Michael Voepel, ESPN.com
After winning its eighth consecutive Olympic gold medal on Sunday, the U.S. women’s basketball team can once again say, “Mission accomplished.” The players and coaches aren’t thinking about the 2028 Olympics right now, after falling 67-66 to France. But it’s tempting to look four years into the future to see which players might make the U.S. roster for Los Angeles 2028.
Will WNBA newcomers Caitlin Clark of the Indiana Fever and Angel Reese of the Chicago Sky make Team USA? Clark’s Fever teammate Aliyah Boston? What about college players like USC’s JuJu Watkins, UConn’s Paige Bueckers or Notre Dame’s Hannah Hidalgo, among others?
In four years, a lot can happen, both positive (player development) and negative (injuries). The composition of the selection committee impacts the Olympic roster choices, as do the head coaches, who don’t build the roster but provide input on what the team needs in terms of play and on-field chemistry.
The individual commitment of the players and their experience with USA Basketball – which continues to have by far the most talented pool of candidates from which to choose – are also important factors. The most elite players on the women’s side remain highly motivated to compete in the Olympics.
Which players on the 2024 team might not make the 2028 Olympics, making way for new recruits? With her sixth Olympic gold medal, Diana Taurasi, 42, has likely wrapped up her national team career after a remarkable two decades.
Taurasi’s Phoenix Mercury teammate Brittney Griner will be 37 when the Los Angeles Games take place July 14-30, 2028. Connecticut Sun forward Alyssa Thomas will be 36 and Las Vegas Aces guard Chelsea Gray will be 35.
Seattle Storm guard Jewell Loyd will be 34. New York Liberty forward Breanna Stewart, Mercury guard/forward Kahleah Copper and Las Vegas guard Kelsey Plum will all be 33.
Players in all sports are now enjoying longer careers, for a variety of reasons. Taurasi, who turns 46 the month before the Los Angeles Games, is the only 2024 Olympian who seems almost certain to have reached retirement age by 2028.
Experience has always been considered a major asset for Team USA, but there is also a need to integrate some promising players. Personnel decisions for 2028 could be even more difficult than usual, as the Summer Olympics return to the United States for the first time since the national team’s gold medal run began in Atlanta in 1996.
We project which players could make the 2028 team, and we take some potential risks that USA Basketball wouldn’t: by selecting six Olympic newcomers. (Post players listed first, followed by guards.)
Age for 2028 Olympics: 31
Previous Olympic experience: 2020, 2024
Wilson is favored to win her third WNBA MVP award this season, and her performance in Paris was more of the same. She led the Americans in scoring (18.2 ppg), rebounding (9.6 rpg), blocks (2.4 ppg) and steals (1.6). Wilson’s birthday is in early August, so she’ll be nearly 32 by the 2028 Olympics, but likely still in peak form.
Breanna Stewart, F, New York Liberty
Age for 2028 Olympics: 33
Previous Olympic experience: 2016, 2020, 2024
Like Wilson, Stewart will celebrate her birthday in August; she will turn 34 in a month at the next Olympics. But she should still be an elite post player and the American with the most Olympic experience. Along with Wilson, she was Team USA’s top offensive threat (18.0 points per game) in Paris and is also second in rebounds (5.8 rebounds per game) and blocks (1.6 points per game).
Age for 2028 Olympics: 31
Previous Olympic experience: 2020, 2024
Collier wasn’t a big scorer in Paris (6.6 points per game), but that wasn’t her primary role. She knows how to carry a team, as she proved with the Lynx, but she had no problem adapting to the needs of the American team. Collier is the third-most minutes player in Paris, behind Wilson and Stewart.
Aliyah Boston, C, Indiana Fever
Age for 2028 Olympics: 26
Previous Olympic experience: none
Boston has spent time with the U.S. national team in training camps and appears likely to make the 2026 FIBA World Cup team, which will help her prepare for the Olympics. The 2023 WNBA Rookie of the Year and four-time Lisa Leslie Award winner for best college center, Boston is expected to be in the prime of her career at the Los Angeles Games.
Age for 2028 Olympics: 26
Previous Olympic experience: none
Brink was part of the U.S. 3×3 team for the Paris Games, but suffered a season-ending knee injury in the Sparks game on June 18. It limited her rookie season to 15 games and cost her her Olympic experience. But if Brink can make a successful comeback, she’ll be at her peak in 2028 and is a good fit for the 5-on-5 team with her offensive and defensive versatility.
