St. Louisan Napheesa Collier was selected to the United States women’s Olympic basketball team for the second time in her career.
The former Incarnate Word Academy star was selected to the 12-player team, which was officially announced by USA Basketball on Tuesday. Collier and her Olympic teammates will be headed to Paris, France in search of the USA’s eighth gold medal in women’s basketball. The Olympics will be held from July 26 to August 11.
Collier, 27, was a member of the USA’s gold-medal winning team at the 2021 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan. She was also the youngest member of that stellar squad.
In her second trip to the Olympics, Collier figures to have a more prominent role as she has emerged as one of the top players in the WNBA for the Minnesota Lynx. In her sixth season in the WNBA, Collier is currently having an MVP-like season in leading the Lynx to a 9-3 record.
In 12 games, the 6’1” Collier is averaging 20.6 points, 10.9 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 2.0 steals and 1.5 blocks while also shooting 46 percent from the field, 37 percent from 3-point range and 81 percent from the free throw line.
Collier was also the USA’s top player at the Olympic qualifying tournament, which was held in February in Antwerp, Belgium. She averaged 19 points a game to lead the team in scoring.
Joining Collier on USA women’s team will be A’ja Wilson, Kelsey Plum, Jackie Young and Chelsea Gray of the Las Vegas Aces, Diana Taurasi, Brittney Griner and Kaleah Copper of the Phoenix Mercury, Breanna Stewart and Sabrina Ionescu of the New York Liberty, Jewell Loyd of the Seattle Storm and Alyssa Thomas of the Connecticut Sun.
