MIAMI (United States) - The USA women's national basketball Olympic minicamp in Columbia, South Carolina came to a close on February 7, inviting 19 members from across the nation to compete for a spot in Japan as head coach Dawn Staley prepares to go for a seventh consecutive gold medal in her Olympic head coaching debut.

Staley, and many other members of the minicamp, are familiar with gold hardware on a national stage, as she led various members – including three players invited to the camp – to a gold medal at the FIBA AmeriCup in 2019 and will be competing again in the tournament just weeks before Tokyo this summer as well.

"You get to work with the very best – you can really see the separation of what makes these players great, and what makes other players good," Staley said during the camp.

Staley led the AmeriCup team to a 6-0 record, beating their opponents by at least 15 points every match, and scored at least 65 points a game, including a tournament high 110 points against Paraguay.

One member of the previous AmeriCup roster, averaging 10.2 points during the 2019 tournament, is Arike Ogunbowale – who earned a spot in the national team pool after putting up 61 points in 6 games. Ogunbowale went on to lead the WNBA in scoring during the 2020 regular season.

"Anytime I get out there with USA I try to do whatever I can, you know it’s bigger than you – it’s the letters across your chest, I try to give my all any time my number is called I’m trying to be ready," Ogunbowale said.

"I’ve been trying to play my game and do what they need me to do and give everything I have."

Diamond De Shields also had a breakout national performance during the 2019 AmeriCup, being named to the tournament’s all-star five after three different 10+ point performances on USA’s path to gold.

De Shields averaged team second bests in the tournament in both points and assists per game, participating in the tournament just six months after being named to the national team in March of 2019.

For the Chicago Sky guard, the honor is just part of her everyday mindset of being the best player on the court at all times looking forward to this summer’s AmeriCup and Olympics.

"Whether it’s with a USA basketball jersey on or somewhere else, I always feel like I’m the best player on the floor – it was gratifying being mentioned in that, with that group of talented players," De Shields said.

"I know that if I go out there and play my best basketball that I’ll be mentioned in those types of conversations."

Sylvia Fowles, another member of the 2019 gold medal winning roster and veteran on the Minnesota Lynx, along with Lynx head coach and team USA assistant coach Cheryl Reeve, was named MVP of the 2019 AmeriCup, leading the team in both points and rebounds.

The three-time Olympic gold medalist will be looking for her fourth medal, as well as second AmeriCup gold, but attributes success to the work and atmosphere of Team USA.

"Every little bit helps, you definitely want to measure yourself as you continue to go along; any opportunity we get to be together as a group and be successful is always a push going in the right direction," Fowles said.

FIBA