PORTLAND, Oregon — New York Liberty guard and former Oregon Duck Sabrina Ionescu is heading to Paris as part of USA Basketball's Olympic team roster.
In the U.S. women's Olympic roster officially revealed Tuesday, Ionescu joins several WNBA greats and Olympic veterans, including five-time gold medalist Diana Taurasi who is returning to the games for a record sixth time.
Other players returning from the Tokyo Olympics are Breanna Stewart, A'ja Wilson, Chelsea Gray, Napheesa Collier, Jewell Loyd, Brittney Griner, Kelsey Plum and Jackie Young. Fellow first-time Olympians joining Ionescu are Alyssa Thomas and Kahleah Cooper. All three played on the American team that won the World Cup in Australia in 2022, the Associated Press reported.
One player not heading to Paris? Caitlin Clark, the No. 1 pick in the WNBA draft.
The decision to leave her off the roster has been widely scrutinized. Clark has drawn in millions of new fans to the sport with her record-setting career in college and now to the WNBA playing for the Indiana Fever.
“Here’s the basketball criteria that we were given as a committee and how do we evaluate our players based on that?” Selection Committee Chair Jen Rizzotti told the Associated Press. “And when you base your decision on criteria, there were other players that were harder to cut because they checked a lot more boxes. Then sometimes it comes down to position, style of play for Cheryl (Reeve) and then sometimes a vote."
Team USA will be coached by Cheryl Reeve, the head coach of the WNBA's Minnesota Lynx. She served as an assistant coach in the last two Olympics.
“They called me and let me know before everything came out, which was really respectful of them, and I appreciate that,” Clark told reporters on Saturday after the roster was leaked.
“I’m excited for the girls that are on the team,” she added. “I know it’s the most competitive team in the world, and I know it could have gone either way of me being on the team or me not being on the team. I’m excited for them. Going to be rooting them on to win gold. I was a kid that grew up watching the Olympics. It’ll be fun to watch them.”
The U.S. team will train for about week in Phoenix in July. After that, they'll play an exhibition game against Germany in London before heading to Paris.
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