Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers celebrates during a May 28 game against the Los Vegas Aces at College Park Center in Arlington, Texas.
Jerome Miron, Imagn Images
With that, here’s a projection of what the Team USA roster will look like when the Olympics begin in Los Angeles in the summer of 2028:
– Aliyah Boston, Indiana Fever
– Paige Bueckers, Dallas Wings
– Caitlin Clark, Indiana Fever
– Napheesa Collier, Minnesota Lynx
– Chelsea Gray, Las Vegas Aces
– Rhyne Howard, Atlanta Dream
– Olivia Miles, Minnesota Lynx
– Angel Reese, Atlanta Dream
– Breanna Stewart, New York Liberty
– A’ja Wilson, Las Vegas Aces
– Jackie Young, Las Vegas Aces
Players to watch: Shakira Austin, Mikayla Blakes, Sonia Citron, Kahleah Copper, Hannah Hidalgo, Sabrina Ionescu, Kiki Iriafen, Rickea Jackson, Kelsey Plum, Sarah Strong.
Wilson, Stewart, Collier, Young and Gray feel like locks and might be the starting lineup when the LA Olympics begin. The next four — the young stars in Bueckers, Clark, Boston and Reese — will probably be included too as the rising faces of the program.
Ultimately, that leaves us with three spots up for grabs, and this projection has those being filled by Miles, Watkins and Howard.
Needless to say, Sue Bird — the managing director of Team USA — has some challenging decisions to make ahead. Leaving Copper off the roster after a strong World Cup might be a hard call, as will excluding Ionescu and Plum, but it’s difficult to ignore Miles and Watkins’ talent. Then again, after a few close calls at the World Cup, perhaps Bird and Lawson will choose to lean on seasoned veterans and take someone like Copper over the inexperienced Watkins.