The Olympics kick off in 80 days, and Team USA’s women’s basketball roster is still TBD. The final pre-roster-announcement training camp was held in Cleveland during the Final Four in April, and whispers are that the final roster could hit by early June.

With the depth of talent in the U.S., the selection committee has the challenging job of putting together the best 12-person team — not just the 12 best players — because this is about Team USA winning its eighth consecutive gold medal and 10th overall. Chemistry and filling specific needs are key.

The committee tends to bookend the rosters with veterans, who might not play as much as they did a cycle or two before, and one or two young players, who also aren’t likely to be high-usage contributors but are seen as the future of the program.

In between, there are “locks,” the players who are the best in the world. Then, there is the pool of players who fill a need on the roster and have also been consistent performers at the training camps Team USA hosts throughout the year.

Despite how straightforward that might seem, there’s no exact science for the committee. One of Team USA’s biggest challenges is that their depth changes the training camp roster from camp to camp. Elsewhere, countries have more of the same personnel year over year, meaning some nations coming into the Paris Games have had the same core — growing up together, playing together — for years. For Team USA, finding a proper personnel grouping is particularly important because there won’t be a long runway for the final 12 to jell and deliver on expectations.

When I began making my projection, I looked at previous rosters, and my eyes were particularly drawn to the 2016 Olympic team. At that time, the Minnesota Lynx were dominant, in the middle of their run of four titles in seven seasons. The 2016  Olympic roster was one-third Lynx members: Maya Moore, Seimone Augustus, Lindsay Whalen and Sylvia Fowles. Those were certainly four of the best players in the country, but that group specifically had chemistry that brought players together on and off the floor. Considering the player pool and the current state of the WNBA, I think the 2024 roster will have flavors of 2016, just substituting the Las Vegas Aces for the Lynx.

Eleven weeks out from the 2024 Olympic Games, this is my prediction for the roster.

The vets

Diana Taurasi: Taurasi will be 42 at the start of the Games and appearing in her sixth Olympics. She has been a consistent member at Team USA training camps not just through this most recent Olympic cycle but over the last two decades. At the Olympic qualifying tournament in February, only Ariel Atkins and Jackie Young averaged fewer minutes than Taurasi, but at this point, her value as a leader is unmatched, and the only way she isn’t on this roster is if she turned down an invite (and it’s hard to imagine that).

Brittney Griner: In April 2023, after Griner returned home after her 10-month detainment in Russia, she said the only time she’d play overseas again was in the Olympics. Griner, 33, likely will get that chance this summer as she’s still one of the best centers in the game.

The locks

A’ja Wilson: At 27, Wilson is currently the best player in the world. (The best counterargument is the next player on this list.) Her ability to get a bucket at will, outrebound anyone, even if there’s a size differential, and defend at an elite level makes her a no-brainer. In her second Olympics, she’ll be relied upon to be even more of a leader and to cultivate team chemistry. If Wilson can help bring some of the togetherness, camaraderie and joy to Team USA in the same way she has for the Aces, that could be key.

Breanna Stewart: Outside of Taurasi, no one on this year’s roster will have more Team USA international experience than Stewart. The 29-year-old has two Olympic gold medals, three World Cup gold medals and a rare silver medal from the 2015 Pan American Games. Plus, she has offseason overseas experience in China, Russia and Turkey, which helps her in international competitions. Stewart’s versatility as an offensive threat is undeniable, and she’s a rangy defender who can guard any position. Another obvious selection.

Chelsea Gray: As the WNBA’s Point Gawd, Gray, 31, is the likely starting PG. She didn’t travel for the Olympic qualifying tournament as she still wasn’t cleared for five-on-five at that point during her recovery from a foot injury she suffered during the 2023 WNBA Finals. She was good to go for the Cleveland camp, so if Gray is healthy, she should be on this roster as the lead floor general.

Napheesa Collier: As one of the youngest players on the 2021 Olympic roster, Collier was brought along to gain senior team international experience. She played fewer than four minutes a game in Tokyo, but in her second Olympic appearance, expect her to play a much larger role. Collier, 27, has established herself as one of the most dominant players in the WNBA and as the focal point for Cheryl Reeve’s Lynx. She was one of the best performers in the Olympic qualifying tournament, playing more than 23 minutes a game (second most behind Stewart).

