Sue Bird originally put together a roster that featured Aliyah Boston, Paige Bueckers, Caitlin Clark, Napheesa Collier, Kahleah Copper, Chelsea Gray, Rhyne Howard, Kelsey Plum, Angel Reese, Breanna Stewart, Jackie Young, and A’ja Wilson for the FIBA World Cup in Berlin. Wilson and Plum are now out with injuries, so Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen will fill in.
Fans—of course—had some grievances with that roster. For example, many were surprised that Olivia Miles, who firmly established herself as an MVP candidate in the WNBA, wasn’t on the roster. Moreover, 2024 Olympic gold medalists Alyssa Thomas and Sabrina Ionescu didn’t make the roster in favor of younger stars.
The World Cup is a big tournament, and Team USA enters it with all the pressure in the world on its shoulders. Anything but a gold medal would be a disappointment. Nevertheless, many already have their eyes on the 2028 Olympics in LA and have been speculating about what this year’s roster will mean for two years from now. Some players from the World Cup roster will undoubtedly be on the Olympics roster, but there is plenty of room for movement.
When Sue Bird appeared on Welcome To The Party with former soccer stars Abby Wambach and Julie Foudy, she issued a reminder fans should keep in mind for the next two years: This roster was selected specifically for the World Cup. When the Olympics draw nearer, the process will start all over again.
“There’s been quite a few people, which has surprised me, that have asked out loud, even some members of the press, like, ‘Are we getting a glimpse into the Olympic team?’” Bird said. “And I’m like, ‘No. What do you mean? It’s two years from now.’ This decision, making this roster, those that didn’t, it’s not an indicator of hopefully their participation in USA Basketball till the Olympics but definitely not an indicator of where they stack up in terms of that roster at all.”
The talent pool will look much different in 2028
Two years from now, Sue Bird will be working with a different pool of talent. Chelsea Gray, for example, will be 35, and many other players will also be in their mid-thirties and past their primes. Meanwhile, Olivia Miles won’t be a rookie anymore, and a ton of talent will move from the college ranks to the pro level. JuJu Watkins, for example, already attended a USA Basketball training camp in December last year.
So, while it seems fair to assume that players like A’ja Wilson, Napheesa Collier, Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, and Paige Bueckers will continue to be staples for Team USA for as long as they can, there will also be plenty of changes before the 2028 Olympics—and that’s without accounting for the inevitable injuries some players will be dealing with.
More importantly, the World Cup is a big event, and we should all be enjoying it without shifting the focus to who may or may not be snubbed from a roster two years from now.
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