The U.S. team won the gold medal that summer and in every tournament since, and every group of women’s basketball players the USA Basketball Association has sent to the Olympics since the Minnesota Lynx founded the franchise has included at least one player from the team.
Smith competed in 2000 and 2004 (and in 2008 as part of the Detroit Shock). Seimone Augustus competed in 2008, followed by Maya Moore and Lindsay Whalen in 2012. Sylvia Fowles was also on the 2012 team, and with Fowles transferring from Chicago to Minnesota, the Lynx would have four Olympians competing in Rio in 2016. Fowles played in her final Olympics in 2020, teaming with fellow Lynx teammate Napheesa Collier, the team’s youngest player.
“Last time, I was the youngest on the team and had roster number 12,” Collier told reporters after the USA Basketball Association announced this year’s Olympic rosters. “Obviously, I hope that this time around, I’ll have a bigger role … playing more, competing for a starting spot and things like that. The goal is the same, which is to win a gold medal, so whatever that outcome is, that’s the outcome I want.”
The Next, your 24/7 women’s basketball newsroom
The Next: The IX is your basketball newsroom covering women’s basketball 24/7. Our young and diverse staff writes, edits and shoots to bring you the latest news, analysis, history digs and predictions about the sport we love.
Collier’s selection marks another chapter in the Lynx’s lore and further testament to his outstanding longevity within the franchise, but it also showcases how much Collier has grown as a player and leader over the past three years.
“I’m really excited. Any time I’m selected to represent the U.S., it’s such an honor,” Collier said. “This time is no different. Competing in the Olympics is the highest level. I’m really honored and excited. I can’t wait to get to Paris.”
Collier played the fewest minutes and scored the fewest points at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Fast forward to 2024, and she led Team USA in scoring with three games at the final Olympic qualifying tournament in Antwerp, Belgium. The U.S. went 3-0 in those games, and Collier was named to the tournament’s “All-Star Five.”
“I think I’ve definitely grown as a player since the last game. [the national team]Collier said in an interview with The Next. After the tournament ends.[In the 2020 Olympics]I’d only been in the league a few years and was the youngest on the team. Honestly, I was just happy to be there. I knew my role would be a little expanded this time around, and I felt like I was more than ready for it. I’m proud of where I am as a player and how hard I’ve worked, so I just wanted to go out there and play my game. Not to think too much about anything, just play like I always have.”
Collier’s reputation has only grown since that tournament in February. She and teammate Kayla McBride led Fenerbahce to the EuroLeague women’s championship. Now, Collier’s stellar play has not only made her an MVP candidate again, but it has also led the Lynx to a first place finish in the Western Conference and a berth in the Commissioner’s Cup final on June 25.
Collier’s all-around excellence and dynamism were on full display in the Sparks’ 81-76 win over Minnesota on Friday, when she combined for a game-high 30 points with a team-record eight steals to become the first player in WNBA history to record 30+ points, eight+ steals, five+ rebounds and two+ blocks in a single game.
“It’s a lot of hard work,” Collier said. “You do your best each offseason, each season, and then when the season is over, you re-evaluate and see what you need to improve on and work on those things. I’m older now, I’m wiser, I have more experience in the game.”
“Previously, [Team USA’s] Water, I’m just happy to be on the team. This time, of course, I want to have a bigger role. I don’t know if I’m a veteran on the team, but I feel like I’m more of a veteran than last time. I have three more years of experience in the league and I’ve played overseas. So you put all that together, [being] “I’ve become a better overall player. I think my basketball IQ has improved, and I hope to be able to show those skills at the Olympics.”
Watch 24/7 live soccer with The Equalizer
The Next has teamed up with The Equalizer to bring more women’s sport news straight to your inbox: subscribers to The Next will receive 50% off their subscription to The Equalizer, providing 24/7 coverage of women’s football.
It’s not hard to imagine Collier being a central figure in the U.S. plans in Paris. The head coach tasked with leading the U.S. women’s basketball team to bring home an eighth consecutive gold medal is the same person she starred in every night at the W, and she fully understands the importance of the Minnesota Lynx in the Olympics.
“It’s really special. Congratulations to Fee,” Lynx head coach and director of basketball operations/Team USA head coach Cheryl Reeve told reporters. “Obviously, we’re very proud. It’s really special to be on this journey with her.”
“Going back to Katie Smith, she has a great story. The culture of American basketball was built and established there. We’re still trying to carry that culture on. Like we talk about at the Lynx. I think it’s great for the franchise that we’ve been able to be a part of so much history.” [Olympic teams]And then just when you thought things were starting to go wrong for the Lynx, Napheesa Collier comes on the scene. I have no doubt she’s going to be great, and hopefully we can play a part in that and continue that winning streak.”
The history between the Lynx and Team USA is undeniable, but once the games begin, as Collier said, “the goal is the same: to win a gold medal.” Team USA is sending a talented and experienced group of women to Paris and is not taking lightly the chance to win an eighth consecutive gold medal.
“It’s going to be tough,” Collier said. “The talent gets better every year. We want to beat the best guys, but we’ve been at the top for so long that we know everyone’s going to be coming for blood. We have 12 of the most talented players in the world on our team, so we can’t take anybody lightly. It’s going to be a really tough battle. It’s going to be a really tough battle.”
Want even more women’s sports news delivered to your inbox?
Subscribe now to our sister publication, The IX, to receive our independent women’s sport newsletter six days a week. Learn more about your favourite athletes and teams from around the world competing in soccer, tennis, basketball, golf, hockey and gymnastics from our incredible team of writers.
The Next readers receive 50% off subscriptions to The IX.
