COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — For the second time in their careers, two Notre Dame women’s basketball icons are headed to the Olympics for Team USA.
On Tuesday, June 11, former Irish guards Jewell Loyd and Jackie Young were named to the 5×5 squad that will head to Paris in just over a month for the 2024 Olympic Games. Both women earned gold medals at the 2020 (2021) Olympic Games in Tokyo, Loyd in the 5×5 and Young in the 3×3.
Loyd is in her ninth season with the Seattle Storm and has twice won the WNBA Championship (2018 and 2020). The No. 1 overall pick in the 2015 WNBA Draft is currently the leading scorer for the Seattle Storm (20.3 points per game) and just passed the 5000-point mark last week. With 939 total points last season, Loyd broke the single-season WNBA scoring record as well.
Also a No. 1 overall pick in the WNBA Draft (2019), Young continues to be one of the most well-rounded players in the league and has won back-to-back WNBA titles. The Las Vegas Aces guard is averaging 18.3 points, 5.4 rebounds and 7.0 assists per game this season. The latter mark currently ranks third in the WNBA. Last week, Young became the first WNBA player since 2014 to average 20+ points, 5+ rebounds and 5+ assists per contest through the first seven games of the season.
Once in Paris, the group stage of play for the women will begin July 28 and run through August 4. The quarterfinals, semifinals and gold medal match will be August 7, 9 and 11, respectively. Team USA has won the last eight gold medals.