The Olympics kick off in 80 days, and Crew USA’s ladies’s basketball roster continues to be TBD. The ultimate pre-roster-announcement coaching camp was held in Cleveland throughout the Remaining 4 in April, and whispers are that the ultimate roster may hit by early June.
With the depth of expertise within the U.S., the choice committee has the difficult job of placing collectively the very best 12-person staff — not simply the 12 greatest gamers — as a result of that is about Crew USA profitable its eighth consecutive gold medal and tenth total. Chemistry and filling particular wants are key.
The committee tends to bookend the rosters with veterans, who may not play as a lot as they did a cycle or two earlier than, and one or two younger gamers, who additionally aren’t prone to be high-usage contributors however are seen as the way forward for this system.
In between, there are “locks,” the gamers who’re the very best on this planet. Then, there’s the pool of gamers who fill a necessity on the roster and have additionally been constant performers on the coaching camps Crew USA hosts all year long.
Regardless of how simple which may appear, there’s no actual science for the committee. Certainly one of Crew USA’s largest challenges is that their depth adjustments the coaching camp roster from camp to camp. Elsewhere, international locations have extra of the identical personnel 12 months over 12 months, that means some nations coming into the Paris Video games have had the identical core — rising up collectively, taking part in collectively — for years. For Crew USA, discovering a correct personnel grouping is especially vital as a result of there received’t be a protracted runway for the ultimate 12 to jell and ship on expectations.
Once I started making my projection, I checked out earlier rosters, and my eyes had been significantly drawn to the 2016 Olympic staff. At the moment, the Minnesota Lynx had been dominant, in the midst of their run of 4 titles in seven seasons. The 2016 Olympic roster was one-third Lynx members: Maya Moore, Seimone Augustus, Lindsay Whalen and Sylvia Fowles. These had been definitely 4 of the very best gamers within the nation, however that group particularly had chemistry that introduced gamers collectively on and off the ground. Contemplating the participant pool and the present state of the WNBA, I believe the 2024 roster can have flavors of 2016, simply substituting the Las Vegas Aces for the Lynx.
Eleven weeks out from the 2024 Olympic Video games, that is my prediction for the roster.
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The vets
Diana Taurasi: Taurasi will probably be 42 at first of the Video games and showing in her sixth Olympics. She has been a constant member at Crew USA coaching camps not simply via this most up-to-date Olympic cycle however during the last 20 years. On the Olympic qualifying event in February, solely Ariel Atkins and Jackie Younger averaged fewer minutes than Taurasi, however at this level, her worth as a frontrunner is unmatched, and the one manner she isn’t on this roster is that if she turned down an invitation (and it’s laborious to think about that).
Brittney Griner: In April 2023, after Griner returned dwelling after her 10-month detainment in Russia, she stated the one time she’d play abroad once more was within the Olympics. Griner, 33, probably will get that probability this summer time as she’s nonetheless probably the greatest facilities within the recreation.
The locks
A’ja Wilson: At 27, Wilson is at present the very best participant on this planet. (The very best counterargument is the subsequent participant on this checklist.) Her capability to get a bucket at will, outrebound anybody, even when there’s a measurement differential, and defend at an elite degree makes her a no brainer. In her second Olympics, she’ll be relied upon to be much more of a frontrunner and to domesticate staff chemistry. If Wilson may also help carry among the togetherness, camaraderie and pleasure to Crew USA in the identical manner she has for the Aces, that might be key.
Breanna Stewart: Exterior of Taurasi, nobody on this 12 months’s roster can have extra Crew USA worldwide expertise than Stewart. The 29-year-old has two Olympic gold medals, three World Cup gold medals and a uncommon silver medal from the 2015 Pan American Video games. Plus, she has offseason abroad expertise in China, Russia and Turkey, which helps her in worldwide competitions. Stewart’s versatility as an offensive menace is plain, and he or she’s a rangy defender who can guard any place. One other apparent choice.
Chelsea Grey: Because the WNBA’s Level Gawd, Grey, 31, is the probably beginning PG. She didn’t journey for the Olympic qualifying event as she nonetheless wasn’t cleared for five-on-five at that time throughout her restoration from a foot harm she suffered throughout the 2023 WNBA Finals. She was good to go for the Cleveland camp, so if Grey is wholesome, she ought to be on this roster because the lead ground common.
