Best USA Women's Basketball Players of Tokyo 2020 Olympics
Join us as we explore basketball at the 2020 Summer Olympics, as well as the Best USA Women’s basketball players of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
The Tokyo Olympics came to a close on Sunday, with the final medals being presented and the stage being handed over to the Closing Ceremonies. The Games were held in their entirety without any serious disruptions once they eventually got going, after a year-long delay caused by the coronavirus pandemic, which created an unparalleled climate of empty venues and ever-present regulations.
Team USA finished first in the medal table, with gold medals in women's basketball and volleyball lifting the United States above China on Sunday. When it comes to China, the Winter Olympics in Beijing is only a few months away.
In the Tokyo Olympics, the US women's basketball team was simply outstanding. The United States won the gold medal by a score of 90-75 over host Japan, continuing a run of unprecedented titles and victories at the Olympics.
The United States hasn't lost an Olympic game since the 1992 Barcelona Games, a stunning run of 55 consecutive victories. This was the United States' sixth consecutive Olympic gold medal. That exemplifies all that is great about basketball in the United States "Brittney Griner remarked.
The squad is led by veterans Diana Taurasi and Sue Bird, who each won their fifth gold medal (the first basketball players to do so), and includes Breanna Stewart, Brittney Griner, A'ja Wilson, Tina Charles, and Sylvia Fowles, among others.
Japan was outmanned, outsized, and never truly posed a threat to the United States in the championship game. With 17 points, Maki Takada leads the Japanese team. Nako Motohashi scored 16 points off the bench. Japan's greatest Olympic performance in women's basketball was a silver medal.
Griner scored 30 points to lead all scorers (an Olympic record in a gold medal game). Wilson scored 19 points. Stewart had 14 points and 14 rebounds in the game. Dawn Staley's first gold medal as the United States' head coach. She won Olympic gold in 1996, 2000, and 2004 as a player.
Best USA Women's Basketball Players of The Tokyo 2020 Olympics
At the Tokyo Olympics, the star-studded United States women's basketball team is aiming for a seventh consecutive gold medal. Team USA has won 49 Olympic games in a row, with 48 of those victories coming by double digits. Since 1996, the team has won gold in each of the last six Olympics, for a total of eight gold medals, one silver, and one bronze.
From most individual points scored in a single game (Lisa Leslie, 35, in 1996 vs. Japan) to most team points (121 in 2016 vs. Senegal) to most Olympic games participated (Diana Taurasi in 2004, 2008, 2012, and 2016), the United States has multiple Olympic records. Taurasi and Sue Bird, who have each won four gold medals, will be returning to the team.
Half of the players on the US team won gold in the 2016 Rio Olympics, so they have plenty of Olympic experience. It is the overwhelming favorite to win the competition. All of the games was held at Tokyo's Saitama Super Arena. Here’s what you need to know about
USA Basketball Women’s National Team Roster
:
USA Basketball Women’s National Team Roster
Ariel Atkins
(Guard, Washington Mystics)
Sue Bird
(Guard, Seattle Storm)
Tina Charles
(Center, Washington Mystics)
Napheesa Collier
(Guard/forward, Minnesota Lynx)
Skylar Diggins-Smith
(Guard, Phoenix Mercury)
Sylvia Fowles
(Center, Minnesota Lynx)
Chelsea Gray
(Guard, Las Vegas Aces)
Brittney Griner
(Center, Phoenix Mercury)
Breanna Stewart
(Forward/center, Seattle Storm)
A’ja Wilson
(Forward, Las Vegas Aces)
Coaches:
Dawn Staley (head coach), Dan Hughes (assistant), Cheryl Reeve (assistant), Jennifer Rizzotti (assistant)
Well, now is the time to get acquainted with the
USA Women's Basketball Team players
. Join us to get to know them better. The first name is Ariel Atkins.
1- Ariel Atkins
Ariel Atkins (born July 30, 1996) is a professional basketball player in the Women's National Basketball Association for the Washington Mystics (WNBA). Ariel Atkins, a native Texan who attended the University of Texas for four years, made her USA Basketball debut in the 2014 FIBA Americas U18 Championship, where she won gold.
