USA Basketball announced the roster Thursday for the women’s national team exhibition games against Tennessee and Duke.
The roster is headlined by two-time Olympic gold medalist Brittney Griner’s return to the national team and former South Carolina women’s basketball star Aliyah Boston, who is coming off her WNBA Rookie of the Year season.
It is Boston’s third invitation to the senior national team as it prepares for the Paris 2024 Olympics. Griner and five-time Olympic gold medalist Diana Taurasi will be on the roster for both exhibition games.
Lady Vols basketball will face off against the U.S. women’s team Nov. 5 at Thompson-Boling Arena (6 p.m. ET, SEC Network).
Joining Boston, Griner and Taurasi in Knoxville are Kahleah Copper, Allisha Gray, Rhyne Howard, Azurá Stevens and Sabrina Ionescu. Three of the 11 players on the roster for the Tennessee game went to SEC schools.
Players on the U.S. roster who won’t make the trip to Knoxville include Dearica Hamby, Natasha Howard, Arike Ogunbowale and Kelsey Plum.
After the Tennessee exhibition, the national team will hold a training camp Nov. 7-9 in Atlanta before the Duke exhibition game on Nov. 12.
U.S. women’s basketball coach Cheryl Reeve, who is also the coach of the WNBA Minnesota Lynx, will lead both games and the training camp between exhibition games. Reeve will be assisted by Los Angeles Sparks coach Curt Miller and former Washington Mystics coach Mike Thibault.
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The Lady Vols previously have hosted USA Basketball three times for exhibition games. The most recent was part of the 2007 College Tour that saw Team USA edge Tennessee 83-72. All three previous Tennessee squads made it to the NCAA Final Four that season.
Tennessee coach Kellie Harper was a freshman when Team USA made its first trip to Knoxville in 1995.
U.S. women’s national team roster for Tennessee exhibition game
G Ariel Atkins, Washington Mystics
F Aliyah Boston, Indiana Fever
F/G Kahleah Copper, Chicago Sky
G Allisha Gray, Atlanta Dream
G Jackie Young, Las Vegas Aces
C Brittney Griner, Phoenix Mercury
G Rhyne Howard, Atlanta Dream
G Sabrina Ionescu, New York Liberty
G/F Betnijah Laney, New York Liberty
C Azurá Stevens, Los Angeles Sparks
G Diana Taurasi, Phoenix Mercury