U.S. Seek 5th Gold

The U.S. women’s basketball team would be seeking their 5th consecutive gold medal at the 2012 London Olympics after they dominated the Beijing Games, winning by close to 38 points per game while cruising to the gold medal.

“We have an opportunity to have one of the greatest Olympic teams all-time given the combination of players we have with the depth, experience and youth,” coach Geno Auriemma said. “I have tremendous respect for every team we’re playing over there and by no means will this be easy at all. I’m focused on trying to make this team maximize the unbelievable potential they have.”

It might be difficult for Auriemma to improve on the United States’ recent success. With half the roster made up of his own Connecticut Huskies, they’ll at least be ready for his style.

The Americans have won four straight gold medals and 33 consecutive games in the Olympics. Much of the current roster is in its prime now, making it even more likely Auriemma and Co. could reduce the Olympic tournament to a competition for silver.

Standing in the way of the Americans’ fifth straight gold is perennial runner-up Australia, which has lost the gold medal game at the last three Olympics. The Australians will be missing star Penny Taylor, who tore the anterior cruciate ligament in her left knee in early April while playing for Turkish club Fenerbahce, where she was averaging more than 19 points a game.

They still have Lauren Jackson, who has competed in the last three Olympics. This time she decided not to play for the first three months of the WNBA season and instead train with her teammates for the London Games.

Jackson is trying to add the one thing missing from her incredible basketball resume – an Olympic gold medal.

While the Australians and many other teams have been training for months, the Americans have only been together for a short period. They had a three-day training camp in Seattle in May and then will spend two weeks together before Olympic pool play begins on July 28.

“We know we have limited time to train, but that’s the nature of this team,” Catchings said. “Because of the WNBA and overseas commitments we’ll never be able to get everyone together for a long period.”