She then joined the 2017 USA U23 National Team, where she helped the team to a 3-0 record and the first-ever U24 Four Nations Tournament title.
Atkins joined the USA National Team for the 2020 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Serbia three years later, averaging 6.3 points per game in her USA Basketball Women's National Team debut before being added to the 2020 USA National Team pool. The next player on the list of the
Best USA Women's Basketball players of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics
is Sue Bird.
2- Sue Bird
Suzanne Brigit Bird (born October 16, 1980) is a professional basketball player for the Seattle Storm and the Women's National Basketball Association's Washington Mystics (WNBA). Suzanne was the Storm's first-round pick in the WNBA draft in 2002 and is largely regarded as one of the best players in the league's history. As a Basketball Operations Associate for the NBA's Denver Nuggets, she worked in the front office.
Suzanne carried the American flag at the opening ceremony of the Tokyo Summer Olympics on July 23, 2021, in preparation for her quest for a fifth gold medal. Bird and Eddy Alvarez, a baseball player, were chosen as flag carriers by their teammates. The honor was described as "mind-blowing" by Bird. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Games have been postponed from 2020.
In April 2002, he was called up to the USA National Team after playing on the USA R. William Jones Cup and USA Select teams in 2000. Sue Bird has since led the United States to win four consecutive Olympic gold medals with a perfect 8-0 records, four FIBA World Cup gold medals (30-0), one FIBA World Cup bronze medal (8-1), and one FIBA Americas Championship gold medal (5-0).
During that span, the USA National Team had a 54-2 exhibition record with Bird on the floor. From 2000 to 2020, Bird had a 142-6 record as a member of the USA Basketball team. The next player on the list of the Best USA Women's Basketball players of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics is Tina Charles.
3- Tina Charles
Tina Alexandria Charles (born December 5, 1988) is a professional basketball player for the Washington Mystics of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). Charles was picked first overall in the 2010 WNBA draft by the Connecticut Sun.
He is a native of Jamaica, Queens, New York City. She and partner Maya Moore led the Connecticut Huskies to two consecutive national championships in 2009 and 2010. With the USA Basketball Women's National Team, she has three Olympic gold medals.
At the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, Charles was a member of Team USA. Charles would win her first Olympic gold medal with an 86–50 victory over France. During the 2016 Summer Olympics, Charles was a member of Team USA, and he helped them win their sixth gold medal by defeating Spain 101–72. Charles would win her second gold medal in the Olympics.
Tina Charles was invited to the USA National Team's 2009 fall training camp after appearing on three USA junior teams from 2005 to 2009. She was then named to the 2010-12 USA National Team, one of only two collegiate athletes on the squad at the time.
Since then, the 2009 USA Basketball Female Athlete of the Year has won two Olympic gold medals and three FIBA World Cup gold medals. From 2009 to 2020, Charles has an 85-6 record in USA Basketball contests. The next player on the list of Best USA Women's Basketball players of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics is Napheesa Collier.
4- Napheesa Collier
Napheesa Collier (born September 23, 1996) is a professional basketball player in the Women's National Basketball Association for the Minnesota Lynx (WNBA). After playing collegiate basketball for the University of Connecticut Huskies, Collier was selected by the Lynx with the 6th overall choice in the 2019 WNBA Draft. Collier was named to the United States Women's Olympic basketball squad in June 2021, her first selection for the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan.
In 2014, Napheesa Collier made her USA Basketball debut, capturing gold medals in 3x3 at the FIBA Americas U18 Championship and the Youth Olympic Games. She's won gold at the 2015 FIBA U19 World Cup and the 2019 FIBA AmeriCup since then. From 2014 to 2020, Collier had a 43-1 record as a member of the USA Basketball team. The next player on the list of
Best USA Women's Basketball players of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics
is Skylar Diggins-Smith.
5- Skylar Diggins-Smith
Skylar Kierra Diggins-Smith (born August 2, 1990) is a professional basketball player for the Phoenix Mercury of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). Diggins was taken third overall in the 2013 WNBA draft by the Tulsa Shock.
