USA basketball Olympic women’s team roster: Who made the cut for Paris Olympics

After Diana Taurasi led the U.S. women’s national basketball team to its seventh consecutive Olympic gold medal at the Tokyo Games in 2021, she matter-of-factly announced to the world, “See you in Paris.” She wasn’t lying.

Taurasi is set to become the first basketball player in history, man or woman, to participate in six Olympic Games when she suits up for the red, white and blue. “I don’t have any words to describe it. It’s humbling. It’s an honor. I’m excited to go and get the journey started,” Taurasi said after the roster was unveiled earlier this month.

The American women are looking to continue their dynasty and win their eighth consecutive gold Olympic medal. They have experience on their side: Every basketball player on the U.S. women’s national team has won gold either at the Olympics or at the World Cup.

The roster is made up of eight WNBA champions, three WNBA MVPs and five WNBA Rookies of the Year. Here’s who made the cut for the 2024 Paris Olympics:

SUBSCRIBE TO USA TODAYS NEWSLETTER Chasing Gold: Your guide to the 2024 Paris Olympics

USA women’s basketball national team roster

The U.S. women’s 5×5 national team “features some of the best basketball talent our country has to offer,” head coach Cheryl Reeve said. The team not only has talent, but it boasts major international experience. The players that make up the 2024 U.S. women’s Olympic team have a combined 15 Olympic gold medals between them.

*Each asterisk marks the number of Olympic appearances, including 2024 Paris 

• **A’ja Wilson, Las Vegas Aces

• *Alyssa Thomas, Connecticut Sun

• ***Breanna Stewart, New York Liberty

• ***Brittney Griner, Phoenix Mercury

• **Chelsea Gray, Las Vegas Aces

• ******Diana Taurasi, Phoenix Mercury

• **Jackie Young, Las Vegas Aces (Young was on the 2020 USA 3×3 Women’s National Team)

• **Jewell Loyd, Seattle Storm

• *Kahleah Copper, Phoenix Mercury

• **Kelsey Plum, Las Vegas Aces (Plum was on the 2020 USA 3×3 Women’s National Team)

• **Napheesa Collier, Minnesota Lynx

• *Sabrina Ionescu, New York Liberty

U.S. WOMEN’S BASKETBALL: Diana Taurasi headlines veteran team for Paris Olympics

Who is head coach of USA women’s basketball?

Cheryl Reeve, head coach of the WNBA’s Minnesota Lynx, will serve as the head coach of the 2024 USA women’s national team. Kara Lawson (Duke), Joni Taylor (Texas A&M) and Mike Thibault (Washington Mystics) will serve as Reeve’s assistant coaches. Reeve and her staff previously led the USA women to a gold medal at the 2022 FIBA Women’s World Cup.

Curt Miller (Los Angeles Sparks) and Tanisha Wright (Atlanta Dream) will assist the team as scouts.

2024 Paris Olympic Games Women’s Basketball schedule

The U.S. women’s national team will kick off the 2024 Paris Olympics with group play in Lille, France. USA women’s basketball is in Group C. Here’s the dates for the U.S. games:

• July 29: USA vs. Japan (3 p.m. ET, NBC)

• Aug. 1: USA vs. Belgium (3 p.m. ET, NBC)

• Aug. 4: USA vs. Germany (11:15 a.m. ET, NBC)

How many gold medals does USA women’s basketball have?

USA women’s basketball has medaled in every Olympics it has participated, winning a total of 11 Olympic medals, including nine gold, one sliver and one bronze. Here’s how the U.S. women have performed since 1976, when women’s basketball debuted at the Montreal Olympics:

• 2020, Tokyo: Gold (90–75 win over Japan)

• 2016, Rio: Gold (101–72 win over Spain)

• 2012, London: Gold (86-50 win over France)

• 2008, Athens: Gold (92–65 win Australia)

• 2004, Athens: Gold (74–63 over Australia)

• 2000, Sydney: Gold (76–54 over Australia)

• 1996, Atlanta: Gold (111–87 win over Brazil)

• 1992, Barcelona: Bronze (88–74 win over Cuba in bronze medal game)

• 1988, Seoul: Gold (77–70 win over Yugoslavia)

• 1984, Los Angeles: Gold (85–55 win over South Korea)

• 1980, Moscow: USA boycotted Olympics due to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan

• 1976, Canada: Silver (83–67 loss to Czechoslovakia)

How many Olympic gold medals does Diana Taurasi have?

Diana Taurasi and Sue Bird (2004, 2008, 2012, 2016, 2020) are the only two American women’s basketball players to win five Olympic gold medals. Taurasi can become the first to earn six gold medals in Paris.

Here’s the Olympic medal count for every player on the U.S. women’s roster for Paris:

• Diana Taurasi: 5 golds (2004, 2008, 2012, 2016, 2020)

• Breanna Stewart: 2 golds (2016, 2020)

• Brittney Griner: 2 golds (2016, 2020)

• A’ja Wilson: 1 gold (2020)

• Chelsea Gray: 1 gold (2020)

• Jewell Loyd: 1 gold (2020)

• Napheesa Collier: 1 gold (2020)

• Jackie Young: 1 gold (2020; USA Women’s 3×3)

• Kelsey Plum: 1 gold (2020; USA Women’s 3×3)

• Alyssa Thomas: 0

• Kahleah Copper: 0

• Sabrina Ionescu: 0

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: USA women’s basketball Olympic team roster for Paris Olympics