Basketball

WOMEN


The USA Basketball Women’s National Team is highlighted by 12 athletes with extensive USA Basketball experience including Diana Taurasi (Phoenix Mercury), who will make a record sixth straight Olympic appearance, and nine athletes who have already earned at least one Olympic gold medal. The team was selected by the USA Basketball Women’s National Team Committee and approved by the USA Basketball Board of Directors.


In addition to Taurasi, the 2024 USA Women’s National Team includes Napheesa Collier (Minnesota Lynx), Kahleah Copper (Phoenix Mercury), Chelsea Gray (Las Vegas Aces), Brittney Griner (Phoenix Mercury), Sabrina Ionescu (New York Liberty), Jewell Loyd (Seattle Storm), Kelsey Plum (Las Vegas Aces), Breanna Stewart (New York Liberty), Alyssa Thomas (Connecticut Sun), A’ja Wilson (Las Vegas Aces) and Jackie Young (Las Vegas Aces).


The squad has a combined 15 Olympic gold medals, 18 FIBA Women’s World Cup titles and 55 WNBA All-Star appearances. The team also boasts eight WNBA champions, three WNBA MVPs and five WNBA Rookies of the Year. For just the second time in history of the USA Basketball Women’s National Team program, every member of the Olympic Team has either an Olympic or World Cup gold medal (2012). Taurasi, who is a five-time Olympian, has played more games than any other women’s player in USA Basketball Olympic history (38) and is second in points scored (414), trailing only Lisa Leslie (488).


Collier, Gray, Griner, Loyd, Stewart, Taurasi and Wilson all return to the 2024 squad after a 6-0 run toward a gold medal in Tokyo at the 2020 Olympic Games. That year, Wilson and Griner led the team with 16.5 points per game, with Stewart leading the team with 10.0 rebounds per game, while also contributing 15.0 points per game. Griner and Stewart, along with Taurasi, won gold at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. Plum and Young won gold in Tokyo as members of the USA 3x3 Women’s National Team. The duo was part of a tandem that went 8-1 en route to claiming the sport’s first Olympic gold medal. Copper, Gray, Ionescu, Loyd, Plum, Stewart, Thomas and Wilson were all members of the 2022 USA Women’s National Team, which captured its 11th World Cup gold medal in Sydney. The World title also qualified the USA for the Paris Games.


USA Women’s National Team head coach Cheryl Reeve (Minnesota Lynx) will be assisted by Kara Lawson (Duke University), Joni Taylor (Texas A&M University) and Mike Thibault (Washington Mystics). The coaching staff, who together led the USA to a gold medal at the 2022 FIBA Women’s World Cup, was selected by the USA Basketball Women’s National Team Committee.


The USA women are seeking their eighth straight– and 10th overall – Olympic gold medal.


The American women open group play against Japan on July 29 (3:00 p.m. ET), followed by Belgium on Aug. 1 (3:00 p.m. ET) and Germany on Aug. 4 (11:15 a.m. ET). The U.S. has a combined 29-2 overall record against its Group C opponents. This is the second straight Olympics USA is grouped with Japan and marks the first time the U.S. will face Belgium and Germany at the Games.


  • Brittney Griner – Griner will become a three-time Olympian in Paris after taking home gold in Tokyo and Rio de Janeiro. Through two Olympic Games, Griner has averaged 12.6 points, 6.3 rebounds and 1.0 block per game. In addition to the Olympic stage, Griner has won gold at two FIBA Women’s World Cups (2018, 2014), averaging 12.6 points and 5.7 rebounds.
  • Breanna Stewart - Stewart seeks her third Olympic Gold medal in Paris, having earned them in Tokyo and Rio de Janeiro. In Tokyo, the veteran averaged a double-double (15.0 ppg/10.0 rpg). Stewart has won gold medals at each of the last three FIBA World Cups, having been named MVP in 2018 and the All-Tournament First Team in 2022 and 2018. Stewart made her USA Basketball debut at the 2009 FIBA U16 Women’s AmeriCup and has represented the United States at 14 international competitions.
  • Diana Taurasi - Taurasi will make an unprecedented sixth Olympics appearance in Paris, becoming the first USA Basketball player to ever do so. She enters the Paris Games having played more basketball games than any USA Olympian in history (38) and ranks second all-time in points scored for the USA Women’s Olympic competition (414 pts/10.9 ppg). She has won three World Cup titles with USA Basketball (2018, 2014, 2010) and made her USA Basketball debut on the 2000 USA U18 Women’s National Team.
  • A’ja Wilson - Wilson will look for her second Olympics gold medal after contributing a team-high-tying 16.5 points and 7.3 rebounds per game. She was honored as the MVP of the 2022 FIBA Women’s World Cup in Sydney after winning her second World Cup title (2018). She led the team in both scoring (17.2 ppg) and rebounding (7.5 rpg) in six starts, joining the team alongside Gray and Plum after the trio won the WNBA title for the Las Vegas Aces. Wilson’s USA Basketball career dates back to 2013, owning medals from the 2015 and 2013 FIBA U19 Women’s World Cups and 2014 FIBA U18 Women’s Americas Championship.

