Record-breaking field of NBA and WNBA players in the Olympic Games

By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net

Examining the 12-player rosters across the men’s and women’s basketball tournaments of the 2024 Olympic Games, NBA revealed a new record on current and former NBA and WNBA players.

A total of 139 players with experience in the NBA and the WNBA are set to compete in the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Per the press release: “A record 139 current and former NBA and WNBA players are featured on national team rosters for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.

The men’s and women’s 5-on-5 competitions will feature a record 81 and record 51 current and former players, respectively. The men’s and women’s 3-on-3 competitions will include one former NBA player, three current WNBA players and three former WNBA players.

Olympic rosters feature a record 51 current NBA players and a record 31 current WNBA players. The previous records for players with NBA and WNBA experience (121), current NBA players (49) and current WNBA players (26) were set at the 2020 Olympics.

Outside of the U.S., Canada has the most current NBA players with 10, followed by Australia (nine) and France (five). Ten of the 12 teams in the men’s 5-on-5 competition have at least five players with NBA experience.

Among all teams outside of the U.S. in the women’s 5-on-5 competition, Australia has the most current WNBA players with six, followed by Canada (four) and Germany (three). Eight of the 12 teams in the women’s 5-on-5 competition have at least three players with WNBA experience.

Twenty-six NBA teams and 11 WNBA teams are represented in the 5-on-5 and 3-on-3 competitions. The Minnesota Timberwolves feature an NBA-high four current players, followed by the Boston Celtics, Houston Rockets and Los Angeles Lakers (three each). The Las Vegas Aces feature a WNBA-high six players, followed by the New York Liberty, Phoenix Mercury and Los Angeles Sparks (four each).

Below are additional NBA and WNBA stats and storylines around the 2024 Olympic Games:

  • Flag Bearers: Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee Bucks), LeBron James (Los Angeles Lakers) and Dennis Schröder (Brooklyn Nets) will serve as the flag bearers during the Olympic Opening Ceremony for Greece, the U.S. and Germany, respectively.
  • MVPs: There are six former Kia NBA Most Valuable Players (MVPs) on men’s national team rosters: Antetokounmpo, Stephen Curry (U.S.; Golden State Warriors), Kevin Durant (U.S.; Phoenix Suns), Joel Embiid (U.S.; Philadelphia 76ers), James and Nikola Jokić (Serbia; Denver Nuggets).  There are four former Kia WNBA MVPs on women’s national team rosters: Lauren Jackson (Australia), Breanna Stewart (U.S.; New York Liberty), Diana Taurasi (U.S.; Phoenix Mercury) and A’ja Wilson (U.S.; Las Vegas Aces).
  • Champions: There are 13 former NBA champions and 16 former WNBA champions on national team rosters.
  • All-Stars: There are 15 former NBA All-Stars on men’s national team rosters and 20 former WNBA All-Stars on national team rosters.
  • NBA G League: There are 19 players with NBA G League experience on national team rosters.
  • Basketball Africa League: There are three players with Basketball Africa League (BAL) experience on men’s national team rosters, including 2023 BAL champion and MVP Nuni Omot, who helped South Sudan qualify for its first Olympic basketball appearance.
  • NBA Academy: Four graduates of the NBA Academy program are on men’s national team rosters: Dyson Daniels (Australia; Atlanta Hawks; NBA Global Academy), Josh Giddey (Australia; Chicago Bulls; NBA Global Academy), Akira Jacobs (Japan; NBA Global Academy) and Khaman Maluach (South Sudan; NBA Academy Africa).   Additionally, women’s national team rosters feature two NBA Academy Women’s Program alumni: Han Xu (China) and Aaliyah Edwards (Canada; Washington Mystics).

The following is a complete list of current NBA players on 2024 Olympic 5-on-5 rosters*: 

Country First Name Last Name NBA Team
Australia Dyson Daniels Atlanta Hawks
Australia Danté Exum Dallas Mavericks
Australia Josh Giddey Chicago Bulls
Australia Josh Green Charlotte Hornets
Australia Joe Ingles Minnesota Timberwolves
Australia Jock Landale Houston Rockets
Australia Jack McVeigh Houston Rockets
Australia Patty Mills Most recently with the Miami Heat**
Australia Duop Reath Portland Trail Blazers
Brazil Gui Santos Golden State Warriors
Canada Nickeil Alexander-Walker Minnesota Timberwolves
Canada RJ Barrett Toronto Raptors
Canada Dillon Brooks Houston Rockets
Canada Luguentz Dort Oklahoma City Thunder
Canada Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Oklahoma City Thunder
Canada Trey Lyles Sacramento Kings
Canada Jamal Murray Denver Nuggets
Canada Andrew Nembhard Indiana Pacers
Canada Kelly Olynyk Toronto Raptors
Canada Dwight Powell Dallas Mavericks
France Nicolas Batum LA Clippers
France Bilal Coulibaly Washington Wizards
France Evan Fournier Most recently with the Detroit Pistons**
France Rudy Gobert Minnesota Timberwolves
France Victor Wembanyama San Antonio Spurs
Germany Dennis Schröder Brooklyn Nets
Germany Daniel Theis New Orleans Pelicans
Germany Franz Wagner Orlando Magic
Germany Moritz Wagner Orlando Magic
Greece Giannis Antetokounmpo Milwaukee Bucks
Japan Rui Hachimura Los Angeles Lakers
Puerto Rico José Alvarado New Orleans Pelicans
Serbia Bogdan Bogdanović Atlanta Hawks
Serbia Nikola Jokić Denver Nuggets
Serbia Nikola Jović Miami Heat
Serbia Vasilije Micić Charlotte Hornets
South Sudan JT Thor Most recently with the Charlotte Hornets**
Spain Santi Aldama Memphis Grizzlies
Spain Usman Garuba Most recently with the Golden State Warriors**
United States Bam Adebayo Miami Heat
United States Devin Booker Phoenix Suns
United States Stephen Curry Golden State Warriors
United States Anthony Davis Los Angeles Lakers
United States Kevin Durant Phoenix Suns
United States Anthony Edwards Minnesota Timberwolves
United States Joel Embiid Philadelphia 76ers
United States Tyrese Haliburton Indiana Pacers
United States Jrue Holiday Boston Celtics
United States LeBron James Los Angeles Lakers
United States Jayson Tatum Boston Celtics
United States Derrick White Boston Celtics

