Diana Taurasi will lead WNBA stars to the pre-Olympic qualifiers in Belgium.
Five-time Olympian Deanna Taurasi has been selected as a key player on the U.S. basketball team that will compete in the pre-Olympic qualifying tournament in Belgium. Known for her exceptional on-court skills, Taurasi joins a roster of experienced athletes that includes seven former Olympians.
Boasting a blend of experience and emerging talent, the team includes Kelsey Plumb, Brianna Stewart, Ariel Atkins, Nafeesa Collier, Jewell Lloyd and Jackie Young. In addition, the roster has been further strengthened with the addition of 2022 World Cup Champion Carlea Copper, Sabrina Ionescu and Alyssa Thomas.
Adding new energy to the lineup are Aliyah Boston and Rhyne Howard, both of whom are scheduled to make their senior varsity debuts.
Notably absent from the squad are A’ja Wilson, Brittney Griner and Chelsea Gray, who will not be available for the Belgian tournament, which begins on Thursday.
The U.S. team, which has already qualified for the Olympics with its gold medal at the 2022 World Cup, is scheduled to begin play against host Belgium on Feb. 8. More than 14,000 tickets have been sold and the match is expected to draw a large number of spectators.
“We go out there and expect it to be a really tough environment,” coach Cheryl Reeve said, as reported by the Associated Press. “We’ll have 14,000 people cheering us on. Once we open and the tournament starts, we’re obviously a really good team. We’re hoping to go through this adversity and use it to help prepare us for the next step.”
Lieb believes the upcoming tournament is an opportunity for the team to face significant adversity in its preparation for the Paris Olympics.
“It will probably shed light on what we need to do as a coaching staff: how can we utilize our players better,” she said. “These challenges are what we’re looking forward to.”
The U.S. basketball team will also play against Nigeria and Senegal during the tournament. The top two teams, excluding the American team, which has already qualified, will earn a spot at the Paris Games. At the same time, his three other qualifying tournaments will be held in Brazil, China and Hungary to determine the full 12 team spots to take part in the Olympics, with France already qualifying as host nation.
In preparation for the Olympics, the U.S. team will hold another training camp for the Final Four in Cleveland in April, then reconvene in Phoenix just before the Olympics.
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