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How did A’ja Wilson, Sabrina Ionescu, Breanna Stewart, and other WNBA stars fare at the Paris Olympics?
The U.S. women’s basketball team secured yet another gold medal with a 67-66 defeat of France — and while the final game may have been too close for comfort, USA Basketball was able to cap off another dominant Olympic run with the ultimate prize.
It was a team effort, with different players stepping up to contribute each night, but, at the same time, there were also some undeniable standouts.
Who were the most impactful contributors? Who starred in their role? We have letter grades for all 12 members of the USA Basketball roster.
A’ja Wilson: A+
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This one was a no-brainer. A’ja Wilson averaged 18.3 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 2.7 blocks per game — all team highs, while also leading the Olympic field in plus-minus, averaging +16 per game.
The tournament MVP shot 59.2% from the field throughout the Olympics, and was particularly instrumental in the gold medal game, leading the way with 21 points, 13 rebounds, and 4 blocks.
Down the stretch, Wilson was responsible for several key plays that helped fend off a late France rally. She rattled home a huge midrange jumper with just over three minutes to play to give Team USA a three-point lead, and finished with 15 second-half points — the most of any player in the game.
After the U.S. won gold, former USA Basketball coach Dawn Staley assessed how they were were ultimately able to defeat France: “We had A’ja Wilson and they didn’t.”
Breanna Stewart: A
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Breanna Stewart gets an A, and it wasn’t much of a question. Stewart, the MVP of the Tokyo Olympics, remained remarkably consistent throughout her time in Paris, fueling the team’s offense while making key defensive plays.
She averaged 16.3 points per game (on 56.7% shooting), 5.3 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 1.7 blocks, all while helping to anchor USA’s defense. Stewart and Wilson combined to join a formidable frontcourt that no country had an answer for.
In the gold medal game, with USA leading France by 3 with 21 seconds to play, Stewart blocked a Marine Fauthoux three-pointer that would have tied the game. It was the biggest defensive play of the tournament — and one of many that the she was responsible for. Stewart ended up being the only American outside of Wilson to be named to the All-Star Five, an honor bestowed upon the five most impactful players at the Olympics.
While the final game was Stewart’s quietest (she had just 8 points on 2-8 shooting), her steadfast contributions throughout the tournament secure her an A grade.
Jackie Young: A
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At first, it appeared that Jackie Young was going to be one of the last guards off the bench. But when it was all said and done, Young had a superb tournament, averaging the third-most points on the team (after Stewart and Wilson), all while typically being being tasked with guarding the opposing team’s best players. Young averaged 9.5 points on 53.8% shooting, 2.3 assists, and 1.5 steals in 19.2 minutes per game, and finished with the second-highest plus-minus on the roster.
Her breakout game came against Germany — she played just 9 minutes and was scoreless in a group phase game against Belgium, but exploded for 19 points on 5 three-pointers in a dominant win over Germany. That game moved her into the starting lineup, and she played far more significant minutes the rest of the way.
Young struggled in the gold medal, scoring just 2 points on 1/7 shooting (and ultimately fouling out), but she was nonetheless one of the most critical members of the U.S. roster for the duration of the Olympics.
Kahleah Copper: A
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Kahleah Copper had one of the wildest turnarounds of any player in the Olympic field. Earlier in the Olympics, the profile scorer seemed to be toward the bottom of the rotation — she even got a DNP’d in the group phase game against Belgium, and played a team-low 6 minutes in the first pool play game against Japan.
But, head coach Cheryl Reeve turned to Copper for increased minutes in the final two games of the Olympics, and she delivered. She gets an A thanks to a string of critical fourth quarter plays in the most important stretch of the Olympics.
Against Australia in the semifinals, Copper finished with 11 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists in 20 minutes, going from the bottom of the rotation to one of the top producers.
Then, in the finals against France, she was one of USA’s most impactful players, finishing with 12 points — 8 of which came in the final 5 minutes.
Copper hit two free throws to tie the game with 4:35 to play, and followed that up with another strong drive to give the U.S. the lead. She successfully drove again with just over a minute to play to give USA. three-point lead, and hit two free throws to seal the game in the final seconds. With the U.S. offense so out of sorts in this game, it’s very likely they don’t win without Copper.
After the Finals win, A’ja Wilson was asked to describe Kahleah Copper in one word, and simply said: ‘That b****.’
Kelsey Plum: A-
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Statistically, Kelsey Plum had a relatively quiet Olympic tournament — she averaged 6.5 points on 44% shooting and 3.2 assists in 15 minutes per game.
