Will Caitlin Clark make Team USA's Olympic roster? Our picks for the 12 places

The Olympics will begin in 80 days and Team USA's women's basketball roster has yet to be determined. The last training camp prior to the roster announcement was held in Cleveland during the Final Four in April, and it is rumored that the final roster could arrive in early June.

With the wealth of talent in the US, the selection committee has the difficult task of assembling the top 12 people. equipment – not just the top 12 players – because it's about Team USA winning its eighth consecutive gold medal and 10th overall. Chemistry and meeting specific needs are key.

The committee tends to fill rosters with veterans, who may not play as much as they did a cycle or two before, and one or two young players, who are also unlikely to contribute much usage, but are seen as the future. From the program.

In the middle are the “locks”, the players who are the best in the world. Then, there is the group of players who fill a need on the roster and who have also been consistent performers in the training camps Team USA hosts throughout the year.

As simple as it may seem, there is no exact science to the committee. One of Team USA's biggest challenges is that its depth changes the training camp roster from camp to camp. Elsewhere, countries have more of the same staff year after year, meaning some nations participating in the Paris Games have had the same core (grow together, play together) for years. For Team USA, finding the right personnel grouping is particularly important because there won't be a long road for the final 12 to adapt and meet expectations.

When I started making my projection, I looked at past rosters and my eyes were particularly drawn to the 2016 Olympic team. At the time, the Minnesota Lynx were dominant, in the midst of their run of four titles in seven seasons. The 2016 Olympic roster was made up of one-third Lynx members: Maya Moore, Seimone Augustus, Lindsay Whalen and Sylvia Fowles. Without a doubt, those were four of the best players in the country, but that group specifically had a chemistry that brought the players together on and off the court. Given the player pool and the current state of the WNBA, I think the 2024 roster will have the flavors of 2016, simply replacing the Lynx with the Las Vegas Aces.

Eleven weeks away from the 2024 Olympic Games, this is my prediction for the squad.

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the veterinarians

Diana Taurasi: Taurasi will be 42 years old at the start of the Games and will be participating in his sixth Olympic Games. He has been a constant fixture at Team USA training camps not only during this most recent Olympic cycle but for the past two decades. At the Olympic qualifying tournament in February, only Ariel Atkins and Jackie Young averaged fewer minutes than Taurasi, but at this point, his value as a leader is unmatched, and the only way he won't be on this list is if he declines an invite ( and it's hard to imagine that).

Brittney Griner: In April 2023, after Griner returned home from his 10-month detention in Russia, he said the only time he would play abroad again would be at the Olympics. Griner, 33, will likely get that opportunity this summer, as she remains one of the best centers in the game.

the locks

A'ja Wilson: At 27 years old, Wilson is currently the best player in the world. (The best counterargument is the next player on this list.) His ability to get a bucket at will, beyond anyone, even if there is a size difference, and defend at an elite level makes it a no-brainer. In his second Olympics, he will rely on her to be even more of a leader and cultivate team chemistry. If Wilson can help bring some togetherness, camaraderie and joy to Team USA the same way he did with the Aces, that could be key.

Breanna Stewart: Aside from Taurasi, no one on this year's roster will have more international experience on Team USA than Stewart. The 29-year-old has two Olympic gold medals, three World Cup gold medals and a rare silver medal from the 2015 Pan American Games. Additionally, he has off-season overseas experience in China, Russia and Turkey, which helps it in international competitions. Stewart's versatility as an offensive threat is undeniable and she is an agile defender who can guard any position. Another obvious selection.

Chelsea gray: Like the WNBA's Point Gawd, Gray, 31, is the likely starting defenseman. She did not travel for the Olympic qualifying tournament because she was not yet cleared to play five-on-five at that time during her recovery from a foot injury she suffered during the 2023 WNBA Finals. She was set to go to camp in Cleveland, so if Gray is healthy, he should be on this list as an overall frontcourt leader.