Alyssa Thomas: The 32-year-old could make her first Olympic appearance, and I feel confident she’ll be on the final roster. Reeve brought Thomas back into the Team USA fold after she had been out of the pool for years. Thomas brings a unique skill set and a decade of WNBA and overseas experience. She’s universally respected across the league for being a grinder and student of the game. While she wouldn’t be a veteran in the sense of her Olympic or Team USA international experience, she would bring a veteran presence alongside Taurasi and Griner.

Breanna Stewart and A’ja Wilson will lead the U.S. women’s basketball team to Paris on its quest for an eighth consecutive Olympic gold medal. (Mike Lawrie / Getty Images)

In the fold

Jewell Loyd: Loyd, 30, made her Olympic debut in Tokyo, but her involvement with Team USA goes back more than a decade. She was a member of the youth national team that won gold at the U17 World Cup in 2010 and later two golds with the senior team (2018, 2022) as well as a gold medal with the 3×3 team (2014 World Cup). She’s a dynamic and efficient scorer. Of the players who appeared in all three games during the Olympic qualifying tournament, she was the second leading scorer despite playing the fourth-fewest minutes of all players.

Kelsey Plum: At 29, Plum is playing the best basketball of her career, and that has been on full display through this Olympic cycle. She won gold with the  Team USA 3×3 team in Tokyo and used that as a launching point for two WNBA All-Star seasons. In Belgium at the Olympic qualifying tournament, she led the team with 4.7 assists per game.

Jackie Young: Rounding out the Aces’ core for Team USA will be Young. Like Plum, she’s a reigning 3×3 gold medalist who got a taste of the Olympics in Tokyo. Young, 26, is another 3-point threat (45 percent from distance in the WNBA last season) who hits the boards well, sets up teammates and could be a pesky perimeter defender. With the roster’s size and forward-heavy presence among the veterans and locks, Team USA might prioritize perimeter players in these spots.

The youngins

Aliyah Boston: Since 2004, the Olympic rosters have included either that summer’s WNBA Rookie of the Year or the previous season’s WNBA Rookie of the Year. (We’ll count Collier’s 2019 ROY for the 2021 roster.) This summer, it might have both. Boston, 22, is the reigning WNBA Rookie of the Year, who was also named an All-Star. With such a stacked front line ahead of her, Boston likely won’t get a ton of minutes in France, but that’s not really the point. By gaining Olympic experience, Boston sets the table to become the featured big-in-waiting behind Griner, Wilson and Stewart when they depart the team.

Caitlin Clark: There’s no doubt that whether Clark is on or off the roster will make headlines. Putting Clark on the roster could be a polarizing decision for the committee because she hasn’t been in a senior team camp yet, and that goes against the “pay your dues with Team USA” ideal. Rostering Clark could also be seen as a bold move, specifically because of the previous shocking snubs we’ve seen (Candace Parker in 2016, Nneka Ogwumike in 2021). Although Ariel Atkins not making her second Olympics, or Kahleah Copper or Sabrina Ionescu not making their first might not rise up to the Parker-Ogwumike level, this still would be a pretty interesting decision.

Clark hasn’t played in a regular-season WNBA game yet, but it must give the committee some level of comfort that she appears to be clicking with her Indiana Fever squad exceptionally well so far. Plus, it would help that her fellow young player on the Team USA roster would be Boston, a Fever teammate. Clark would unquestionably bring attention to Team USA just as she did to the college game and to the WNBA already — the committee has to know that. She also could be a useful player in key spots for Team USA as a switch-up point guard and a 3-point specialist.

GO DEEPER

Women’s hoops mailbag: Is Tennessee still elite? Is Geno Auriemma nearing retirement?

(Top photos of Caitlin Clark, A’ja Wilson and Brittney Griner: Gregory Shamus, Ethan Miller, Mike Lawrie / Getty Images)

Netflix’s “The Greatest Roast of All Time: Tom Brady” has been widely discussed since it aired live on the streaming platform Sunday.

