Bird, Taurasi to play for fifth gold medals at Tokyo Games
Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi will try to become the first five-time Olympic gold medalists in basketball as they lead the U.S women’s team at the Tokyo Games.
The duo was selected for their fifth Olympics on Monday, joining Teresa Edwards as the only basketball players in U.S. history to play in five. Edwards won four gold medals and a bronze in her illustrious Olympic career.
“It’s just been a tremendous journey when you think about playing for that long,” Taurasi said.
There have been five international basketball players to play in five Olympics: Spain’s Juan Carlos Navarro, Brazil’s Adriana Moises Pinto and Oscar Schmidt, Australia’s Andrew Gaze and Puerto Rico’s Teofilo Cruz.
The 40-year-old Bird and 39-yearold Taurasi will lead a veteran group in Japan, including 6-foot-6 Sylvia Fowles, who will be playing in her fourth Olympics. Tina Charles will be in her third while 6-8 Brittney Griner and Breanna Stewart are back for a second time.
There will also be six newcomers to the Olympic stage led by reigning WNBA MVP A’ja Wilson. Others making their Olympic debuts are Skylar Diggins-Smith, Chelsea Gray, Ariel Atkins, Jewell Loyd and Napheesa Collier.
Two former WNBA MVPs who didn’t make the roster were ex-Stanford star Nneka Ogwumike and Elena Delle Donne. Ogwumike has been sidelined with a left knee sprained suffered earlier this month. She was expected to return around the WNBA’s Olympic break next month.
Delle Donne hasn’t played all season as she’s recovering from back surgery. Both players were on the World Championship team that won gold in 2018 and Ogwmuike has been to nearly every U.S. training camp over the last few years. She’s the only former WNBA MVP not to make an Olympic roster.
“Breaks my heart that Nneka isn’t on this team,” Team USA coach Dawn Staley said. “Having to make a decision today, if we had to make a decision a month from now I’m sure she’d be healthy.”
The Americans have won the last
six consecutive gold medals, not dropping a game at the Olympics since 1992. They are the heavy favorites to win again.
The Americans are in a pool with France, Japan and Nigeria, which the U.S. opens up against on July 27.
G LEAGUE IGNITE ADDS AUSTRALIAN GUARD DANIELS >> Guard Dyson Daniels of Australia has signed with the Walnut Creek-based NBA G League Ignite.
The 18-year-old from the NBA Global Academy in Australia turned down multiple college offers to join the developmental league in order to prepare for the 2022 NBA Draft.
Daniels joins elite prospects Michael Foster Jr., Jaden Hardy and Scoot Henderson on the Ignite roster for 2021-22.
Football
CHIEFS’ CLARK ARRESTED ON SUSPICION OF HAVING UZI IN CAR >> Kansas City Chiefs defensive end Frank Clark was arrested in Los Angeles after police saw a submachine gun in his car, police said.
Clark, 28, was pulled over for a vehicle violation south of downtown Sunday night, LAPD public information officer Tony Im said.
Olympics
TRANSGENDER WEIGHTLIFTER SELECTED FOR TOKYO GAMES >> Australia’s Laurel Hubbard will become the first transgender athlete to compete in the Olympics after she qualified in the women’s super-heavyweight division for the Tokyo Olympics.
Hubbard was among five weightlifters confirmed Monday in New
Zealand’s team for Tokyo. At 43, she will also be the oldest weightlifter at the games.
“I am grateful and humbled by the kindness and support that has been given to me by so many New Zealanders,” Hubbard said in a statement.
Competing as Gavin Hubbard, her birth name, Hubbard set national records in junior competition and had a best, combined snatch and clean and jerk total of 300 kilograms (661 pounds).
Hubbard transitioned eight years ago at the age of 35. She has since met all of the requirements of the International Olympic Committee’s regulations for trans athletes and fair competition.
TOKYO TO ALLOW LIMIT OF 10,000 LOCAL FANS IN VENUES >> The Tokyo Olympics will allow some local fans to attend when the games open in just over a month, Tokyo organizing committee officials and the IOC said.
Organizers set a limit of 50% of capacity up to a maximum of 10,000 fans for all Olympic venues.
The Tokyo Games are set to open on July 23.
Fans from abroad were banned several months ago. Officials say local fans will be under strict rules. They will not be allowed to cheer, must wear masks, and are being told to go straight home afterward.
Soccer
MLS LAUNCHING NEW PROFESSIONAL PATHWAY LEAGUE >> Major League Soccer is launching a new 20-team professional pathway league in 2022. The venture announced will expand the sport to new markets and serve as an intermediate step between the MLS player academies and the MLS first teams.
Further details, including the league’s name and logo and the participating franchises, will be unveiled throughout the next year.
Tennis
KVITOVA BEATS PITER AT BAD HOMBURG OPEN >> Top-seeded Petra Kvitova had to dig deep to reach the second round of the Bad Homburg Open in beating Polish qualifier Katarzyna Piter 4-6, 6-1, 6-4 in Germany.
Two-time Wimbledon champion Kvitova, who’s ranked 12th, will next play American Ann Li, who eased past Germany’s Anna Zaja 6-0, 6-4.