackie Young added 15 points, while Breanna Stewart chipped in 13 points, six rebounds and three assists.Â
The last time the U.S. women’s 5×5 team lost an Olympic game was in the semifinals of the 1992 Barcelona Games, and their winning streak has now reached 59 games. To get to 60, they’ll have to pass arguably their biggest test yet in this tournament.Â
Australia, which boasts Ezi Magbegor, Alanna Smith and former WNBA MVP Lauren Jackson, was one of the medal favorites heading into Paris and is coming off an impressive 18-point win over Serbia. While they don’t have the top-level talent to match Team USA, they do have a roster full of current and former WNBA players.Â
There are 12 countries in the Olympic women’s basketball tournament, and they were separated into three four-team groups. The top two teams in each group were guaranteed a spot in the knockout rounds.
When forming this Team USA roster, the selection committee favored experienced veterans. Their collective resume is impressive, to say the least, as every single player has won a gold medal in the Olympics or the World Cup. The group is led by Wilson and Stewart, but the squad has plenty othrer recognizable names, including veteran guard Diana Taurasi, who is competing in her sixth and final Olympic Games.
Team USA rosterPlayerPositionWNBA TeamNapheesa Collier
Forward
Minnesota Lynx
Kahleah Copper
Guard/Forward
Phoenix Mercury
Chelsea Gray
Guard
Las Vegas Aces
Brittney Griner
Center
Phoenix Mercury
Sabrina Ionescu
Guard
New York Liberty
Jewell Loyd
Guard
Seattle Storm
Kelsey Plum
Guard
Las Vegas Aces
Breanna Stewart
Forward
New York Liberty
Diana Taurasi
Guard
Phoenix Mercury
Alyssa Thomas
Forward
Connecticut Sun
A’ja Wilson
Forward
Las Vegas Aces
Jackie Young
Guard
Las Vegas Aces
Team USA schedule2024 WNBA All-Star Game (Phoenix)
July 20: Team WNBA 117, Team USA 109USA Basketball Showcase (London)
July 23: Team USA 84, Germany 572024 Olympics Group Stage (Lille)
July 29: Team USA 102, Japan 76Aug. 1: Team USA 87, Belgium 74Aug. 4: Team USA 87, Germany 682024 Olympics Knockout Stage (Paris)
Quarterfinals, Aug. 7: Team USA 88, Nigeria 74Semifinals, Aug. 9: Team USA vs. Australia, 11:30 a.m. ET — USA Network/PeacockGold medal game, Aug. 11: TBD vs. TBD, 9:30 a.m. — TBDTeam USA outlookThe American women have not lost a game in a major international tournament since 2006 and have not lost a game at the Olympics since 1992. They are, by far, the best team in the world, and are once again massive favorites to take home the gold medal on Sunday.
Team USA now faces a tough test in Australia, a team led by WNBA Defensive Player of the Year candidate Ezi Magbegor, WNBA Most Improved Player contender Alanna Smith and former WNBA MVP Lauren Jackson.
