The 2024 Olympics in Paris brought a much-needed break for some WNBA players and an opportunity to represent their country for others. Now that Team USA has successfully secured the gold medal and returned home, it is time for the WNBA to resume its season.
That is great news for anyone who cannot get enough of women's basketball and watching their favorite players on the court. For some of the players, on the other hand, it leaves little time for a break.
Players who went to compete in Paris and their teams may feel that lack of a break when the season picks back up. So, let's look at four teams that may suffer the most from an Olympic hangover.
4. Washington Mystics
The Washington Mystics did not have any WNBA players representing Team USA at the 2024 Olympics but still sent out their fair share of players. Jade Melbourne played for Australia alongside several other WNBA players. Julie Vanloo Suited up for Belgium, and Aaliyah Edwards played for the Canadians.
All three are contributors on the Mystics, with Vanloo and Edwards each averaging over 20 minutes per game for the season so far. The one advantage they have over the other teams who sent several players to Paris is that both Edwards and Melbourne are still young. At 22 and 21 years old, they should be able to deal with the extra workload a little more easily than some of the older players.
Nevertheless, the Mystics might feel a noticeable Olympic hangover when they resume the regular season. They have back-to-back games against the Minnesota Lynx scheduled. Back-to-backs are always tough but especially when you are playing a strong team and three of your players did not get to rest much during the Olympic break.
3. New York Liberty
The New York Liberty "only" sent two players to play for Team USA: Breanna Stewart and Sabrina Ionescu. Other Liberty players also competed in the Olympics, however. Nyara Sabally and Leonie Fiebich played for the German national team.
Four players playing in the Olympics is quite the number and they will surely feel the extra workload when the WNBA season picks up again.
Stewart and Ionescu average the most minutes per game on the Liberty. Stewart leads the team with 34.3 minutes, closely followed by Ionescu with 33.7 minutes. That is a lot of minutes already but both also played significant roles for Team USA.
Stewart was a starter on the national team and played heavy minutes in any game that was even remotely close. In the final game against France, she played around 30 minutes, which marks the second-most minutes on the team behind only A'ja Wilson.
Meanwhile, Ionescu came off the bench and averaged 13.2 minutes per game. That may not seem like much, but she still played six extra games rather than use the time to rest.
Sabally and Fiebich do not usually play as many minutes as Stewart and Ionescu but are important rotational players. Especially Fiebich stepped up in the wake of some injuries, starting seven games.
2. Phoenix Mercury
The Phoenix Mercury sent three of their main contributors to Paris this summer. Diana Taurasi, Kahleah Copper, and Brittney Griner all suited up for Team USA. While Taurasi watched the final game from the bench and Griner only played a few minutes, all three played important roles in the team's undefeated run to the gold medal.
The Phoenix Mercury will surely notice this when the season first starts back up. Natasha Cloud may lead the team in minutes per game, but Copper, Griner, and Taurasi are next in line. They all average over or close to 30 minutes per game. That plus the pressure of playing in the Olympics is a load to shoulder. To top it off, Griner has also been dealing with injuries, playing only 15 games so far, and Taurasi is 42 years old.
The extra workload from the Olympics may not affect Copper as much, but the other two should definitely feel it, especially with the Phoenix Mercury's upcoming schedule. The Mercury were extremely unlucky with their post-Olympic schedule. They are playing three games in four days, starting today. That is a heavy workload, even without three players who just competed in the Olympics, and promises an Olympic hangover for the Mercury.
1. Las Vegas Aces
The reigning WNBA champions were heavily represented at the Olympics. They sent A'ja Wilson, Jackie Young, Kelsey Plum, and Chelsea Gray to play for Team USA, and Megan Gustafson represented Spain. That makes four starters and one rotational player who did not get a chance to rest during the Olympic break.
Plum, Wilson, and Young all average well over 30 minutes per game for the Las Vegas Aces, and especially Wilson played a big role for Team USA throughout the tournament. She led the team in minutes played in the final game against France.
The Aces are a little more fortunate than some of the other teams that sent a lot of players to the Olympics and do not have to play right away. On the other hand, their first matchup out of the break will be against the Liberty and make for a tough first game back. The first time those two teams met, it ended with a 90-82 loss for the Aces that they will look to avenge now.
Plus, the Aces have significant pressure on them to play well for the rest of the season. They are, after all, the reigning repeat champions. And yet, the Aces are already behind the Liberty, the Sun, the Lynx, and the Storm in the standings and do not want to drop any more games.