The 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris are quickly approaching, and the women’s Team USA basketball team released their initial roster as they prepare for the game. Phoenix Mercury star Brittney Griner was listed on the roster for their upcoming training camp next month.
Griner famously was forced to miss the 2022 FIBA World Cup for Team USA due to her 10-month detainment in Russia. And it seems like she is making up for lost time when it comes to the 2024 Olympics.
Team USA released their roster of 16 athletes on Friday, which included the likes of Griner, Sabrina Ionescu, and Aliyah Boston amongst other notable WNBA stars.
The November 2023 🇺🇸 #USABWNT roster is here!
16 athletes, including seven Olympians, will participate in the Nov. 7-9 training camp in Atlanta.
— USA Basketball (@usabasketball) October 26, 2023
Fans took notice of this announcement and are excited to see Griner again participating for Team USA.
Phoenix Mercury's Brittney Griner and Diana Taurasi will be a part of the roster for Team USA camp that'll take place in November. #ValleyTogether #WNBATwitter https://t.co/A963gL0rXh
— Aya Abdeen (@ayabdeen) October 26, 2023
Mercury guard Diana Taurasi and center Brittney Griner are on the Nov. exhibitions and training camp roster for the #USAWBNT. #WNBATwitter #ValleyTogether@TheNextHoops https://t.co/s9tqbWs7Qd
— Jesse Morrison (@morrscode_) October 26, 2023
#Mercury Diana Taurasi and Brittney Griner included! https://t.co/iu9tCSqn2l
— jeffmetcalfe (@jeffmetcalfe) October 26, 2023
She's a force of nature Can't wait to see her dominate in Paris
— Random Bullshit Go!!!! (@eliteseniordev) October 27, 2023
Brittney Griner and Diana Taurasi headline USA Basketball's roster for its upcoming exhibitions against college teams as well as November training camp. https://t.co/ribDH6h0XG
— ESPN Women's Hoops (@ESPN_WomenHoop) October 26, 2023
Fortunately, it doesn’t seem like that horrible incident overseas has dissuaded her from competing in international play moving forward.
She previously hinted that this decision could be coming from her. She previously stated in an interview after returning to the United States that she would never play internationally again after the incident in Russia, unless it was to represent her country in the Olympics.
“I’m never going overseas to play again unless I’m representing my country at the Olympics,” Griner said at the time, via The Athletic. “If I make that team, that would be the only reason I would leave U.S. soil.”
Luckily, she was indeed chosen to take part in the USA training camp for the upcoming Olympics. She will take the floor next for the team in two exhibition games next month.
About Reice Shipley
Reice Shipley is a staff writer for Comeback Media that graduated from Ithaca College with a degree in Sports Media. He previously worked at Barrett Sports Media and is a fan of all things Syracuse sports.