Team USA captured its fifth consecutive FIBA Women’s World Cup title on Sunday, beating France 97-79 in Berlin, Germany behind a stellar performance from tournament MVP Breanna Stewart, who had a 22-point and 10-rebound double-double.
The Americans will take some time to celebrate, but in less than two years will reemerge on the world stage — this time on home soil at the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. It will be the first time since 1996 in Atlanta that this decorated women’s basketball program has played a major tournament on home court. That year was also the beginning of Team USA’s streak of winning eight consecutive Olympic gold medals.
For Kara Lawson’s team, the pressure will be high to keep that legacy going, especially as the rest
of the world narrows the advantage in talent and depth. For Lawson — whose college coach, the late and legendary Pat Summitt, guided Team USA to gold in Los Angeles in 1984 — winning the Olympics would be the highlight of her coaching career.
Lawson is coaching Team USA through an era of change. Older players are phasing out and younger players — like Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese and Paige Bueckers — are coming in. The World Cup roster featured seven players who made their senior national team major tournament debut. And when stars like A’ja Wilson and Kelsey Plum bowed out from the roster due to injury, they were replaced by a pair of second-year pros in Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen.
Lawson also showed at the World Cup she will likely lean on veteran experience. Stewart led the team in minutes played while Chelsea Gray remained the starting point guard despite some impressive showings from Clark.
The roster in 2028 is unlikely to be a carbon copy of the one that went to Germany for the World Cup. For starters, Wilson is expected to return to play for a gold medal, and room will likely have to be made for WNBA MVP candidate and Rookie of the Year frontrunner Olivia Miles.
With that, here’s a projection of what the Team USA roster will look like when the Olympics begin in Los Angeles in the summer of 2028:
- Aliyah Boston, Indiana Fever
- Paige Bueckers, Dallas Wings
- Caitlin Clark, Indiana Fever
- Napheesa Collier, Minnesota Lynx
- Chelsea Gray, Las Vegas Aces
- Rhyne Howard, Atlanta Dream
- Olivia Miles, Minnesota Lynx
- Angel Reese, Atlanta Dream
- Breanna Stewart, New York Liberty
- JuJu Watkins, USC
- A’ja Wilson, Las Vegas Aces
- Jackie Young, Las Vegas Aces
Players to watch: Shakira Austin, Mikayla Blakes, Sonia Citron, Kahleah Copper, Hannah Hidalgo, Sabrina Ionescu, Kiki Iriafen, Rickea Jackson, Kelsey Plum, Sarah Strong,
Wilson, Stewart, Collier, Young and Gray feel like locks and might be the starting lineup when the LA Olympics begin. The next four — the young stars in Bueckers, Clark, Boston and Reese — will probably be included too as the rising faces of the program.
Ultimately, that leaves us with three spots up for grabs, and this projection has those being filled by Miles, Watkins and Howard.
Needless to say, Sue Bird — the managing director of Team USA — has some challenging decisions to make ahead. Leaving Copper off the roster after a strong World Cup might be a hard call, as will excluding Ionescu and Plum, but it’s difficult to ignore Miles and Watkins' talent. Then again, after a few close calls at the World Cup, perhaps Bird and Lawson will choose to lean on seasoned veterans and take someone like Copper over the inexperienced Watkins.
It feels like Howard has earned her spot on the 2028 squad with her defensive play — something Lawson values — in leading Team USA in steals in the World Cup. Of course, this projection leaves some other strong defenders, such as Citron and UConn’s Sarah Strong, off the roster. All signs point to Strong having the physical tools to be ready to play in the Olympics in 2028.
And what if Cameron Brink and Lauren Betts — who have participated in multiple Team USA camps under Lawson — have breakout WNBA seasons next year and flash the potential that made them high draft picks? Will they enter the conversation?
Injuries, as they did this year, will also certainly play a factor.
A whole lot can change between now and 2028.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Projecting Team USA women’s basketball roster for 2028 LA Olympics