Napheesa Collier: As one of many youngest gamers on the 2021 Olympic roster, Collier was introduced alongside to achieve senior staff worldwide expertise. She performed fewer than 4 minutes a recreation in Tokyo, however in her second Olympic look, anticipate her to play a a lot bigger position. Collier, 27, has established herself as one of the dominant gamers within the WNBA and as the point of interest for Cheryl Reeve’s Lynx. She was probably the greatest performers within the Olympic qualifying event, taking part in greater than 23 minutes a recreation (second most behind Stewart).
Alyssa Thomas: The 32-year-old may make her first Olympic look, and I really feel assured she’ll be on the ultimate roster. Reeve introduced Thomas again into the Crew USA fold after she had been out of the pool for years. Thomas brings a novel ability set and a decade of WNBA and abroad expertise. She’s universally revered throughout the league for being a grinder and pupil of the sport. Whereas she wouldn’t be a veteran within the sense of her Olympic or Crew USA worldwide expertise, she would carry a veteran presence alongside Taurasi and Griner.
Breanna Stewart and A’ja Wilson will lead the U.S. ladies’s basketball staff to Paris on its quest for an eighth consecutive Olympic gold medal. (Mike Lawrie / Getty Photos)
Within the fold
Jewell Loyd: Loyd, 30, made her Olympic debut in Tokyo, however her involvement with Crew USA goes again greater than a decade. She was a member of the youth nationwide staff that received gold on the U17 World Cup in 2010 and later two golds with the senior staff (2018, 2022) in addition to a gold medal with the three×3 staff (2014 World Cup). She’s a dynamic and environment friendly scorer. Of the gamers who appeared in all three video games throughout the Olympic qualifying event, she was the second main scorer regardless of taking part in the fourth-fewest minutes of all gamers.
Kelsey Plum: At 29, Plum is taking part in the very best basketball of her profession, and that has been on full show via this Olympic cycle. She received gold with the Crew USA 3×3 staff in Tokyo and used that as a launching level for 2 WNBA All-Star seasons. In Belgium on the Olympic qualifying event, she led the staff with 4.7 assists per recreation.
Jackie Younger: Rounding out the Aces’ core for Crew USA will probably be Younger. Like Plum, she’s a reigning 3×3 gold medalist who received a style of the Olympics in Tokyo. Younger, 26, is one other 3-point menace (45 p.c from distance within the WNBA final season) who hits the boards effectively, units up teammates and might be a pesky perimeter defender. With the roster’s measurement and forward-heavy presence among the many veterans and locks, Crew USA may prioritize perimeter gamers in these spots.
The youngins
Aliyah Boston: Since 2004, the Olympic rosters have included both that summer time’s WNBA Rookie of the Yr or the earlier season’s WNBA Rookie of the Yr. (We’ll depend Collier’s 2019 ROY for the 2021 roster.) This summer time, it might need each. Boston, 22, is the reigning WNBA Rookie of the Yr, who was additionally named an All-Star. With such a stacked entrance line forward of her, Boston probably received’t get a ton of minutes in France, however that’s probably not the purpose. By gaining Olympic expertise, Boston units the desk to change into the featured big-in-waiting behind Griner, Wilson and Stewart after they depart the staff.
Caitlin Clark: There’s little question that whether or not Clark is on or off the roster will make headlines. Placing Clark on the roster might be a polarizing determination for the committee as a result of she hasn’t been in a senior staff camp but, and that goes in opposition to the “pay your dues with Crew USA” ideally suited. Rostering Clark is also seen as a daring transfer, particularly due to the earlier stunning snubs we’ve seen (Candace Parker in 2016, Nneka Ogwumike in 2021). Though Ariel Atkins not making her second Olympics, or Kahleah Copper or Sabrina Ionescu not making their first may not rise as much as the Parker-Ogwumike degree, this nonetheless could be a reasonably attention-grabbing determination.
Clark hasn’t performed in a regular-season WNBA recreation but, nevertheless it should give the committee some degree of consolation that she seems to be clicking together with her Indiana Fever squad exceptionally effectively up to now. Plus, it might assist that her fellow younger participant on the Crew USA roster could be Boston, a Fever teammate. Clark would unquestionably carry consideration to Crew USA simply as she did to the school recreation and to the WNBA already — the committee has to know that. She additionally might be a helpful participant in key spots for Crew USA as a switch-up level guard and a 3-point specialist.
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(Prime images of Caitlin Clark, A’ja Wilson and Brittney Griner: Gregory Shamus, Ethan Miller, Mike Lawrie / Getty Photos)