The USA women's basketball team launch their 5×5 Olympics campaign this afternoon, tipping off against Japan in the first of three pool play games ahead of the knockout rounds.
Team USA has not lost a single Olympic game since 1992, when they fell to the Unified Team — a joint squad spanning 12 of the 15 former USSR countries — in the semifinal round. They've earned gold in every Olympic Games since 1996.
Olympic records on the line
The US has gold medal expectations once again in 2024, where they would become the first team in any team sport to walk away with eight straight gold medals in eight consecutive Olympic Games.
Veteran guard Diana Taurasi is going for her sixth-straight Olympic gold medal. If successful, she will become the first basketball player to reach six career gold medals.
That said, times have changed: "It's probably the least amount of preparation we've had going into an Olympics because of our schedule and WNBA," Taurasi told reporters prior to today's opener.
The US faced a humbling start to training camp after falling to Team WNBA 117-109 at the 2024 WNBA All-Star Game earlier this month. However, they came back to dominate pool play opponent Germany 84-57 in their final pre-Olympic tune-up.
Chemistry is key for Team USA
After today's game against Japan, the US will take on a Belgian side led by 2019 WNBA Finals MVP Emma Meesseman on Thursday. Team USA will close out pool play with Sunday's rematch against Germany before turning their attention toward the knockout round.
With superstars like A'ja Wilson, Breanna Stewart, Brittney Griner, and Napheesa Collier leading the charge, the biggest challenge for Team USA will be building chemistry throughout the tournament.
"You really have to be the most unselfish you've ever been in your career, and it takes that from everyone because we had to forge this chemistry pretty quickly," said Taurasi.
How to watch Team USA vs. Japan today
The US tips off at the Olympics at 3 PM ET today, with live coverage on USA Network and Peacock.
Team USA definitively bounced back from their WNBA All-Star Game defeat on Tuesday, routing Germany 84-57 at the USA Basketball Showcase in London.
A'ja Wilson put up 19 points and 14 rebounds in the win, leading the team ahead of Breanna Stewart's 15 points. Wilson is now averaging 16.5 points per game for the US, tying Team WNBA All-Star coach Cheryl Miller for the highest in team history.
Team USA raises their game
Team USA is still building chemistry after spending a little more than one week as a unit, shoring up vulnerabilities highlighted in their weekend loss to Team WNBA.
The team looked more cohesive in London, with Napheesa Collier returning to the starting lineup after missing a number of weeks with a plantar fascia injury. They also saw quality performances off the bench, with Jewell Loyd scoring in double digits and both Alyssa Thomas and Jackie Young keeping head coach Cheryl Reeve's rotations steady.
Returning to Europe for the first time since her 2022 wrongful detainment in Russia, Brittney Griner did not feature for the US due to load management.
For Germany, Dallas Wings star Satou Sabally took the court for the first time since the team's February Olympic qualifier, playing 26 minutes as Germany prepares for their Olympic debut in Paris.
"It was a breath of fresh air to get out of All-Star and come here," Sabrina Ionescu told reporters after the London Showcase. "There's one goal and it's to win."
All eyes are on gold
USA Basketball seems to be improving by the day, but the short runway to Paris could present a challenge for Reeve and her staff as the team looks to grow throughout the tournament — and hopefully hit their stride in time for the medal rounds.
"It's a tune-up game," Stewart said on Tuesday. "We don't want to peak too soon."
What's next for Team USA?
The US will start their Olympic group stage campaign with a game against Japan on July 29th, before playing a blockbuster August 1st matchup against a strong Belgium side. They'll later face Germany once again in their August 4th Olympic group stage finale.
USA Basketball's 5x5 team will tip off in an exhibition against Germany in London this afternoon, getting in one last tune-up before the Summer Olympics begin.
The US is hunting an eighth-straight gold medal this year, with group stage play starting on July 29th.
US to use All-Star loss as fuel
Coming off the weekend's All-Star Game loss, the Olympians are ready to repeat history: They earned their Tokyo gold medal immediately after losing the first Team USA vs. Team WNBA All-Star Game back in 2021.
Breanna Stewart, who led Team USA with a 31-point, 10-rebound double-double on Saturday, said that the defeat "is going to help us tremendously. We don’t get that many game opportunities, [and now] we can go back and watch the film and focus on how we can continue to be better."
Today’s tilt against Germany will see the US work to lock in their defense, particularly in the paint. They'll also lean into their positional versatility before heading to Paris.
Olympic debutants Germany enter first US clash
The exhibition marks the first-ever US-Germany linkup. The German team will make their Olympic debut in Paris after decades of failing to qualify for major international competitions. Their sixth-place 2023 EuroBasket finish sent them into February’s FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament, where they punched their ticket to the 2024 Games.
Leading Germany's run was two-time WNBA All-Star Satou Sabally, who put up career-high averages in points, rebounds, assists, and steals with Dallas last season. Her 20-point, 11-rebound double-double was the difference-maker in Germany's must-win 73-71 Olympic qualifying victory over Brazil.
Other German players to watch include 2022 NY Liberty draft-pick — and Sabally's sister — Nyara Sabally, along with Liberty sharpshooter Leonie Fiebich.
Where to watch the Team USA vs. Germany game
Today’s exhibition tips off at 3 PM ET with live coverage on FS1.