USA Ladies’s Basketball Seeks Seventh Straight Gold
The USA girls’s basketball staff has taken dwelling the gold medal within the final six Olympic Video games.
They aren’t making an attempt to interrupt that streak, as Staff USA heads to Tokyo looking for its seventh straight title.
There will probably be some variations this 12 months, although. This time round, legendary UConn coach Geno Auriemma is handing the head-coaching reigns to Corridor of Fame coach Daybreak Staley of South Carolina. She’ll lead a balanced mix of veteran players like Sue Hen and Diana Taurasi and thrilling newcomers like MVP A’ja Wilson in worldwide play.
Everything of Staff USA’s roster performs within the WNBA. It additionally contains Ariel Atkins, Napheesa Collier, Skylar Diggins-Smith, Sylvia Fowles, Chelsea Gray, Brittney Griner, Jewell Loyd and Breanna Stewart. Regardless of who’s teaching and who’s out the ground, the expectations stay the identical.
Regardless of being despatched off to Tokyo with a loss by the hands of Staff WNBA within the All-Star Recreation, anticipate Staff USA will prolong its Olympic win streak.
First, they only must get by way of the opposite 11 groups in play.
SCHEDULE
Preliminary Spherical
Tuesday, Jul. 24 — United States vs. Nigeria at 12:40 a.m. ET
Friday, Jul. 30 — United States vs. Japan at 12:40 a.m. ET
Monday, Aug. 2 — United States vs. France at 12:40 a.m. ET
Quarterfinals
Tuesday, Aug. 3 – Wednesday, Aug. 4 — TBD
Semifinals
Friday, Aug. 6 — TBD
Finals
Saturday, Aug. 7 — TBD
LOCAL TIES
There aren’t any New England natives suiting up for Staff USA, however loads of gamers, as you might think about, performed their faculty careers on the College of Connecticut.
Sue Hen, Seattle Storm
Tina Charles, New York Liberty
Napheesa Collier, Minnesota Lynx
Breanna Stewart, Seattle Storm
Diana Taurasi, Phoenix Mercury
TOUGHEST OPPONENTS
Australia — Las Vegas middle Liz Cambage will sit out of the Video games to deal with her psychological well being, however the roster nonetheless is stacked with WNBA expertise like Ezi Magbegor, Rebecca Allen, and Alanna Smith. Ranked No. 2 on the earth, they’ve received 5 medals on the Olympics — simply not gold.
Serbia — After not too long ago successful the FIBA Ladies’s EuroBasket title, defeating France within the last, Serbia makes its second look on the Olympics after successful bronze in Rio on the 2016 Video games. They’ve the hardest group to get out of, with Spain and Canada, however veteran Sonja Vasic makes any staff she’s on a menace.
Canada — The Unites States’ neighbors to the north are regulars on the Video games with six Olympic veterans. They’ve a roster that includes WNBA gamers like Kia Nurse, Natalie Achonwa and Bridget Carleton.