But, in the final game, when the lights were brightest, Plum came through. She helped the U.S. come back from a 10-point third quarter deficit in the gold medal game by hitting two third-quarter three-pointers.
Then, when USA led France by 2 points with 12 seconds to go, Plum calmly hit two free throws to make it a two-possession game, effectively sealing the deal. Plum’s 12 points in the gold medal game were tied with Kahleah Copper for the second-most on Team USA. Additionally, Plum’s plus-minus of +7.5 was the highest among all bench contributors.
Napheesa Collier: B+
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Early on, it appeared that Napheesa Collier was struggling with the physicality of international play. But, she adjusted, and Collier ended up finishing the tournament averaging the third-most minutes (behind A’ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart) and second-most rebounds (behind Wilson).
Collier averaged 6.7 points (on 46.2% shooting), 6.5 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per game. Her rebounding was particularly critical in the gold medal game — she grabbed 5 offensive boards, including converting a tip-in at the halftime buzzer to prevent the U.S. from trailing against France heading into the third quarter.
Brittney Griner: B
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Brittney Griner didn’t have the dominant tournament she had a few years ago in Tokyo, but nonetheless was a solid contributor for Team USA. Griner averaged 7.3 points per game on 64.3% shooting alongside 4.2 rebounds in just 14.2 minutes per game.
She helped provide the U.S. size, length, and bursts of scoring, albeit in a more limited role than we’ve been accustomed to seeing from her. Even against France, while she only played 5 minutes, Griner scored 4 quick points first-half points when the USA couldn’t get anything going.
Alyssa Thomas: B
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Alyssa Thomas is a first-time Olympian at 32, and the defensive-oriented Connecticut Sun forward made her presence felt each and every time she stepped onto the floor. Thomas averaged 3.8 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 3.5 assists in 17.6 minutes.
She struggled a bit in the gold medal game, turning the ball over 3 times in 10 minutes played, but provided a consistent boost throughout the tourney with her physicality and hustle each time she checked in.
Sabrina Ionescu: B
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Sabrina Ionescu averaged 5.5 points per game on 41.7% shooting, including 40% from three (tied for the best clip from beyond the arc with Kahleah Copper). She also dished out 3.3 assists in 13.2 minutes per game.
Ionescu provided a steady presence when she first checked in in the gold medal game, ultimately finishing with 3 assists and 2 rebounds in 10 minutes of play.
As the youngest member of the roster, Ionescu is likely to have a larger role on Team USA in the future, but did what she could with limited touches in this one.
Chelsea Gray: B-
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Chelsea Gray struggled to find her own offense in this tournament, with her shooting struggles from the WNBA season spilling over to Olympic play. She averaged just 1.3 points per game on 16.7% shooting — pretty abysmal figures considering she served as the team’s starting guard.
Still, Gray served as one of the veteran leaders on the roster, and didn’t miss a beat with her playmaking. She led the U.S. with 5.2 assists per game, finishing the tournament with a superb assist-to-turnover ration of 5.2:1. Gray also set the tone for the USA’s offense in the first Olympic game against Japan, dishing out 13 assists to help get everyone involved.
Jewell Loyd: B-
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Loyd had one of the smaller on-court role in this tournament — she was one of two players to not play at all in the final game, and averaged just 11.3 minutes per night. She struggled from the field during the Olympic tournament, hitting just 5 of 21 field goals — good for 23.8% from the field. But, that sample size is pretty insignificant in the scheme of things, and probably not worth drawing too many conclusions over.
Notably, Loyd was seen loudly cheering on the bench, and seemed completely locked in despite the fact she wasn’t playing in the gold medal game. And on a team with so much talent, if the last player in the rotation can maintain upbeat attitude and stay ready in case their number is called, that’s a win.
Diana Taurasi: B-
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Diana Taurasi’s on-court role and impact was limited at the Paris Olympics. She didn’t play in the gold medal game after being relegated from the starting lineup to the bench earlier in the tournament, and was pretty quiet in the minutes that she did play. I
In five Olympic games, Taurasi averaged 3.2 points on 23.8% shooting, and it was immediately clear that inserting Jackie Young into the starting lineup in her place greatly benefitted Team USA on both ends of the court.
Still, it’s hard to give Taurasi a poor mark considering the leadership that she brought to this team, in both years past and present. With the victory over France, Taurasi secured her 6th career gold medal, becoming the most decorated Olympian in basketball history. At 42 years old, Diana Taurasi’s best playing days are behind her, but she’ll always be a USA Basketball legend.
