After Team USA secured a fifth consecutive gold medal at the World Championships on Sunday, it’s time to start thinking about that second string of gold medals for the United States women’s basketball team. … You know, the Olympics.
We are less than two years away from Team USA winning its ninth Olympic gold medal, a streak dating back to 1996. The countdown is on, and women’s national team director Sue Bird will have important scheduling decisions to make as the USA prepares for LA 2028.
Historically, major changes from Team USA’s World Championship roster to the Olympic roster have been rare. Over the past four cycles, the Olympic roster has retained about 70 percent of the previous World Cup roster, but that doesn’t account for some last-minute changes and unexpected injuries, so the true retention rate is even slightly higher.
With that in mind, it would make sense that eight to nine players on Team USA’s World Cup roster would be in Los Angeles.
So, with the confetti still being cleared from the World Cup finals celebrations in Berlin, it seems like the absolute best (and definitely not too early) time to predict the 2028 Olympic slate.
Breanna Stewart | Forward
Stewart put this team on her back and practically willed it to a fifth straight World Cup title. It’s not hyperbole that Stewart’s theme song is “All I Do Is Win,” as the 6-foot-4 forward has literally never lost in the Olympics, World Cup or NCAA tournament. Stewart, the 32-year-old New York Liberty star, will be on this list as the most experienced Olympian — going for her fourth Olympic gold — and as Team USA’s mainstay, a steadfast foundation player.
A’ja Wilson | Front / center
Wilson, a four-time WNBA MVP with the Las Vegas Aces, withdrew from the World Cup roster shortly before she was scheduled to go to Germany to rehabilitate from a nagging back injury that put her on the Aces’ injury report twice in August. Her absence was notable, but given that the end result was another gold, her omission could be a footnote in the history of this gold medal streak. However, it will be interesting to see how Bird encourages players like Wilson, 30, to prioritize Team USA. Let’s see if Wilson — who, unlike Stewart, did not attend the World Cup qualifier in Miami — is present at every Team USA event over the next two years.
Napheesa Collier | Forward
This World Cup wasn’t Collier’s best, but even so, when the USA team was in a tight battle with France during the first half of the gold medal game and coach Kara Lawson significantly shortened her bench, Collier was one of six players to see the most time. That’s something for a watch. As a 29-year-old, two-time Olympian and someone who has been in the Team USA system for 12 years, she has earned a level of trust. Considering the Minnesota Lynx star isn’t even a year removed from multiple ankle injuries, don’t put a ton of stock in this tournament’s overall stats when it comes to her making the Olympic roster.
Chelsea Gray | Guard
The guard depth in this Olympic pool is ridiculous, and Lawson — a former point guard — will want a veteran point guard to lead the group. Given Gray’s skillful performance in Berlin, it is unlikely that anyone will take her place. The cliff of experience behind the Las Vegas Aces veteran, who turns 34 next month, is falling pretty steeply. Lawson will need Gray’s experience, handholds and leadership in Los Angeles.
Jackie Young | Guard/Wing
Young, 28, has become one of the best defenders in the world in recent years. In Berlin, she was the top 3-point shooter on Team USA and a blocking option for a defense that, pound for pound, is one of the strongest in the WNBA with the Aces. Behind Stewart and Wilson, no other player looks more like he’s made the Olympic roster than Young.
Aliyah Boston serves as a great bridge between the veterans and the younger players. (Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
Aliyah Boston | Center
Boston’s strength is in the paint, and establishing Team USA’s identity was a priority, especially after being unable to hit anything inside against Italy. But as she’s grown in the WNBA with the Indiana Fever, Boston, 24, has also developed an outside shot that’s good enough for opponents to respect her on the perimeter. She’s more experienced than the “young and nimble” group, but she’s also not exactly a veteran, making her an important bridge for this team outside of X and O, which is also a factor for Bird as he builds this roster.
Kahleah Copper | Wing
Copper, 32, was key to the U.S. taking home gold in Paris 2024, but as the page turns to 2028, Copper’s place looks secure, but far from secure. Team USA is a loyal organization, and Copper is a player who has consistently attended training camps and tournaments. If he wants another well-rounded but defensive ace at this spot, perhaps Rhyne Howard – who had a nice showing at the World Cup – could make the roster. If the program wants to add more snaps while giving up some size (unlikely, but possible), maybe Kelsey Plum sits here.
Angel Reese | Forward
Reese had a productive trip to Berlin, as she was impressive when her number was called. With a veteran and more experienced post group cemented in front of it, Team USA can be more advanced in this spot. That doesn’t mean she wouldn’t contribute to LA. Having Reese’s energy as a relentless rebounder, her versatility to defend multiple positions and her timing as a shot blocker (the Atlanta Dream star led the U.S. with five in Germany) means Reese, 24, can gain valuable Olympic experience for future games rounding out depth off the bench and for the U.S.
Caitlin Clark | Guard
During the early games of the World Series, Lawson almost seemed to view Clark and Paige Bueckers as a package deal. But entering the gold medal game, Bueckers seemingly had the upper hand. That collapsed when Lawson turned to Clark for crucial minutes against France. Clark, 24, will be the first to say she wasn’t happy with her shooting performance in Berlin, but with more FIBA senior experience and more time in this group, it should improve. The fever keeper will be an essential back-up for Gray for the 2028 Games.
Will Olivia Miles be a new addition to Team USA? (Jerome Miron/Getty Images)
Olivia Miles | Guard
Speaking of point guards, it seems likely that Bird could touch Miles to get into the game. She will be 25 years old at the time of the Games, but is one of the least experienced – from a national team perspective – to make the roster. But it seems entirely likely that she could play her third All-WNBA season in 2028, and leaving her and her vision off the roster would be unwise and short-sighted. Her inclusion would complicate the 2028 roster, but Bird will be thinking about 2032 as well. With Gray likely out of the picture for that roster, Team USA will want experience at point guard, and having Clark and Miles in the lineup seems reasonable.
Paige Bueckers | Guard
That’s where Team USA’s guard depth will really come into play, as in this prediction, both Sabrina Ionescu and Kelsey Plum — two gold medalists in Paris (and Plum has a 3×3 gold from Tokyo) — won’t make the final cut. Notably, in this tournament, Lawson chose to primarily use Bueckers off ball, which is important given that there would already be several chefs in the point guard kitchen. By 2028, Bueckers will have WNBA playoff experience, giving her a more rounded resume. Given that she’s succeeded at this World Cup when Ionescu hasn’t, that’s impressive.
JuJu Watkins, USC (guard/wing) or Sarah Strong, UConn (forward)
Four players made the Olympic roster while rookies in the WNBA. Of course, Watkins could be a second-year player in 2028 if she chooses not to use her medical redshirt season, but otherwise she or Strong could join Rebecca Lobo, Diana Taurasi, Candace Parker and Breanna Stewart in the record books. It’s not a given in any cycle, but with the impressive talent among today’s college players, one spot on the 2028 roster could go to a rookie or someone very young. Don’t expect this player to rack up a lot of minutes, but Bird knows the importance of bringing in a young player early in order to stay healthy and allow the team’s culture to flourish. She was the second-youngest player on the 2004 roster (Diana Taurasi was younger) and didn’t play heavy minutes in Athens, but the experience is something she carried over to the next five Olympics.
