For Team USA, it’s their 2 stalwarts who are stealing the spotlight at the 2024 Paris Olympics. A’ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart. The 2 instrumental catalysts behind the emergence of the “Greatest Generation Ever“. Even though both these athletes have been going against each other while representing their respective franchises in the WNBA, time and again they have proven that they have what it takes to coexist while performing national duties. And this is not a recent phenomenon. Courtesy of some throwback pictures, it has become evident that Wilson and Stewart have known how to perform together for the past 11 years.

The year was 2013. A teenage version of A’ja Wilson got to be the roommate of Breanna Stewart at the U19 World Championship being held in Lithuania. Stewart was making her second U19 appearance after posting the highest scoring average for Team USA last time around. Meanwhile, the event served as the first international experience for the then-16-year-old Wilson.

Following this, both of them made it to the podium as winners by the end of the tournament. The occasion became memorable for Stewart as she ended up with the MVP honors by garnering 16.9 points per game. As for Wilson, her 10.9 PPG was the third-highest for Team USA after Stewart and Morgan Tuc.

5 years later, Team USA required the services of both these phenomenal athletes again. This time the event was the 18th edition of the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup taking place in Spain. The tournament saw the United States lifting their 10th title with Breanna Stewart finishing with a team-high 16.3 PPG. On the other hand, Wilson had an average of 10 points and 4 rebounds next to her name.

Then, they got a first taste of Olympic success together in Tokyo. Under the leadership of her South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley, A’ja Wilson capped off her campaign by being the joint top scorer (16.5 PPG) alongside Brittney Griner. Simultaneously, Stewart was just one position below Wilson, with an overall scoring average of 15 points per contest.

Then in 2022, Stewart and Wilson were two of the eight players from the current Olympics roster who won the Gold at the FIBA Basketball World Cup in Sydney, Australia. The US remained unbeaten as Wilson bagged the MVP honors at the event.

Now that both of them have had successful Olympic experiences, what are they bringing to the table in 2024?

A’ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart for Team USA in Paris

There are 2 names at the Paris Olympics who are in the race for the MVP award. And to no one’s surprise, it’s the two frontrunners for the WNBA MVP this season. New York Liberty’s Breanna Stewart is currently third on the Fans MVP voting list, with a tally of 1017 votes. In the meantime, her professional adversary Wilson is occupying the 5th spot with 856 votes.

On top of that, both these have been the standouts for Team USA so far. While the 2023 WNBA Finals MVP Wilson has compiled a total of 47 points along with grabbing 26 rebounds, 6× WNBA All-Star Stewart has 48 points and 15 rebounds in the bag.

The contributions of A’ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart will be essential if Team USA wants to fulfill its quest for an 8th consecutive gold. The manner in which they have performed in the past has paved the way for the team’s collective success. It will be interesting to see how their Paris endeavor takes its final shape.

Stay tuned for more such updates. And, join us for the exciting pilot episode of the “Dual Threat Show”. Our host BG12 sits down with Georgia Bulldogs star and SEC All-Freshman Team Selection, Silas Demary Jr.