26 current and former WNBA players win medals at 2008 Olympic Games
Published on August 25, 2008 under Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) News Release
NEW YORK, Aug. 25, 2008 - The U.S. Olympic Women's Basketball Team defeated Australia in Saturday's gold medal game in Beijing, bringing the total to 26 current or former WNBA players who earned medals at the 2008 Olympic Games. Russia defeated China for the bronze medal. The WNBA was heavily represented with 39 current and former players on Olympic rosters. In addition, a current or former player participated for 10 of the 12 countries in Beijing.
The United States has now won four consecutive Olympic gold medals and six of nine overall since women's basketball debuted at the Olympics in 1976. With the victory, Anne Donovan became the first female to win a gold medal as a player and also lead a team to gold as head coach. Lisa Leslie, who boasts an unblemished 32-0 record over her 12-year Olympic career, has earned gold in an unprecedented four consecutive Olympic Games, which stands as the most by any female participant in Olympic team sports. Leslie is tied with Teresa Edwards as winning the most-ever gold medals in women's basketball. Leslie earned her medals in 1996, 2000, 2004 and 2008 while Edwards won gold in 1984, 1988, 1996 and 2000 plus bronze in 1992.
"My vision, my dream was to have four gold medals around my neck by the time we finished our last game here in Beijing," said Leslie. "It's just been awesome for me to experience this for the fourth time with such a great group. We've really just worked hard and hung our hats on our defense and our pressure. Offensively, the ball found the open player every single time we came down the floor. I thought we were the team who played the best basketball this whole Olympics. I feel so confident in where USA Basketball is going to go in the future."
Each of the 12 members of the U.S. Olympic Women's Basketball Team won gold, led by Leslie (Los Angeles Sparks) and three-time Olympic gold medalist Katie Smith (Detroit Shock). Sue Bird (Seattle Storm), Tamika Catchings (Indiana Fever), Diana Taurasi (Phoenix Mercury), DeLisha Milton-Jones (Los Angeles Sparks) and Tina Thompson (Houston Comets) all earned their second gold medal.
First-time Olympians and gold-medalists for the United States include rookie standouts Candace Parker (Los Angeles Sparks) and Sylvia Fowles (Chicago Sky) as well as Kara Lawson (Sacramento Monarchs), Seimone Augustus (Minnesota Lynx) and Cappie Pondexter (Phoenix Mercury).
The silver medal-winning Australian Olympic Team featured eight current or former WNBA players, led by reigning WNBA MVP Lauren Jackson (Seattle Storm) and Tully Bevilaqua (Indiana Fever). Jackson, who will undergo routine arthroscopic surgery on her right ankle in Sydney this week, earned her third consecutive silver medal, having also come up just short to the U.S. in 2000 and 2004.
Becky Hammon (San Antonio Silver Stars) helped lead Russia to the bronze medal after defeating China.
The 2008 WNBA season will resume play on Aug. 28. A complete list of current and former WNBA players that earned Olympic medals follows.
WNBA MEDAL WINNERS
Gold Medalists
Player Team WNBA Years
Seimone Augustus United States 2006-present
Sue Bird United States 2002-present
Tamika Catchings United States 2001-present
Sylvia Fowles United States 2008-present
Kara Lawson United States 2003-present
Lisa Leslie United States 1997-present
DeLisha Milton-Jones United States 1999-present
Candace Parker United States 2008-present
Cappie Pondexter United States 2006-present
Katie Smith United States 1999-present
Diana Taurasi United States 2004-present
Tina Thompson United States 1997-present
Silver Medalists
Suzy Batkovic Australia 2005
Tully Bevilaqua Australia 1998, 2000-present
Kristi Harrower Australia 1998-99, 2001-03, 2005
Lauren Jackson Australia 2001-present
Erin Phillips Australia 2006
Belinda Snell Australia 2005-07
Laura Summerton Australia 2005-06
Penny Taylor Australia 2001-07
Bronze Medalists
Svetlana Abrosimova Russia 2001-07
Becky Hammon Russia 1999-present
Ilona Korstine Russia 2001
Irina Osipova Russia 2006
Maria Stepanova Russia 1998-2001, 2005
Natalia Vodopyanova Russia 2005
Women's National Basketball Association Stories from August 25, 2008
- Chicago Sky Weekly Update - Chicago Sky
- Mystics And Pitney Bowes Join Forces To Raise Money For Heart Of America - Washington Mystics
- Fever Radio Broadcasts Moved For Dates On August 28 And September 14 - Indiana Fever
- 26 current and former WNBA players win medals at 2008 Olympic Games - WNBA
- Fever Joins Habitat for Humanity for Tuesday Home Builds - Indiana Fever
- Sacramento Awarded Fourth Consecutive WNBA "Court of Dreams" - Sacramento Monarchs
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