The ladies’s Olympic basketball match, which options among the greatest gamers on this planet (however not Caitlin Clark of the US), ideas off Sunday in Paris.
Group USA, aiming for its eighth straight Olympic gold medal, begins play Monday towards Japan. The Individuals have the perfect gamers, however they don’t seem to be the one ones who excel on the sport.
Listed here are 10 gamers to observe:
Li Yueru | China
Gotta love this: She’s nicknamed the “Feminine Shaquille O’Neal” by Chinese language basketball followers.
The 6-foot-7 middle averaged 14.8 factors per sport on 78.6% taking pictures on the 2021 Olympics. In opposition to Group USA within the 2022 FIBA World Cup closing, she scored 19 factors on 80% taking pictures and grabbed 12 rebounds for China, ranked second on this planet.
Gabby Williams | France
Gotta love this: Williams, who holds twin U.S.-French citizenship, certified as an alternate within the excessive bounce on the 2012 Olympic Video games for the US earlier than selecting to commit absolutely to basketball.
The previous UConn star performed on the 2021 Olympics bronze-medal workforce for France. Within the WNBA in 2023, she averaged 8.4 factors for the Seattle Storm, however she has not performed within the league since due to the WNBA’s prioritization rule.
Diana Taurasi | United States
Gotta love this: At 42, the Phoenix Mercury star is by far the oldest participant within the WNBA. Nicknamed “White Mamba,” a nod to Kobe Bryant, she’s aiming to grow to be the primary basketball participant to win six Olympic gold medals.
The WNBA’s all-time main scorer was averaging 16.1 factors in WNBA play forward of her last Olympics. Group USA is 38-0 with Taurasi.
Satou Sabally | Germany
Gotta love this: She’s the highest-drafted German professional basketball participant ever — sure, greater than Dirk Nowitzki, the previous Dallas Mavericks celebrity and Corridor of Famer.
The Dallas Wings ahead, who hasn’t performed within the WNBA this season whereas recovering from an harm, averaged 18.6 factors and eight.1 rebounds and shot a formidable 36.1% from three in 2023.
Within the friendly versus Group USA on Tuesday, Sabally struggled taking pictures.
Ezi Magbegor | Australia
Gotta love this: She’s described by teammates as a “super helper” on and off the court docket.
The Seattle Storm star is hitting her stride as Australia seems to medal for the primary time since 2012. Magbegor is averaging 2.4 blocks per sport within the WNBA this season, second behind U.S. star A’ja Wilson.
Capturing 50.2% from the sector within the WNBA this season, she’s the most effective two-way ladies’s basketball gamers in Paris.
Jewell Loyd | United States
Gotta love this: The Seattle Storm star goals to emulate the Olympic scoring dominance of her late good friend, Kobe Bryant.
She’s not taking pictures with nice effectivity within the WNBA this season (35.8%), however the “Gold Mamba” — a nickname Bryant gave her — set the season league scoring report final season (939 factors).
Alyssa Thomas | United States
Gotta love this: Each time Thomas scores for the WNBA’s Connecticut Solar at dwelling, the sound of a revving engine performs over the audio system.
Topped the “Triple-Double Queen” of the WNBA, the 32-year-old ahead is a weapon off the bench for the Individuals. Second solely to Clark in assists per sport within the WNBA (7.7), Thomas has nice court docket imaginative and prescient, particularly in transition.
Emma Meesseman | Belgium
Gotta love this: Her mother was the Belgian Girls’s Basketball Participant of the Yr in 1983.
Meesseman, who final performed within the WNBA in 2022, has taken Belgium from hopeful prospects to authentic contenders. Main as much as this 12 months’s Olympics, Group USA head coach Cheryl Reeve called Meesseman one of many top-five gamers on this planet.
The Belgian earned WNBA Finals MVP with the Washington Mystics in 2019.
Breanna Stewart | United States
Gotta love this: The 2-time gold medalist owns greater than 100 pairs of shoes,
The 29-year-old led Group USA with 31 factors in its exhibition showdown versus the WNBA All-Stars on July 20. The New York Liberty ahead averages 19.3 factors and is certainly one of solely 11 athletes to win an Olympic gold medal, FIBA World Cup gold medal, WNBA championship and NCAA championship.
A’ja Wilson | United States
Gotta love this: She owns Burnt Wax Candles and names candles after profession accomplishments.
The Las Vegas Aces middle is operating away with the WNBA MVP title, main the league in factors (27.2 PPG), rebounds (12 RPG) and blocks (2.9 BPG).
Within the closing international friendly earlier than the Individuals tip off in Paris, the WNBA’s greatest participant tallied 19 factors and 14 rebounds versus Germany.