U.S. women seek 8th straight Olympic gold in basketball : NPR

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LONDON – When Brittney Griner, A’ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart take to the basketball courtroom Monday for his or her opening sport of the Paris Olympics, they’ll be seeking to lengthen a successful streak that started earlier than most of them have been born.

America’ ladies’s nationwide basketball group is undefeated on the Olympics since 1992. Each member of the group has already received both an Olympic gold medal, or a World Cup gold, previously. Collectively they’re looking for an eighth straight Olympic gold – and tenth total.

LeBron James might have been Group USA’s flag bearer at Friday’s opening ceremony. But it surely’s the American ladies who sit atop one in every of most successful dynasties within the historical past of basketball – or every other sport.

However some huge names have been left off the U.S. squad this 12 months. And since the Olympics fall smack in the course of the WNBA season, those that did make the group have had little time to observe collectively.

Different international locations have in the meantime been sending extra athletes to the WNBA, taking part in alongside the U.S. ladies, finding out their absolute dominance on the basketball courtroom – and attempting to catch up.

All of these issues may come collectively to threaten one of many longest gold medal streaks in Olympic historical past.

How to not really feel the stress of historical past

Requested how she retains her gamers grounded, when success has come so simply to them, U.S. head coach Cheryl Reeve says: “You possibly can’t escape historical past.”

“We’re standing on this wonderful tradition that was constructed a protracted, very long time in the past. So I feel we’re conscious of that,” Reeve instructed reporters in London final week, after successful an exhibition sport towards Germany there, 84 to 57. “However I feel it’s additionally actually essential that this journey is exclusive and particular to this group. That is our first expertise collectively.”

“You possibly can’t escape historical past. We’re standing on this wonderful tradition that was constructed a protracted, very long time in the past,” Group USA Head coach Cheryl Reeve has instructed her gamers forward of the Paris Olympics.

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It’s a primary for this explicit mixture of gamers. The squad consists of first-time Olympians Sabrina Ionescu, Kahleah Copper and Alyssa Thomas. The opposite 9 have all been Olympians earlier than. At 42, Diana Taurasi makes historical past because the oldest girl in USA basketball historical past to compete on the Olympics.

For those who suppose two-time gold medalist LeBron James is spectacular, nonetheless taking part in basketball at age 39, on the identical Los Angeles Lakers group as his son, take into account Taurasi: She’s three years older than James. She has 5 Olympic gold medals, and goes for a sixth.

“I’m not going to the Olympics as a farewell tour. I’m going attempting to win a gold medal with my teammates. That’s the one purpose I play basketball,” she instructed NPR. “So I really feel simply the identical as my first one. My again’s a little bit extra sore although!”

A’ja Wilson speaks throughout a Group USA Ladies’s Basketball press convention on the Paris Olympics 2024 Predominant Press Heart on Saturday.

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Griner’s first journey overseas since her Russia ordeal

The U.S. squad additionally consists of six-foot-nine Griner, who can dunk. Paris is her third Olympics. But it surely’s her first journey overseas since being held captive in Russia for 10 months.

She’d been touring forwards and backwards to Russia, taking part in within the EuroLeague, when in 2022, two vape cartridges with doctor-prescribed hashish oil have been present in her baggage. Griner was convicted on drug costs, sentenced to 9 years in a Russian penal colony – however then freed in a prisoner swap.

Griner spoke to NPR this spring about her psychological well being struggles since then. She’s additionally written a memoir, Coming Residence, recounting psychological and bodily abuse whereas in Russian custody.

She remained on the bench for final week’s exhibition sport towards Germany. However Reeve instructed reporters Griner is “utterly tremendous,” and can play within the Olympics.

Teammate A’ja Wilson says gamers try to assist Griner by her trauma.

“We’re simply going to at all times be her sisters,” Wilson instructed reporters in response to a query from NPR. “We’re simply attempting to be round her and simply assist her and hug her. I’m grateful to be her teammate once more.”

Ever heard of Caitlin Clark?

One participant who’s absent from the Olympics is the NCAA’s all-time high scorer, now an WNBA rookie – who’s been credited with boosting the league’s recognition. There could also be a so-called “Caitlin Clark Impact” – however the Indiana Fever participant didn’t make the Olympic group.

“You do have a few of these newer followers popping out and saying, ‘Effectively in the event that they lose, it’s as a result of Caitlin Clark wasn’t on this group,’” says Lindsey Darvin, a sports activities administration professor at Syracuse College. “However that positively wouldn’t be the case.”

Darvin says Clark is recent out of school, has solely performed half a WNBA season, and “simply isn’t one of many high 12 gamers within the U.S. but.”

Clark additionally wasn’t capable of attend any USA Basketball coaching camps this 12 months, as a result of she was taking part in within the Ultimate 4, taking her group, the Iowa Hawkeyes, to the NCAA Division I championship in April. (They misplaced to South Carolina.)

“Individuals who have simply heard of some gamers like Caitlin Clark, they’re then stunned that she’s not within the squad, as a result of she’s their introduction to the sport,” says Richard Cohen, a British journalist who covers the WNBA. “However to these of us who comply with it carefully, she was in all probability by no means getting in.”

Arike Ogunbowale, who was left off the usWomen’s Olympic squad, celebrates with the MVP trophy after Group WNBA defeated the Olympic group 117-109 in the course of the 2024 WNBA All Star Sport in Phoenix, Ariz. on July 20, 2024.

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One other participant lacking from the Olympic roster

Analysts say it’s a fair greater shock that Arike Ogunbowale isn’t on the roster. She was named MVP of this 12 months’s WNBA all-stars – a group that beat this Olympic squad earlier this month. Ogunbowale was the highest scorer in that sport.

After being handed over for the group 4 years in the past, Ogunbowale attended coaching camps this 12 months – however then took her title out of the operating, decrying the choice course of as political.

“I simply wasn’t feeling like they actually needed me on that group. So I simply eliminated myself,” she instructed ESPN earlier this month.

Darvin, the Syracuse professor, says Group USA’s loss to Clark and Ogunbowale’s WNBA all-stars was a “wake-up name.”

“While you’re a group that’s dominated for therefore lengthy, you don’t take everybody as critically as it’s best to,” she says. “So I feel that was a superb alternative for them to take step again and say, ‘OK, we’re beatable.’”

That might be a menace on the Paris Olympics as nicely.

What the competitors appears to be like like

Group USA’s Olympic opener is towards Japan in Lille, France on Monday (9pm native; 3pm ET). The 2 groups met within the gold-medal sport in Tokyo three years in the past. The U.S. received that sport 90 to 75.

Earlier than arriving in France, the U.S. ladies had simply three days to observe collectively, in Phoenix, in the course of the WNBA all-star weekend.

In contrast, Japan has been getting ready for Monday’s sport for a couple of 12 months. Different international locations have been practising collectively full-time for the previous month.

“The world is catching up. Among the best groups is the French, who clearly have house courtroom benefit. Canada are getting higher. China look good,” says Cohen, the British WNBA reporter. “The U.S. stays essentially the most dominant, and the favourite. However there’s a number of stress on them.”

“You win that a lot, and the primary particular person to lose goes to be remembered as the one who ended this dynasty,” he says.