[ad_1]
LONDON, ENGLAND: JULY 23: A’ja Wilson #9 of the United States during team warm-up before the USA V … [+]
Corbis via Getty Images
The quest for gold begins as Team USA Women’s Basketball faces off against the 2020 silver medalists, Japan, this Sunday. The team faced Japan at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, where Team USA showcased their dominance with a 90-75 victory to win a 7th consecutive gold title. Center Brittney Griner led the charge in the matchup with a stellar 30-point performance, while Power Forward Breanna Stewart controlled the boards with 14 rebounds.
Japan, currently ranked 9th in the FIBA World Rankings, carries the distinction of being one of only two nations to have ever defeated Team USA in Olympic history, with a win in the ‘76 Games—the other being the Soviet Union, or the Unified Team, as they were called in the ’92 Games.
Team USA Group C Schedule (Peacock, NBCOlympics.com)
- United States vs Japan, Sunday July 28 at 3PM Eastern
- United States vs Belgium, Thursday August 1 at 3PM Eastern
- United States vs Germany, Sunday August 4 at 11:15AM Eastern
Star-Studded Olympic Roster
Members of the women’s USA Olympics basketball team (left to right) Kahleah Copper, Brittney Griner, … [+]
PA Images via Getty Images
Team USA Captain Diana Taurasi is competing in her sixth Olympic Games, striving to secure an incredible sixth gold medal. If Team USA achieves gold, Taurasi will hold the record for the most gold medals by any player in USA Basketball history. Sue Bird is the only other player with five gold medals, while WNBA legends Lisa Leslie and Tamika Catchings each have four. On the men’s side, Carmelo Anthony leads with three gold medals and one bronze.
Taurasi is part of a powerhouse roster, featuring WNBA stars with impressive records. Forward A’ja Wilson, who tops the WNBA with 27.2 points and 12 rebounds per game, is a leading candidate for the 2024 MVP. The Olympic team also includes four players—Wilson, Kahleah Copper, Jewell Loyd, and Napheesa Collier—who rank in the top five for points per game in the WNBA.
2024 Summer Olympics Roster
- Head Coach Cheryl Reeve
- Assistant Coaches Kara Lawson, Joni Taylor, Mike Thibault
- G 4 Jewell Loyd, Seattle Storm
- G 5 Kelsey Plum, Las Vegas Aces
- G 6 Sabrina Ionescu, New York Liberty
- F 7 Kahleah Copper, Phoenix Mercury
- G 8 Chelsea Gray, Las Vegas Aces
- F 9 A’ja Wilson Las, Vegas Aces
- PF 10 Breanna Stewart, New York Liberty
- SF 11 Napheesa Collier, Minnesota Lynx
- SG 12 Diana Taurasi, Phoenix Mercury
- G 13 Jackie Young, Las Vegas Aces
- PF 14 Alyssa Thomas, Connecticut Sun
- C 15 Brittney Griner, Phoenix Mercury
A Legacy of Olympic Dominance
Basketball: 1996 Summer Olympics: USA Ruthie Bolton (6) victorious with Rebecca Lobo and Lisa Leslie … [+]
Sports Illustrated via Getty Images
Champions of seven consecutive Olympics and heavy favorites to win the 2024 Paris Games, Team USA Women’s Basketball has dominated every Olympics since 1996. Prior to the ’96 Games in Atlanta, they won gold in 1984 and 1988. The only year Team USA did not play in the final was the ’92 Games in Barcelona, Spain, where they lost to the Unified Team which represented the former Soviet Union in the semifinals, 79-73. That year, Team USA went on to win the bronze medal match against Cuba, 88-74.
The ’92 Games marked the last time Team USA Women’s Basketball lost a game at an Olympics or any major tournament. The gold medal victory at the Tokyo Olympics tied Team USA Men’s Basketball’s record (1936-1968) for the most consecutive Olympic team victories in any Olympic sport.
[ad_2]
Source link
