The U.S. Ladies’s Olympic basketball group is hoping to turn out to be the first-ever group to win eight straight gold medals. That lofty pursuit continues at this time when Group USA takes on Germany of their second and ultimate exhibition recreation at 3 pm ET on FOX Sports activities 1. The 2 groups will sq. off in London only a day after the U.S. Males’s Olympic basketball group defeated Germany in a pre-Olympic pleasant.
The Group USA Ladies are 0-1 in exhibition play up to now
The People will look to bounce again from a 117-109 loss suffered by the hands of the WNBA All-Star group on Saturday night time. Arike Ogunbowale, named the sport’s MVP, set an All-Star scoring document of 34 factors in that one, all of which got here in a monster second half.
Rookies Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark each confirmed out of their All-Star debuts — Reese put up her signature double-double, 12 factors and 11 rebounds, whereas Clark dished out 10 assists, probably the most ever by a rookie in an All-Star recreation. Allisha Grey chipped in 16 factors and 5 steals off the bench.
It was the second consecutive time that Group WNBA defeated Group USA at All-Star weekend. In 2021, the final time Group USA confronted the WNBA All-Stars, Ogunbowale was additionally named MVP. Ogunbowale withdrew from the Olympic pool a number of months in the past, stating she sensed she wasn’t going to be chosen because of “politics.”
However Group USA isn’t panicked in regards to the defeat, noting the unparalleled American depth.
“Is Arike taking part in for any of those groups that we’re going to play?” head coach Cheryl Reeve quipped postgame, whereas calling for her group to point out up with better defensive urgency than they did on Saturday night time.
The US and Germany face off in a pre-Olympic exhibition recreation at this time
On the opposite aspect, that is the primary time that Germany has even certified for the Olympics in ladies’s basketball. However, this squad is a proficient one and appears poised to compete for a medal.
Germany’s roster is headlined by Dallas Wings ahead Satou Sabally, who missed the primary half of the 2024 WNBA season recovering from shoulder surgical procedure however is among the league’s most versatile gamers when wholesome. Named final 12 months’s Most Improved Participant, Sabally is a rising star and a match-up nightmare who averaged 18.6 factors, 8.1 rebounds, and 4.4 assists in 2023.
Nyara Sabally, her youthful sister, can be a key member of the German roster. She’s come off the bench for the New York Liberty this season, averaging 3.2 factors and a couple of.9 rebounds in 11.3 minutes per night time.
Leonie Fiebich can be a centerpiece of the German group — Fiebich has additionally been a productive function participant for the Liberty, averaging 5.7 factors in 19 minutes in her rookie marketing campaign. She’s been notably efficient of late, averaging 11.6 factors in her final three contests.
In the meantime, Group USA is headlined by Breanna Stewart and A’ja Wilson, who mixed for 52 factors on Saturday and stay the 2 most dominant submit gamers on the planet. Diana Taurasi, who’s tied with Sue Chicken for many Olympic gold medals by a basketball participant (5), serves as the important thing veteran on the roster, whereas Jewell Lloyd and Chelsea Grey rounded out the beginning lineup within the first exhibition recreation.
Based mostly on expertise alone, the U.S. ladies ought to defeat Germany handily. However, the identical might have been stated for the U.S. males’s group, and several other of their pre-Olympic video games have come right down to the wire regardless of having considerably extra expertise on paper.
Most not too long ago, the People squeaked out a 1-point win towards South Sudan and a 4-point win over Germany, largely due to the late-game dominance of LeBron James.
Right here’s the complete Group USA roster
- Napheesa Collier (Minnesota Lynx)
- Kahleah Copper (Phoenix Mercury)
- Chelsea Grey (Las Vegas Aces)
- Brittney Griner (Phoenix Mercury)
- Sabrina Ionescu (New York Liberty)
- Jewell Loyd (Seattle Storm)
- Kelsey Plum (Las Vegas Aces)
- Breanna Stewart (New York Liberty)
- Diana Taurasi (Phoenix Mercury)
- Alyssa Thomas (Connecticut Solar)
- A’ja Wilson (Las Vegas Aces)
- Jackie Younger (Las Vegas Aces)
Right here’s the complete German roster
- Satou Sabally (Dallas Wings)
- Alexandra Wilke
- Theresa Simon
- Jennifer Crowder
- Nyara Sabally (New York Liberty)
- Marie Guelich
- Leonie Fiebich (New York Liberty)
- Sonja Greinacher
- Luisa Geiselsoder
- Alina Hartmann
- Svenja Brunckhorst
- Lina Sontag
After this exhibition recreation, the U.S. Ladies’s Basketball group formally begins its Olympics in group play on July 29, stay on NBC.
Group USA schedule for Paris
- Monday, July 29 (3 p.m. ET) – Japan
- Thursday, August 1 (3 p.m. ET) – Belgium
- Sunday, August 4 (11:15 a.m. ET) – Germany