Travis and Jason Kelce spent a few moments on the latest edition of their “New Heights” podcast reacting to the roast, with each brother having a different takeaway. Travis seemed impressed by the parts of the special he watched, saying it was “unbelievable.”

“I had been in tears the whole day just watching the clips and everything,” the Kansas City Chiefs tight end noted.

Jason did not seem to be in any rush when a fan asked the Kelce brothers if they would consider getting the roast treatment themselves. Although the recently retired Philadelphia Eagles center wondered why anyone would sign up for what Brady endured, he also said he was entertained.

TOM BRADY REFERENCES TAYLOR SWIFT AS HE ETHERS NFL FAN BASES DURING NETFLIX SPECIAL

“It was pure entertainment, and I’m really happy they did it, but I just don’t get the roasts,” Jason said. “I don’t know why people do it. Maybe I take myself too seriously. … It was star-studded. The best part about it was how many just iconic NFL and celebrities of immense stature that were there.

“Not to mention the entire Patriots dynasty showing up for Tom. That being said, I really don’t f—ing get it. I don’t get why people do roasts. I don’t get why they are a thing. Haha, yeah, my family’s ruined. It’s so funny. Everyone’s laughing. It’s great, we’re having fun. Yeah, right.’”

Jason Kelce winks after the Kansas City Chiefs won the Super Bowl against the San Francisco 49ers at Allegiant Stadium Feb. 11, 2024, in Las Vegas.  (Lauren Leigh Bacho/Getty Images)

Everything from Brady’s previous marriage to Gisele Bündchen, to the deflategate scandal and even his failed cryptocurrency investment were up for grabs in the no-holds-barred roast. Only a “massage” joke from “roast master” Jeff Ross directed at longtime New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft seemed to get under Brady’s skin.

Travis applauded Brady for being a “good sport” throughout the majority of the three-hour event.

“I commend everybody because no one seemed to get their feelings hurt. It seems like everyone was having fun with it. But, at the same time, that s— had me rolling because of how at everybody’s neck people were going.”

Tom Brady poses at “The Greatest Roast of All Time: Tom Brady” at the Kia Forum May 5, 2024, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

While Brady’s compensation for agreeing to participate in the roast remains unclear, Jason said he would subject himself to a roast if he was offered enough money.

“I take it back. I’ll do a roast. What’d you guys pay Tom? The one person I wouldn’t allow on the stage is (my wife) Kylie,” Jason said. “She knows too much. … Every day I am getting roasted by Kylie.”

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It seems far too soon to be mourning the death of Darius Morris, the memory of the irrepressible point guard stepping into the Lakers’ starting lineup in a 2013 playoff series and shining still fresh in the minds of so many.

Yet a spokesperson with the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner confirmed that Morris died May 2 in a private residence. He was 33. The spokesperson said it could take up to three months for the cause of death to be determined.

What will endure are memories of Morris’ exuberant personality and winning smile while playing for the Lakers alongside his mentor Kobe Bryant after starring at Windward High in Mar Vista and the University of Michigan.

“Darius was an absolutely super nice guy, he always had a smile,” said Mike Bresnahan, The Times’ Lakers beat writer for 12 years who now is a Lakers analyst for Spectrum SportsNet.

“What I appreciated was that when he made it to the NBA he decided he was going to enjoy every minute of it. He was going to have fun. Darius never forgot that part of it.”

Morris also played in 10 games for the Clippers in January 2014, along with stints in Philadelphia, Memphis and Brooklyn. He played overseas and in the NBA development league until 2020 when the COVID shutdown canceled his season in France.

Morris and his parents attended the 50th birthday party of one of his high school coaches a year ago and had warm conversations with friends and former teammates.

“He wanted to get back on the court and hopefully get another shot to play somewhere,” said Miguel Villegas, the coach who led Windward to its first CIF state high school championship in 2009 with Darius as the star player. “We really didn’t talk basketball, it was more about, ‘How are you doing? Great to see you.’”

