Monday, July 28 2008 -- 'Monday, July 28, 2008-- It used to be, many Olympics ago... that it was amateur athletes who went to the Games and represented their countries. Today, particularly in both men's and women's basketball, it's a rare college player who gets a look in. It's all professionals.

So while the WNBA should be playing basketball against each other for the next month, keeping up the momentum of their teams, they won't be doing so, because most of the players are either playing for Team USA, or have gone home to represent their own country in the Olympics.

As far as Team USA is concerned, here they are:

The coach: Anne Donovan - a three-time Olympian

1) Lisa Leslie (Los Angeles Sparks)
2) Katherine Smith (Detroit Shock)
3) Sue Bird (Seattle Storm)
4) Tamika Catchings (Indiana Fever)
5) DeLisha Milton-Jones (Los Angeles Sparks)
6) Diana Taurasi (Phoenix Mercury)
7) Tina Thompson (Houston Comets)
8) Seimone Augustus (Minnesota Lynx)
9) Sylvia Fowles (Chicago Sky)
10) Kara Lawson (Sacramento Monarchs)
11) Candace Parker (Los Angeles Sparks)
12) Cappie Pondexter (Phoenix Mercury)

The team opened training camp today.

It will be interesting to see if they'll be able to mesh in time to be a force during the Beijing Olympcs.