USA Girls’s Nationwide Basketball Crew finalizes 12-Participant Roster Following Brooklyn coaching camp forward of FIBA qualifying event.
BROOKLYN– Following a 3 day coaching camp on the Barclays Heart in Brooklyn, New York, the USA Girls’s Nationwide Basketball introduced their 12-player roster for the FIBA qualifying event. With the lineup set, the USA crew will compete within the event on Feb. 8-11, in Antwerp, Belgium.
Already certified within the 2024 Paris Olympics, USA will compete towards Belgium, Nigeria, and Senegal. The primary matchup vs. Belgium will happen on Feb. 8 at 2:45 p.m. ET. USA will face Nigeria on Feb. 9, beginning at 12:15 p.m. ET.
Over the weekend, the 18-roster mini camp roster included the next athletes: Allisha Grey, Aliyah Boston, Alyssa Thomas, Ariel Atkins, Arike Ogunbowale, A’ja Wilson, Betnijah Laney, Breanna Stewart, Brittney Griner, Chelsea Grey, Diana Taurasi, Jackie Younger, Jewell Loyd, Kahleah Copper, Kelsey Plum, Napheesa Collier, Rhyne Howard, and Sabrina Ionescu.
All through coaching camp, all gamers had been divided into two groups, one sporting gray jerseys, and the opposite, purple scrimmage vests. Within the intense follow, the athletes had been seen competing 5 vs. 5 towards male basketball gamers, and one another. In attendance was WNBA Commissioner, Cathy Engelbert, Chicago Sky head coach Teresa Weatherspoon, amongst a number of high-profile coaches and common managers.
A lot expertise right here. Love the defensive matchup with Betnijah Laney on Jackie Younger. Nice display by Aliyah Boston and protection by A’ja Wilson.
Alyssa Thomas doing what she does best-rebounding & getting the ball out. Kelsey Plum finds her in transition at @usabasketball camp pic.twitter.com/17Tyhmhl74
— Sara Jane Gamelli (@SaraJGamelli) February 3, 2024
After the 5 vs. 5 scrimmage matchups, the gamers had been seen engaged on their photographs in particular person and group settings.
Though all of those gamers are distinctive athletes, sadly six of them had been minimize earlier than this weekend’s qualifying event. Noticeably absent is Aces star, A’ja Wilson, who has prior commitments, and Brittney Griner. It appears the rookies are being given an opportunity to compete in Belgium developing.
Diana Taurasi is competing for her sixth Olympic gold medal
The 12-roster finalists embrace five-time Olympic Gold Medalist Diana Taurasi. The UConn legend has spent all 16 years of her WNBA profession with the Phoenix Mercury. She acquired a gold medal in 2004, 2008, 2012, 2016, and 2020.
Current at coaching camp, Taurasi make clear competing for her nation, and the youthful technology taking on as the brand new faces of ladies’s basketball.
The legend herself Diana Taurasi speaks extremely of Aliyah Boston at @usabasketball pic.twitter.com/o2QrAujD0U
— Sara Jane Gamelli (@SaraJGamelli) February 3, 2024
“It is at all times been one thing that we have taken significantly,” Taurasi advised the media after follow. “These camps occur for a cause, clearly it is an Olympic 12 months. They’re hind within the depth and strain, however coach Reeves, she does a very good job of creating it quite simple. You come out right here, you play exhausting, you play in your teammate, you play in your nation.”
Contemplating the Olympics are each 4 years, at age 41, this might very effectively be Taurasi’s final Olympics of her skilled profession. Even at her age, Taurasi nonetheless loves competing at a excessive degree.
“It is no secret, it is floor and pound,” stated Taurasi. “Everyone seems to be at all times attempting to ask– you need to do it each single day whenever you’re 40. It hurts somewhat bit extra, it takes somewhat bit longer, however it’s sweeter when the day’s over. I nonetheless like to compete. I nonetheless like to play. “
Rookies are getting a shot this upcoming weekend
Former rookies of the 12 months Aliyah Boston, and Atlanta Dream guard Rhyne Howard, are each finalists for the 12-person roster. Though they’ve prior USA basketball expertise, they are going to make their senior debuts this weekend in Belgium. Boston, the previous No.1 decide within the 2023 WNBA Draft, turned the primary rookie to begin an All-Star sport since 2014. Howard, a 2x WNBA All-Star, has blossomed right into a star in simply two seasons.
“Candy toes, she’s bought candy toes.” stated Taurasi on Aliyah Boston. “What a terrific child. I’ve spent a while her within the final camp. She’s such an excellent, clever, younger girl. You do not get to understand how good somebody is till you pay with them. Aliyah [Boston] is the way forward for not solely the WNBA, however of USA Basketball.”
As Taurasi competes for her sixth Olympic gold medal, the Mercury star says it has been enjoyable to play with the youthful technology of gamers, and the sport of basketball has developed over time. Though she’s accustomed to sure ranges of comfortability, she’s open to attaining the identical aim of profitable a gold medal regardless of variations ranges of expertise.
“It is humorous, generally expertise is an Achilles heel,” Taurasi advised the media. “You have been via it so many occasions. You are feeling like there is a sure approach of doing it. Being round these youngsters not solely in USA Basketball, the WNBA, it is a complete new technology of children. They study totally different, they suppose totally different, the play totally different. It has been actually enjoyable to see how they go about it, and there is a couple of technique to pores and skin a cat.”
Turning protection➡️offense at @usabasketball coaching camp
Jewell Loyd locking down on protection results in a easy dime from Betnijah Laney to Alyssa Thomas!
There 18 finalists which are competing for one among 12 roster spots on the USA Girls’s Basketball Nationwide Crew. pic.twitter.com/0su6u2e1Dn
— Ballislife Womens Basketball (@ballislifewbb_) February 3, 2024
The ultimate 12-person roster for the FIBA qualifying event
The opposite qualifying athletes embrace Ariel Atkins, Napheesa Collier, Kahleah Copper, Sabrina Ionescu, Jewell Loyd, Kelsey Plum, Breanna Stewart, Alyssa Thomas, and Jackie Younger. In search of their eight consecutive Gold Medal, Atkins, Collier, Loyd, Plum, Stewart, and Younger had been all individuals within the 2020 Olympics. A core a part of the 3×3 2020 Olympic crew, Plum and Younger are as soon as once more headed to Paris. Copper and Thomas had been each members of the 2022 USA Girls’s World Cup roster.
Because the crew heads over seas, Cheryl Reeve, head coach of the Minnesota Lynx, was named the USA Girls’s Basketball Head Coach for the coaching camp and qualifying tournaments.
There will probably be one other coaching camp in April, the place the crew could make its last roster modifications earlier than heading to Paris this summer season. The reigning champions, the USA Nationwide Girls’s basketball crew hasn’t misplaced for the reason that 1992 Olympics, the place they earned a bronze medal.
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Sara Jane Gamelli is a full-time Sportswriter, Content material Creator and Social Media Supervisor for Ballislife Bets. She has a deal with the NBA, WNBA, NCAA Basketball, and the NFL. Sara Jane at the moment resides in Connecticut/NYC space together with her Cat and Canine. SJ has her undergraduate diploma from the College of Connecticut in Economics, with a minor in enterprise administration.