**Currently a free agent; was on an NBA roster at the end of the 2023-24 season


The following is a complete list of players with prior NBA experience on 2024 Olympic 5-on-5 rosters*: 

Country First Name Last Name
Australia Matthew Dellavedova
Australia Will Magnay
Brazil Bruno Caboclo
Brazil Cristiano Felício
Brazil Marcelo Huertas
Brazil Didi Louzada
Brazil Raul Neto
Canada Khem Birch
France Nando De Colo
France Frank Ntilikina
France Guerschon Yabusele
Germany Isaac Bonga
Greece Kostas Antetokounmpo
Greece Nick Calathes
Greece Georgios Papagiannis
Greece Kostas Papanikolaou
Japan Yuta Watanabe
Puerto Rico Gian Clavell
Puerto Rico Aleem Ford
Puerto Rico Davon Reed
Puerto Rico Tremont Waters
Serbia Marko Gudurić
Serbia Filip Petrušev
South Sudan Wenyen Gabriel
South Sudan Carlik Jones
Spain Álex Abrines
Spain Lorenzo Brown
Spain Rudy Fernández
Spain Juancho Hernangómez
Spain Willy Hernangómez


The following is a complete list of players with prior NBA experience on 2024 Olympic 3-on-3 rosters*: 

Country First Name Last Name
United States Jimmer Fredette


The following is a complete list of current WNBA players on 2024 Olympic 5-on-5 rosters*: 

Country First Name Last Name WNBA Team
Australia Ezi Magbegor Seattle Storm
Australia Jade Melbourne Washington Mystics
Australia Alanna Smith Minnesota Lynx
Australia Stephanie Talbot Los Angeles Sparks
Australia Kristy Wallace Indiana Fever
Australia Sami Whitcomb Seattle Storm
Belgium Julie Vanloo Washington Mystics
Canada Laeticia Amihere Atlanta Dream
Canada Bridget Carleton Minnesota Lynx
Canada Aaliyah Edwards Washington Mystics
Canada Kia Nurse Los Angeles Sparks
China Li Yueru Los Angeles Sparks
Germany Leonie Fiebich New York Liberty
Germany Nyara Sabally New York Liberty
Germany Satou Sabally Dallas Wings
Spain Megan Gustafson Las Vegas Aces
United States Napheesa Collier Minnesota Lynx
United States Kahleah Copper Pheonix Mercury
United States Chelsea Gray Las Vegas Aces
United States Brittney Griner Pheonix Mercury
United States Sabrina Ionescu New York Liberty
United States Jewell Loyd Seattle Storm
United States Kelsey Plum Las Vegas Aces
United States Breanna Stewart New York Liberty
United States Diana Taurasi Phoenix Mercury
United States Alyssa Thomas Connecticut Sun
United States A’ja Wilson Las Vegas Aces
United States Jackie Young Las Vegas Aces


The following is a complete list of players with prior WNBA experience on 2024 Olympic 5-on-5 rosters*: 

Country First Name Last Name
Australia Amy Atwell
Australia Cayla George
Australia Lauren Jackson
Australia Tess Madgen
Australia Marianna Tolo
Belgium Emma Meesseman
Canada Natalie Achonwa
Canada Kayla Alexander
Canada Nirra Fields
China Li Meng
China Han Xu
France Valeriane Ayayi
France Marine Johannès
France Iliana Rupert
France Gabby Williams
Germany Marie Gülich
Germany Alexis Peterson
Japan Rui Machida
Puerto Rico Arella Guirantes
Serbia Yvonne Anderson
Serbia Tina Krajišnik
Spain Maite Cazorla
Spain Leticia Romero


The following is a complete list of current WNBA players on 2024 Olympic 3-on-3 rosters*: 

Country First Name Last Name WNBA Team
Azerbaijan Tiffany Hayes Las Vegas Aces
United States Dearica Hamby Los Angeles Sparks
United States Rhyne Howard Atlanta Dream


The following is a complete list of players with prior WNBA experience on 2024 Olympic 3-on-3 rosters*:

Country First Name Last Name
Australia Anneli Maley
Azerbaijan Marcedes Walker
United States Cierra Burdick

*As of July 25, 2024 (all rosters subject to change)”

Photo Credit: FIBA.BASKETBALL

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