Angel Reese, F, Chicago Sky
Age for 2028 Olympics: 26
Either Brink or Reese could make the team in 2028, but not both. USA Basketball might instead feel more comfortable with one more veteran — either a true post player (if, say, Griner is still healthy) or a wing player (like Copper). As a rookie, rebounding was Reese’s biggest strength — and it’s an elite one. His game should be more well-rounded by 2028, and his driving and competitiveness should also be major assets.
Age for 2028 Olympics: 30
Previous Olympic experience: 2020 (3×3), 2024
At the Tokyo Games, Young replaced Katie Lou Samuelson on the 3×3 team and fit right in, winning gold. This year, she was part of the 5-on-5 team and was promoted to the starting role at the Paris Games. With 11.0 points per game, Young is the only player, other than Wilson and Stewart, to average double-digit points for Team USA. She is also an exceptional and versatile defender.
Kelsey Plum, G, Las Vegas Aces
Age for 2028 Olympics: 33
Previous Olympic experience: 2020 (3×3), 2024
As was the case this year, there are so many good guards — veterans and youngsters — that the selection committee will have to make some tough choices. Will it opt to have three guards with Olympic 5-on-5 experience and three without, as we suggest here? Plum, the oldest guard on our 2028 list, could be passed over for a younger player. But Plum’s ability to score in a variety of ways, her experience and her connection to longtime Aces teammates Wilson and Young are all important assets.
Age for 2028 Olympics: 30
Previous Olympic experience: 2024
Ionescu and Young, at 26, were the youngest players on the 2024 U.S. roster. While Young seems assured of starting in 2028, the other 2024 Olympic guards aren’t so sure. That said, experience will count, which works in Ionescu’s favor, as will her ability to play equally well at either guard position and be another big threat from behind the arc.
Caitlin Clark, G, Indiana Fever
Age for 2028 Olympics: 26
Previous Olympic experience: none
Clark’s absence from the 2024 team has been the subject of much debate. Her fans wanted to see her in Paris. Her game has matured at such a rapid pace that she wouldn’t have been out of place as a young star learning from Team USA veterans. But coach Cheryl Reeve didn’t want a WNBA rookie on that team, and Clark likely wouldn’t have gotten much playing time. The rest Clark got should help her during the remainder of her rookie season. All signs point to Clark being in Los Angeles in 2028.
Age for 2028 Olympics: 26
Previous Olympic experience: none
The question may be whether USA Basketball is willing to settle for three new Olympians at guard in Clark, Bueckers and Watkins. Depending on how well the veterans play, the guard block will be as difficult to manage in four years as it was this summer. We’ll know a lot more after Bueckers turns pro; she could make a compelling case for 2028. Her versatility at guard, scoring ability and defense are all assets.
Age for 2028 Olympics: 23
Previous Olympic experience: none
Watkins will turn 23 the day after the Los Angeles Games begin and is expected to be in her second season in the WNBA. She was a candidate for national college player of the year as a freshman last season and is one of the most exciting stars in NCAA basketball. The U.S. women had no players under 25 on the 2024 Olympic team, but Watkins could be the youngest on the next Olympic team. And while USA Basketball seems to have dismissed the idea of marketing itself this year — acting as if Clark’s massive fan following isn’t important — the recognition of how significant it could be to see Watkins, also hugely popular, play her first Olympics in her hometown should be obvious.
Also considered
Age for 2028 Olympics: 28
Previous Olympic experience: 2024 (3×3)
Howard, the 2022 WNBA Rookie of the Year, won bronze in 3×3 in Paris. She could follow in Young and Plum’s footsteps, moving from the 3×3 team in one Olympics to the 5-on-5 team in the next. Or maybe she’ll stick with 3×3. Howard’s size and strength at the guard position, plus four more years of experience to expand her game, could make her a valuable, versatile asset for either team in 2028.
Head Coach
It’s not uncommon to have the same coach for more than one Olympic cycle: UConn’s Geno Auriemma coached Team USA in 2012 and 2016. So Reeve could be back for 2028, but given USA Basketball’s overall history, it seems less likely she’ll return. The top candidates for 2028? Two of Reeve’s current assistants on Team USA could be in the running. Duke’s Kara Lawson won Olympic gold as a player for Team USA in 2008 and coached the gold-medal-winning Olympic 3×3 team in Tokyo. Curt Miller of the Los Angeles Sparks also has extensive coaching experience with USA Basketball and as a college and WNBA head coach.