Napheesa Collier: As one of the youngest players on the 2021 Olympic roster, Collier was signed to gain senior international team experience. He played less than four minutes per match in Tokyo, but in his second Olympic appearance he was expected to play a much larger role. Collier, 27, has established herself as one of the WNBA's most dominant players and the focal point of Cheryl Reeve's Lynx. She was one of the best in the Olympic qualifying tournament, playing over 23 minutes per game (second most behind Stewart).

Alyssa Thomas: The 32-year-old could make her first Olympic appearance and I am sure she will be on the final roster. Reeve brought Thomas back to the US team after she had been out of the pool for years. Thomas brings a unique skill set and a decade of experience in the WNBA and abroad. She is universally respected throughout the league for being an expert and student of the game. While she wouldn't be a veteran in the sense of her Olympic or international experience with Team USA, she would bring a veteran presence alongside Taurasi and Griner.

Breanna Stewart and A'ja Wilson will lead the United States women's basketball team to Paris in their quest for an eighth consecutive Olympic gold medal. (Mike Lawrie/Getty Images)

in the fold

Jewel Loyd: Loyd, 30, made her Olympic debut in Tokyo, but her involvement with Team USA dates back more than a decade. He was part of the youth team that won gold at the U17 World Cup in 2010 and later two golds with the senior team (2018, 2022) in addition to a gold medal with the 3 × 3 team (World Cup 2014). She is a dynamic and efficient scorer. Of the players who appeared in all three matches during the Olympic qualifying tournament, she was the second-highest scorer despite playing the fourth-fewest minutes of all players.

Kelsey Plum: At 29 years old, Plum is playing the best basketball of his career, and that has been fully evident during this Olympic cycle. She won gold with the USA 3×3 team in Tokyo and used it as a launching point for two WNBA All-Star seasons. In Belgium, at the Olympic qualifying tournament, she led the team with 4.7 assists per game.

Young Jackie: Rounding out the Aces' core for Team USA will be Young. Like Plum, she is the current 3×3 gold medalist and tried out for the Tokyo Olympics. Young, 26, is another 3-point threat (45 percent from deep in the WNBA last season) who hits the boards well, sets up her teammates and could be a pesky perimeter defender. With the size of the roster and the strong forward presence among the veterans and safeties, Team USA could prioritize perimeter players in these spots.

Young

Aliya Boston: Since 2004, Olympic rosters have included that summer's WNBA Rookie of the Year or the previous season's WNBA Rookie of the Year. (We'll count Collier's 2019 ROY for the 2021 roster.) This summer, I could have both. Boston, 22, is the reigning WNBA Rookie of the Year, who was also named an All-Star. With such a stacked front line ahead of them, Boston probably won't get many minutes in France, but that's not really the point. By gaining Olympic experience, Boston sets the table to become the highly anticipated team behind Griner, Wilson and Stewart when they leave the team.

Caitlin Clark: There is no doubt that whether Clark is on or off the roster will make headlines. Putting Clark on the roster could be a polarizing decision for the committee because he has not yet been to a senior team camp, and that goes against the “pay your dues with Team USA” ideal. Bringing Clark on could also be seen as a bold move, specifically given the previous shocking snubs we've seen (Candace Parker in 2016, Nneka Ogwumike in 2021). Although Ariel Atkins will not participate in her second Olympic Games, or Kahleah Copper or Sabrina Ionescu will not participate in her first might not reach the level of Parker-Ogwumike, this would be a very interesting decision.

Clark has yet to play in a regular season WNBA game, but it should give the committee some level of comfort that she seems to be clicking exceptionally well with her Indiana Fever team so far. Plus, it would help that her young teammate on the Team USA roster was Boston, a Fever teammate. Clark would undoubtedly bring attention to Team USA just as she did to the college game and to the WNBA; The committee should know. She could also be a useful key-point player for Team USA as a swing point guard and 3-point specialist.