For inquiries: Michael Terry - mterry@usabasketball.com


MEN


The 2024 USA Basketball Men’s National Team was selected by USA Basketball Men’s National Team managing director Grant Hill. The team is highlighted by 12 athletes with extensive USA Basketball experience including three-time Olympic champion Kevin Durant (Phoenix Suns) and the NBA’s all-time scoring leader LeBron James (Los Angeles Lakers), who owns a pair of Olympic gold medals. 


In addition to Durant and James, the 2024 USA Men’s National Team features Bam Adebayo (Miami Heat), Devin Booker (Phoenix Suns), Stephen Curry (Golden State Warriors), Anthony Davis (Los Angeles Lakers), Anthony Edwards (Minnesota Timberwolves), Joel Embiid (Philadelphia 76ers), Tyrese Haliburton (Indiana Pacers), Jrue Holiday (Boston Celtics), Kawhi Leonard (L.A. Clippers) and Jayson Tatum (Boston Celtics). 


The squad boasts a combined 11 Olympic appearances and owns 10 Olympic gold medals as well as three FIBA World Cup titles. In total, the U.S. will take 12 NBA All-Stars, four NBA MVPs and six NBA champions to Paris. 


The 2024 USA Men’s National Team will be led by head coach Steve Kerr (Golden State Warriors), who is assisted by Mark Few (Gonzaga University), Tyronn Lue (L.A. Clippers) and Erik Spoelstra (Miami Heat). Last summer, the quartet coached the 2023 USA Basketball Men’s National Team to a fourth-place finish at the 2023 FIBA Men’s World Cup in Manila.  


The USA officially qualified for the Paris Games as one of the top two nations from the FIBA Americas zone at the 2023 FIBA World Cup in September. The American men will compete for their fifth straight – and 17th overall – Olympic gold medal.  


As part of Group C, the American men will face Serbia on July 28, South Sudan on July 31 and the winner of the Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT) in Puerto Rico on Aug. 3 in the first round of the Olympic tournament. The 5-on-5 Olympic basketball group phase will take place in Lille, France, before the tournament moves to Paris for knockout and medal rounds.   

 

Athletes to Watch:
  • Kevin Durant is the most decorated Olympian on the squad, having won three Olympic (2012, 2016, 2020) gold medals and adding a FIBA World Championship title in 2010. He is the reigning Olympics MVP; 2010, 2016 and 2021 USA Basketball Male Athlete of the Year; 2010 FIBA World Championship MVP; and a member of the 2010 FIBA All-World Team. Durant is the USA’s all-time Olympic statistical leader in total points (435), scoring average (19.8 ppg), field goals (146), 3-point field goals (74) and free throws (69). He ranks third in rebounds (118) and blocks (16) and fourth in games played (24) and assists (71). He will become one of three Americans to play in four Olympics, including Carmelo Anthony and LeBron James.
  • After training alongside the 2020 USA Men’s National Team as part of the USA Select Team, Anthony Edwards came onto the national team stage at the 2023 FIBA World Cup. Edwards was named to the All-Star Five with averages of 18.9 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 2.8 apg and 1.1 spg in 25.9 mpg through eight starts as the U.S. finished fourth.
  • LeBron James, who has scored 273 points (3rd among all Americans) in the Olympics, will compete in his fourth Games and first since 2012. He won gold in 2008 and 2012 and made his Olympics debut in 2004 (bronze). James also owns a 2007 FIBA Tournament of the Americas gold medal. The 2012 USA Basketball Male Athlete of the Year will become one of three American men (Anthony, Durant) to appear in four Olympics when he takes the floor this summer.

For inquiries: Renee Felton - rfelton@usabasketball.com

(Photo by TeamUSA)