USA Basketball shall be searching for its eighth consecutive Olympic gold medal this summer time 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 workforce that can defend the Individuals’ gold medal in Paris.
Based mostly on the 18 gamers who’ve been invited to the nationwide workforce camp from Feb. 2-4 in Brooklyn, N.Y., the committee has a terrifically difficult job to pick that ultimate roster, a choice that can possible be additional sophisticated by the present collegians — primarily Caitlin Clark, however USA Basketball veterans Paige Bueckers and Cameron Brink may additionally think about right here — who flip professional on the finish of the 2023-24 season.
The ultimate roster will in the end make an announcement about what the committee values: youth and the longer term or expertise and confirmed success. USA Basketball has typically balanced young and old on the worldwide workforce 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 shall 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, one in all eight Olympians from Tokyo in 2021 who’s again within the nationwide workforce pool. Taurasi is searching for to turn out to be 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 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 within the USA Basketball school 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 Grey, Brittney Griner, Jewell Loyd, Breanna Stewart and A’ja Wilson from the Tokyo workforce. Atkins is the one a kind of returnees — apart from Griner, who has extenuating circumstances, and is one other lock to go well with up in pink, white and blue if she so chooses — whose play has declined for the reason that final Olympiad, however contemplating she additionally performed for the USA throughout the 2022 FIBA World Cup, Atkins will possible 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 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 alternatives throughout the previous two seasons, with the latter two ending top-five in MVP voting. Plum’s historical past with the three-on-three workforce 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 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 workforce.
All seven of these gamers could be affordable alternatives 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 one of the vital adorned school careers in latest reminiscence, plus gather a number of gold medals for the U.S. at youth ranges, whereas incomes rookie of the 12 months honors and beginning within the WNBA All-Star Sport. 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 some other nationwide workforce on the earth — 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 children take their place on the finish of the roster after which develop into the longer term leaders. Wilson has talked about studying from Taurasi and Sue Fowl the way to set the usual, which she put into observe together with Stewart on the final World Cup.
It could 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 choose Taurasi nonetheless kicking, there will not be sufficient area. 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 shall be tough sufficient with out including Clark to the combo.
Then once more, the Caitlin Clark impact is actual. How may USA Basketball select to not capitalize on the rabid reputation of one of many recreation’s greatest stars when whoever takes her place doesn’t determine to play many minutes anyway? The Olympics are the largest showcase of girls’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 shall be loads of superstars on the nationwide workforce whether or not Clark makes the minimize or not. And the U.S. shall 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 workforce historical past, home success, stability of youth/veterans or essentially the most marketable names. All of these prospects are on the desk.
(Photograph of Caitlin Clark: Marc Piscotty / Icon Sportswire by way of Getty Pictures)