Those close to him say he was pained by the February conviction of his father, Dewayne Morris Sr., and older brother, Dewayne Morris Jr., both of whom were found guilty of conspiracy and three counts of bank fraud following a jury trial. Dewayne Jr. also was found guilty of witness tampering.

Sentencing is scheduled for June 3 in federal district court in San Diego. Both men face up to 30 years in prison.

There is no indication that Darius Morris was connected with the case, in which Dewayne Sr., a career U.S. postal supervisor based in Venice and Marina del Rey, was accused of obtaining thousands of postal money orders worth up to $5.1 million and Dewayne Jr. of fraudulently depositing them in bank accounts then withdrawing the cash.

Dewayne Jr. also was accused of paying his rent with the bogus money orders and he was convicted of threatening his landlord — who had testified against him before a grand jury — while on pretrial release.

With her husband and one son incarcerated and another son dying unexpectedly, Robin Morris is understandably distraught and did not respond to a request for comment. A day after Darius was found dead, she called Villegas.

“Imagine that conversation,” Villegas said. “His parents and I are pretty tight. I saw him develop from a gangly 14-year-old through his transformation to becoming a young man. Everyone is just beginning the grieving process.”

Villegas met Morris when he was in eighth grade. As brash as he was scrawny, Morris needed to launch shots with two hands from his hip to reach the basket, yet he promised people he’d be able to dunk and that Windward was going to win a state championship before he graduated.

“The first game I laid eyes on him, I knew he had special talent,” said Villegas, now the athletic director at St. Monica High. “He had the ‘it’ factor.”

Every morning, Morris would be dropped off early at Windward by his father on his way to his job at the post office. Morris would shoot hoops until school started.

By his senior year, he made good on his promises, leading Windward to a Division V state title and being named CIF Southern Section player of the year. He scored 13 of his game-high 25 points in the fourth quarter of the state final.

“Darius put the school on the map,” Villegas said. “To me, the most important part was that he was a great kid, a great teammate, a leader who worked extremely hard. He checked all the boxes as a player and as a person.”

Soon off to Michigan, Morris set a single-season school record with 235 assists as a sophomore. He was named third-team All-Big Ten and was Michigan’s most valuable player.

The Lakers took him in the second round of the 2011 NBA draft with the 41st overall pick. He was offered a two-year contract but opted to sign for one year, figuring that if he made the team he’d deserve a raise in Year 2. Sure enough, he played in 19 games as a rookie and the Lakers doubled his salary in his second season.

“It’s kind of bold, especially for a second-round pick,” Morris said at the time of his contract gamble. “You just have to have faith and believe everything’s going to work out for you as long as you work hard.”

A SportsNet Backstage Lakers segment in 2012 featured Morris playing cinematographer during a Thanksgiving celebration at the home of center Dwight Howard and during a team flight. He took his assigned seat next to Bryant.

“I’m just capturing the moment for the people who aren’t there,” Morris said. “It’s all fun and smiles.”

In the 2012-13 season, the Lakers made the playoffs and faced the San Antonio Spurs despite catastrophic injuries to Bryant (torn Achilles’ tendon) and point guard Steve Nash (broken leg). Morris came off the bench in the first two games and started Games 3 and 4 after guard Steve Blake was sidelined with a hamstring injury.

Although the Lakers lost, Morris had 24 points and six assists matched up against All-Star guard Tony Parker. Morris also started Game 4 and again contributed six assists along with eight points.

Morris’ last NBA season was 2014-15 with the Nets, but he continued to play in the G League as well as in China, Russia and France. He made a final attempt at returning to the NBA in 2019 at the Las Vegas Summer League. He’d played in the summer league early in his career and reflected on the difference.

“I think I’m in that in-between stage of my career where I can offer a lot of advice,” Morris told Bleacher Report. “I’ve started in the playoffs, I’ve started in the regular season, I’ve played with legends, I’ve been cut before, I’ve been in the G League, I’ve signed 10-days, I’ve played side by side with Kobe. I can relate to anybody.

“If you’ve got a young star that’s going back and forth in the G League, I know all that advice. But I’m still entering my prime and I can play at a high level. I have a lot left.”