The twelfth, and final, women's basketball team player was announced on April 23, 2012. According to USA Today, Asjha Jones from the Connecticut Sun was the lucky (and deserving) lady. The U.S.A.'s women's basketball team has received medals in all eight of their Olympic appearances (six gold, one silver, and one bronze) and is on a 33-game winning streak during Olympic play; so being picked for this lady's team is an honor. Ms. Jones certainly has one other credential that seems to be prevalent among U.S.A.'s women players: she plays in Europe's basketball league, FIBA EuroLeague Women (EuroLeague). EuroLeague is played during the Women's National Basketball League (WNBA) off-season. All but two of the women from the 2012 U.S.A Olympic basketball team currently play for the EuroLeague.
The Euroleague is Europe's top women's basketball league. It is organized and run by FIBA (formerly known as Fédération Internationale de Basketball Amateur). The league starts in the middle of October and runs through the beginning of April. Here are the members of the 2012 U.S.A. Women's Olympic Basketball Team and a listing of which WNBA and Euro League teams that they play for.
Seimone Augustus plays for the Minnesota Lynx and for Russia's Spartak Moscow Region team.
Sue Bird plays for the Seattle Storm and for Russia's UMMC Ekaterinburg team.
Swin Cash plays for the Chicago Sky and for China's DongGuan New Century Club.
Tamika Catchings plays for the Indiana Fever. She played for Turkey's Galatasray Medical Park team in 2010-11 but she is currently nursing an ACL injury so she is not playing in Europe.
Tina Charles plays for the Connecticut Sun and for Turkey's Galatasray Medical Park team.
Sylvia Fowles plays for the Chicago Sky and for Turkey's Galatasray Medical Park team.
Angel McCoughtry plays for the Atlanta Dream and for Turkey's Fenerbahce Istanbul team.
Maya Moore plays for the Minnesota Lynx and for Spain's Ros Casares Valencia team.
Candace Parker plays for the Los Angeles Sparks and for Russia's UMMC Ekaterinburg team.
Diana Taurasi plays for the Phoenix Mercury and for Turkey's Galatasary Medical Park team.
Lindsay Whalen plays for the Minnesota Lynx. She does not currently play for a European team.
Asjha Jones plays for the Connecticut Sun and for Spain's Rivas Ecopolis squad.
More from this contributor:
75th Ranked Great Britain Given Scarce Seat in 2012 Men's Olympic Basketball Tournament
Venus Williams' Olympic Goal Hinges on Points
Sarah Hammer on Track for Olympic Medal in Omnium
Kim Rhode's World Record Sets Gold Standard for the 2012 Olympics