In high school, she was named National Gatorade Player of the Year and Gatorade Female Athlete of the Year. Diggins was a point guard for Notre Dame and led the Fighting Irish to three consecutive Final Four appearances and two NCAA championship appearances.
She finished her Notre Dame career as the nation's finest point guard, leading the country in points, steals, and assists while also winning the Nancy Lieberman Award twice.
Diggins-Smith was a member of the 2009 United States U19 World Championship Team, which won gold with an 8–1 record in Bangkok, Thailand. She appeared in eight games and averaged 11.6 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 1.9 assists per game in 23.1 minutes.
Diggins-Smith competed in the 2011 World University Games in Shenzhen, China, as a representative of the United States of America. They won all six games to earn the gold medal.
She led the squad in points, assists, and steals in the game against Great Britain. Diggins was the team's third-leading scorer with 74 points, and he also led the team in assists and steals, with 29 and 20, respectively.
Diggins-Smith realized she didn't make the World Championship squad after meeting with U.S. women's national team director Carol Callan and coach Geno Auriemma in September 2014. After averaging 5.0 points and 1.3 assists per game in three USA National Team exhibition games, she was one of the last three cuts.
After winning gold medals with four separate USA Basketball youth teams, Skylar Diggins-Smith was called up to the USA National Team for its October mini-camp in Las Vegas in 2013.
The 5-foot-9 guard reached the finals of both the 2014 USA World Cup and the 2016 Olympic Games in the United States. He was named one of eight athletes committed to the USA's 2019-20 enhanced training program from 2007 to 2020, and he has a 47-2 record with USA Basketball. The next player on the list of Best USA Women's Basketball players of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics is Sylvia Fowles.
6- Sylvia Fowles
Sylvia Shaqueria Fowles (born October 6, 1985) is a professional basketball player in the Women's National Basketball Association for the Minnesota Lynx (WNBA).
Fowles, who joined the Lynx in July 2015, earned the 2015 WNBA Finals MVP, was voted the WNBA Defensive Player of the Year for the third time in 2016 and was crowned the 2017 WNBA MVP Award winner. Fowles passed Rebekkah Brunson to become the WNBA's career rebound leader in 2020.
Fowles was nominated to the national squad for the World Championships in Ostrava and Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic, in 2010. To earn the gold medal, the squad won all nine games. All of their opponents were held to under 75 points, and they scored in the triple digits four times. The lone game with a single-digit margin of victory was against Australia, which they won by eight points. Over the course of the tournament, Fowles averaged 8.9 points per game.
Fowles was one of 21 finalists for a spot on the USA Basketball Women's National Team Roster. The USA Basketball Women's National Team Player Selection Committee chose 20 professional women's basketball players and one collegiate player (Brittney Griner) to compete for a spot on the final roster that would represent the United States at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, where Fowles won her second Olympic gold medal.
Fowles also competed in the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio, where she won her third gold medal as Team USA defeated Spain 101–72. Sylvia Fowles competed on two junior teams between 2003 and 2005 before being called up to the USA National Team in 2006 for the Opals World Challenge, which was hosted by Australia.
Fowles has won three Olympic gold medals, one FIBA World Championship gold, and a 27-2 exhibition record with the USA National Team since then. From 2003 to 2020, Fowles was an 80-4 winner in a USA Basketball outfit. The next player on the list of Best USA Women's Basketball players of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics is Chelsea Gray.
7- Chelsea Gray
Chelsea Gray (born October 8, 1992) is a professional basketball player for the Women's National Basketball Association's Las Vegas Aces (WNBA). In the 2014 WNBA Draft, she was selected eleventh overall. She was injured during the 2014 WNBA season and did not play for the Sun until the 2015 season.
Chelsea Gray's opportunity to play for USA Basketball was never right due to injuries or other conflicts. She was, however, one of eight players who agreed to join the USA's enhanced training program for 2019-20, and she helped the team to a 10-1 record against collegiate and international opponents. The next player on the list of
Best USA Women's Basketball players of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics
is Brittney Griner.
