Brittney Griner, Diana Taurasi to headline USA Basketball exhibitions

USA Basketball’s roster for its upcoming exhibitions against college teams and November training camp was announced on Thursday, featuring stars Brittney Griner and Diana Taurasi. The team has its sights set on a record-breaking eighth consecutive gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics next summer.

These exhibitions, scheduled for November 5 against Tennessee and November 12 against Duke, serve as crucial preparation for the Games and provide an opportunity to evaluate the program’s player pool. Fans can catch the Tennessee game on SEC Network/ESPN App and the Duke game on ACC Network Extra/ESPN App.

In addition to the exhibitions and training camp, the U.S. will participate in the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament in February, followed by another training camp at the Final Four. The coaching staff includes Cheryl Reeve from the Minnesota Lynx as the head coach, with Mike Thibault and Curt Miller as assistants.

Griner and Taurasi, both highly decorated players, will be joined by Kahleah Copper, Allisha Gray, Rhyne Howard, Sabrina Ionescu, and Azura Stevens on the roster for both college exhibitions. This marks Griner’s return to USA Basketball after her recent experience in Russia.

The exhibition against Tennessee will feature WNBA Rookie of the Year Aliyah Boston, Ariel Atkins, Betnijah Laney, and Jackie Young. Meanwhile, Dearica Hamby, Natasha Howard, Arike Ogunbowale, and Kelsey Plum will be on the roster for the Duke matchup, replacing the aforementioned four players. Young and Plum recently secured the 2023 WNBA title with the Las Vegas Aces.

Angel McCoughtry, a two-time Olympian, will later join the team at the training camp in Atlanta.