10 Women’s Basketball Stars to Watch at Paris Games

The women’s Olympic basketball tournament kicks off this Sunday in Paris. Team USA, going for their eighth straight gold medal, starts against Japan on Monday. They have the best players but aren’t the only stars to watch.

Here are 10 players to keep an eye on:

Li Yueru | China

Nicknamed the “Female Shaquille O’Neal” by Chinese fans, Li Yueru is a 6-foot-7 center who averaged 14.8 points per game on 78.6% shooting at the last Olympics. She shined in the 2022 FIBA World Cup final against Team USA with 19 points and 12 rebounds.

Gabby Williams | France

Williams has dual citizenship and was once an alternate in high jump for Team USA before focusing on basketball. She played for France’s bronze-medal team in the last Olympics and averaged 8.4 points for Seattle Storm in the WNBA this year.

Diana Taurasi, at age 42, is aiming to become the first player to win six Olympic gold medals . Known as “White Mamba,” she’s still scoring big, averaging 16.1 points before her last Olympics.

Fans might think Taurasi’s longevity is incredible!

More Players to Watch:

Satou Sabally | Germany

Sabally is Germany’s highest-drafted pro basketball player ever, even higher than Dirk Nowitzki! Despite injuries keeping her out of this WNBA season, she averaged impressive stats last year: 18.6 points and 8.1 rebounds per game.

In a recent friendly against Team USA, she had a tough time shooting.

Ezi Magbegor | Australia

Called a “super helper” by teammates, Magbegor is crucial for Australia as they aim for their first medal since 2012. She’s second in blocks per game this WNBA season and shoots over 50%.

Jewell Loyd | United States

Nicknamed “Gold Mamba” by Kobe Bryant himself, Loyd set a league scoring record last season despite not shooting efficiently this year (35.8%).

Alyssa Thomas | United States

Known as the “Triple-Double Queen,” Thomas plays with great vision and assists (7.7 per game), making her a key player off the bench for Team USA.

Emma Meesseman | Belgium

Meesseman has turned Belgium into real contenders and was named one of the top-five players worldwide by Cheryl Reeve ahead of these Olympics.

She won WNBA Finals MVP with Washington Mystics back in 2019.

Breanna Stewart | United States

Stewart owns more than pairs of shoes! She led Team USA with a stellar performance recently and averages nearly 20 points per game while holding multiple championships across different leagues.

A’ja Wilson | United States

Wilson names candles after career milestones! Leading almost every major stat category in WNBA right now—points (27.2), rebounds (12), blocks (2.9)—she scored big against Germany just before these Games start.

What do you think about these amazing athletes? Share your thoughts below!