8- Brittney Griner
Brittney Yevette Griner (born October 18, 1990) is a professional basketball player for the Phoenix Mercury of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). She played basketball for the Baylor Lady Bears in Waco, Texas. She is the only player in NCAA history to score 2,000 points and block 500 shots.
In 2012, the three-time All-American was named the Associated Press Player of the Year and the Final Four's Most Outstanding Player. Griner spent two weeks with the United States National Team in Europe in September 2011 as part of coach Geno Auriemma's European training tour. Griner was the group's sole college player. With the USA squad in Europe, she averaged 12.8 points and 7.3 rebounds per game.
On the 2012 U.S. Olympic women's basketball team finalist’s roster, Griner was the only player currently playing college basketball. The average age of the finalist’s roster, except Griner, was around 30 years old, compared to Griner's 22 years at the time of the Olympics. Griner opted not to compete in the 2012 Olympics in April 2012 owing to a family sickness and her school schedule.
Griner was requested to participate in tryouts with the Dallas Mavericks NBA team in April 2013. Griner won her first Olympic medal in 2016 while playing for the United States Olympic women's basketball team, which won gold after defeating Spain 101–72. She is one of 11 players to win an Olympic gold medal, a FIBA World Cup gold medal, a WNBA title, and an NCAA title.
Sue Bird, Swin Cash, Tamika Catchings, Cynthia Cooper, Asjha Jones, Maya Moore, Breanna Stewart, Sheryl Swoopes, Diana Taurasi, and Kara Wolters are among those who have been added to the list.
Griner has been re-selected for the United States Olympic women's basketball squad for the 2020 Games. The next player on the list of Best USA Women's Basketball players of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics is Breanna Stewart.
9- Breanna Stewart
Breanna Mackenzie Stewart is a professional basketball player in the Women's National Basketball Association for the Seattle Storm (WNBA). At the junior level, she won five gold medals in international competitions.
Breanna Stewart, the two-time USA Basketball Female Athlete of the Year, was called up to the USA National Team in October 2013 for its October minicamp in Las Vegas and has since helped the team win gold at the 2016 Olympics (8-0) and two FIBA World Cups (12-0) while posting a 12-1 exhibition record.
From 2009 to 2020, the 2018 FIBA World Cup MVP has an 84-6 record in USA Basketball contests. The last player on the list of Best USA Women's Basketball players of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics is A’ja Riyadh Wilson.
10- A’ja Riyadh Wilson
A'ja Riyadh Wilson (born August 8, 1996) is a professional basketball player for the Women's National Basketball Association's Las Vegas Aces (WNBA). Wilson was a member of the South Carolina Gamecocks in college, where she won the NCAA Basketball Tournament Most Outstanding Player title and helped the Gamecocks win their first NCAA Women's Basketball Championship in 2017.
In 2018, she was named SEC Player of the Year for the third straight season, led South Carolina to a record 4th straight SEC Tournament Championship, became the all-time leading scorer in South Carolina women's basketball history, and was named a consensus first-team All-American for the third straight season.
Wilson won every National Player of the Year award in women's college basketball in 2018 (Wade, AP, Honda, USBWA, Wooden, and Naismith). The Aces selected her first overall in the 2018 WNBA draft. Wilson won the WNBA MVP award in 2020, and she also won her first Olympic gold medal in Basketball at the 2020 Summer Olympics.
A'ja Wilson attended her first USA National Team training camp in 2017 after winning gold medals in three junior championships, including two FIBA U19 World Cups. She went on to assist the USA to win gold at the 2018 FIBA World Cup and was one of eight players to commit to the USA's expanded training program for the 2019-20 season. Wilson has a 47-0 record as a member of the USA Basketball team from 2013 through 2020.
We hope you enjoyed the
Basketball at the 2020 Summer Olympics
and thank you for being with us until the end of this article to know the USA Women's Basketball Team players.
Read More:
DISCLAIMER! Sportmob does not claim ownership of any of the pictures posted on this website. Again, we do not host pictures or videos ourselves. Our authors merely link to the rightful owner. Lastly, Sportmob have carefully considered and reviewed all of its content. Despite that, it is possible that some information might be out-dated or incomplete.