The Dream’s Angel McCoughtry and former Collins Hill High standout Maya Moore were two of 12 players selected to play for the U.S. women’s basketball team on Wednesday.
The summer games in Brazil will be McCoughtry’s second consecutive appearance in the Olympics. She was a part of the gold-medal winning team in London in 2012 where she averaged 10.9 points per game.
“I think the emotion, I don’t even know how to explain it, it’s just a gut feeling because you’re nervous about the call, and you don’t even know what you’re going to hear,” McCoughtry said in a statement from the Dream. “When you hear that you made the team, there’s just this feeling you get, there’s excitement, there’s butterflies and the thought that, ‘Wow! I get to represent my country again.’ It gives you more motivation and makes you want to get ready even more. Like, I want to go to the gym right now just to get ready. There’s definitely a motivation that you feel inside.”
The U.S. women’s team has won five consecutive gold medals. This year’s team will be coached by Connecticut’s Geno Auriemma.
The U.S. will open playing Senegal on Aug. 6 or Aug. 7, an opponent to be announced on Aug. 8, Serbia on Aug. 10, Canada on Aug. 12, and another opponent to be determined on Aug. 14.
Moore has won three WNBA titles in five seasons with Minnesota after an All-American career at Connecticut.
Also on the team are Sue Bird (Seattle Storm), Tamika Catchings (Indiana Fever), Diana Taurasi (Phoenix Mercury), Seimone Augustus (Minnesota Lynx), Sylvia Fowles (Minnesota Lynx), Tina Charles (New York Liberty), Lindsay Whalen (Minnesota Lynx), Elena Delle Donne (Chicago Sky), Brittney Griner (Phoenix Mercury) and Breanna Stewart (University of Connecticut).
