Jackie Young and Kelsey Plum will be making their 5×5 Olympic basketball debut this summer with a chance to make history. They have the opportunity to be the first to win Olympic gold in 3×3 and 5×5. Plum and Young made their 3×3 Olympic debut in 2020, earning gold.
A chance at history ????????@JackieYoung3 & @Kelseyplum10 look to become the first athletes to win Olympic gold in both 3×3 & 5×5 basketball! pic.twitter.com/WesRhIXVcj
— USA Basketball 3×3 (@usab3x3) June 11, 2024
Plum is no stranger to international competition, having won gold at the last two FIBA World Cups and competing in six different international 5 on 5 basketball tournaments. However, this will be Young’s first five-on-five international tournament with the USA Basketball team.
The Aces backcourt duo has a chance to complete a three-peat in the WNBA while also seeking Olympic history by helping Team USA win its eighth consecutive gold medal. Since the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, Team USA has won nine out of eleven.
Young is off to a strong start in her sixth WNBA season, averaging 18.2 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 5.9 assists per game. She also set a new career high of 34 points against Phoenix this season. Plum is averaging 18.1 points per game with 4.9 assists, her best average since the 2022 season, and 3 made three-pointers per game. Before they can play for gold, they have 10 more WNBA regular season games before the break, beginning with the Sky on Thursday.
