(Reuters) – The heavily favored U.S. women’s basketball team will have no shortage of talent and experience when they seek a fifth consecutive gold medal at the London Olympic later this year.
The 11-member American team announced on Friday by USA Basketball includes three players who have already won two Olympic gold medals plus another four who have already won once before.
A 12th member will be selected later.
The well-balanced squad features guard Sue Bird, forward Tamika Catchings and guard-forward Diana Taurasi, all of whom won gold medals at the 2004 and 2008 Olympic Games.
They will be joined by 2004 gold medallist Swin Cash, a forward, and 2008 Olympic champion forward Seimone Augustus, center Sylvia Fowles and all-around player Candace Parker.
Center Tina Charles, forwards Angel McCoughtry and Maya Moore and guards Lindsay Whalen complete the selections.
“We believe we have selected the best core group possible to continue our success on the international stage,” Jim Tooley, USA Basketball chief executive, said in a statement.
“These 11 players include a great mix of international veterans, whose leadership is invaluable to the team, and we have young players who have proven themselves and who are hungry for this opportunity.”
The 12th member could be Baylor University center Brittney Griner, who is playing in the U.S. collegiate championships.
“She brings an element to any team that’s impossible to find,” U.S. head coach Geno Auriemma said earlier this year of the 6-foot-8 tall center.
“You don’t find players who are game changers like that. I don’t think anybody else in the world has anyone like Brittney Griner.”
If selected, Griner will be the first college player to make a U.S. Olympic women’s basketball team since 1988.
As for the 11 selected, all professionals, Auriemma said: “the committee took into consideration what the competition is and who we’re going to have to beat, and put together a really incredible group of players that is not only highly skilled and competitive, they’re proven winners.
(Reporting by Gene Cherry in Salvo, North Carolina, editing by Nick Mulvenney and Julian Linden; Please double click on the news link:; for more Olympic stories; for more basketball stories; for more sports stories)
