The 12-player roster for Team USA women’s basketball is set and ready to play for a seventh consecutive gold medal. The team is headlined by two players chasing a fifth gold: Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi, as well as six first-time Olympians including A’ja Wilson, Napheesa Collier, Skylar Diggins-Smith, Jewell Loyd, Ariel Atkins and Chelsea Gray. The roster is rounded out by Sylvia Fowles, Brittney Griner, Tina Charles, and Breanna Stewart.
The team controversially won’t include Nneka Ogwumike, the WNBA star who has competed for Team USA in various competitions including the 2020 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament, where she won MVP. The 30-year-old is the only former WNBA MVP to not compete at any Olympic games (so far).
Even without Ogwumike, Team USA is the overwhelming Olympic favorite. The team is set to play three exhibition games in Las Vegas on July 14 against the WNBA All-Stars, July 16 against Australia, and July 18 against Nigeria before heading to Tokyo. They open up Olympic group stage play on July 27 against Nigeria followed by a July 30 matchup against Japan and August 2 game against France. (The complete Olympic women’s basketball tournament schedule can be found here.)
On Monday, USA Basketball announced which numbers its players will wear at the Olympic games. Jerseys run from No. 4 to No. 15. Ariel Atkins is the lone player to wear the same jersey number for Team USA as she does in the WNBA (No. 7). Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi will continue to wear their numbers (6 and 12) from year’s past.
Chasing seven 🥇
The 🇺🇸 #USABWNT Olympic numbers 🙌 pic.twitter.com/UDeV0soS2W
— USA Basketball (@usabasketball) July 5, 2021
Here’s the complete list:
4: Jewell Loyd
5: Skylar Diggins-Smith
6: Sue Bird
7: Ariel Atkins
8: Chelsea Gray
9: A’ja Wilson
10: Breanna Stewart
11: Napheesa Collier
12: Diana Taurasi
13: Sylvia Fowles
14: Tina Charles
15: Brittney Griner
Training camp for Team USA’s women’s team will begin in Las Vegas after the July 11 WNBA break.
