Phoenix Mercury center and former Russian captive Brittney Griner is making her return to Team USA basketball.
Griner will headline America’s roster with the legendary Dana Taurasi for upcoming exhibitions against college teams and a training camps set to tip off next month.
USA Basketball is eyeing its eighth consecutive gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics next summer, according to Alexa Philippou of ESPN.
Team USA will face Tennessee on Nov. 5th at 6 p.m. ET and Duke on Nov. 12th at noon ET.
The team will host training camp from Nov. 7th to Nov. 9th to “evaluate the program’s player pool” ahead of the big tournament next year.
Philippou also reported that the United States will participate in the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament in February before holding another training camp at the Final Four.
The team is coached by Cheryl Reeve of the Minnesota Lynx, with Mike Thibault and Curt Miller as her assistants.
Griner is a two-time Olympian and will play in her first games since her horrific nine-month nightmare in Russian custody last year for attempting to bring a small amount of medical marijuana aboard a Russian domestic flight while playing in its top women’s league due to the major salary benefits.
The world was quick to react to the announcement:
— Sadie (@SadiesMagicShow) October 27, 2023
🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉 https://t.co/rh7yHk6j3q
— luckygirl3 (@utprincesskd) October 27, 2023
Still can't believe we swapped a basketball player for a dude nicknamed 'The Merchant of Death." https://t.co/Pb5hYeiG2a
— AJ Retelle 🇺🇦 (@ajretelle) October 26, 2023
https://twitter.com/TheHestercution/status/1717677442171572652
I'm glad USA Basketball is giving a shot to some younger stars like Diana Taurasi https://t.co/S9mlhLlEic
— Joseph Zucker (@JosephZucker) October 26, 2023
[ESPN]
