USA - Nothing but Gold

Since women's basketball was first played at the 1976 Olympics in Montreal the USA women have won a record five gold medals, one silver and one bronze and own a 42-3 (.933) won-loss record in seven Olympic appearances (the United States chose not to participate in the 1980 Olympic Games that were held in Moscow). The only other nation to break into the gold medal column in the Olympics is the Soviet Union/Unified Team.

The Soviets won the first Olympic gold medal in 1976, took the 1980 gold and again won as the Unified Team in 1992. The U.S. is riding a 25-0 winning streak into its 2008 opening game, which includes the 1992 bronze medal game and unblemished 8-0 marks in the 1996, 2000 and 2004 Olympiads. 

The USA's Teresa Edwards, the most decorated Olympic basketball player on the planet, male or female, earned a record four gold medals and one bronze in Olympic action; while Lisa Leslie will become the USA's second player to compete in at least four Olympiads and will be going for a record fourth consecutive gold medal this summer.

The USA has five other athletes who have been named to three Olympic teams:  2008 USA head coach Anne Donovan (1980, 1984, 1988) and Katrina McClain (1988, 1992, 1996); as well as 2008 USA assistant coach Dawn Staley (1996, 2000, 2004) and Sheryl Swoopes (1996, 2000, 2004), who along with Leslie were members of the historic 1995-96 USA Basketball Women's National Team that went on to claim gold in Atlanta and earn a combined 60-0 record on the year. The trio returned in Sydney and again in Athens to collect two more gold medals. Katie Smith (2000, 2004), who was on a pair of gold medal winning Olympic squads, is returning this summer for her third Olympiad to round out the list.

Sue Bird, Diana Taurasi and Tina Thompson, each of whom were on the USA team in 2004, will compete in their second Olympics this summer.

The U.S. is on the hunt for a fourth gold medal, but it won't be an easy task. Australia, Brazil, Russia and host China are hot on the gold-medal trail and are looking to unseat the American women. There's also a host of additional countries - Cuba, Czech Republic, Latvia to name a few -- looking to break onto the podium that has been dominated by some type of combination of Australia, Brazil, Russia and the United States dating to the 1996 Olympics.

Looking at the core of the 2008 U.S. Women's Olympic Basketball Team, coached by three-time Olympian Donovan, one can see that the torch is being passed yet again to a new batch of eager and talented newcomers.

Such is the nature of the USA Basketball Women's National Team, which has combined veteran leadership with the best young players to string together three consecutive Olympic golds. In fact, this recipe blended to near perfection by USA Basketball over the years has yielded a dynasty that has captured five of the last six gold medals in Olympic play.

On the perimeter this summer are faces that were relative newcomers in 2004 and 2006, but who have grown into their own for the Olympics in Beijing. One in particular is Bird who in her second Games will step into a role most recently held by three-time Olympic gold medalist Staley. Running the point behind Staley at the 2002 World Championship and 2004 Olympics, Bird hit the ground running as the USA's starting point guard at the '06 Worlds and is now the steady floor general for this U.S. squad.

Smith, heading into her third Olympiad, and Taurasi, a 2004 gold medalist, return to the fold with four more years of experience and championship titles under their belts. The duo will help lead a pair of enthusiastic newcomers in long-time USA Basketball veterans but first-time Olympians Seimone Augustus and Cappie Pondexter.

Preparing for her fourth and final Olympic Games, Leslie continues to be a force among the world's best post players. She, along with 2004 Olympic gold medalist Thompson, will be passing along their skills working with the young and talented Sylvia Fowles and Candace Parker on the USA's inside game.

How did they qualify?
FIBA Americas Championship 2007
Bronze Medal (5 W - 0 L)

Preliminary Round
Sept-26th 2007    USA b. Cuba    95-79
Sept-27th 2007    USA b.Jamaica    115-47
Sept-28th 2007    USA b. Canada    85-37

Semi-Final
Sept-29th 2007    USA b. Argentina    104-53

Final
Sept-30h 2007    USA b. Cuba    101-71