Strong Lynx Connection part of USA Women's Olympic Basketball Team

Minnesota Lynx fans will have plenty to cheer for when the USA Women's Basketball Team competes in the 2016 Summer Olympics August 5-21 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Four members of the defending WNBA champion Lynx are part of the 12 player roster for the USA team.  They are Seimone Augustus, Maya Moore, Sylvia Fowles and Hutchinson, MN native Lindsey Whalen.  In addition, Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve is an assistant to head coach Geno Auriemma of UConn.  Also assisting Auriemma is Doug Bruno of DePaul and Dawn Staley of South Carolina.

Now a look at the rest of the USA team.  There are also four players that Auriemma coached for UConn.  In addition to Moore, Sue Bird, who will be playing for her fourth consecutive gold medal; Tina Charles, who played on the 2012 Olympic team and was the first pick in the 2010 WNBA draft by the Connecticut Sun; Diana Taurasi of the Phoenix Mercury also joins Bird in going for her fourth straight gold medal and Breanna Stewart of the Seattle Storm, the first pick in the 2016 WNBA draft.

But there's more to the USA team than Lynx and UConn players.  Elena Della Donne of the Chicago Sky and the first basketball player from the University of Delaware to play in the Olympics; Taurasi's Mercury teammate Brittney Griner adds height and defense to the team; Tamika Catchings of the Indiana Fever, who is also going for her fourth straight gold medal and Angel McCoughtry of the Atlanta Dream, the first pick in the 2009 WNBA draft.

When you look at the roster of and see these 12 talented female athletes, you'll probably think that the USA team will be the odds on favorite to win their seventh straight gold medal.  Let's not get ahead of ourselves.  There could be bumps in the road along the way, especially if they advance to the medal round.  This is a team that can generate a lot of offense and tremendous inside play and the key will also be defense and depth.  The big question is how will Auriemma handle playing time?  An easy answer would be to clear the bench if the margin becomes wide late in the game.  After winning by four points in their first exhibition game, they have cruised through the next three games like a car heading down Highway 100, as their average win margin was 25.4 points per game.

Here's the USA Women's Basketball Team's schedule:
August 7:  USA vs. Senegal 10 AM
August 8; Spain vs. USA 10 AM
August 10:  USA vs. Serbia 1:30 PM
August 12:  USA vs. Canada 1:30 PM
August 14:  USA vs. China 10:15 AM
August 16:  Quarterfinals TBD
August 18:  Semifinals TBD

Bronze and gold medal games will take place on August 20 with the Bronze Medal game at 9:30 AM and the Gold Medal Game is at 1:30 PM.

Can Cheryl Reeve and the quartet of Lynx players help USA win the gold medal?  Check your local listings for what channel these games will be on.