Diana Taurasi Is Practicing With Team USA In Tokyo And Hopes To Play In The Opener

Diana Taurasi’s hip injury cost her the Phoenix Mercury’s last three games before the Olympic break and all three of Team USA’s exhibition games before group stage play, but she’s nearing her return to the court. She’s started practicing with the team since they touched down in Tokyo.

“I’m getting a little better every day,” Taurasi said Thursday, according to ESPN. “I’ve touched the court for the last few days, so that’s definitely a good sign. When you haven’t played for a while, there’s a little bit of a protocol to get back on the court. I’m checking all the boxes and hopefully, I’ll be ready for the first game against Nigeria.”

Team USA’s first group stage game is against Nigeria on Thursday July 27 at 4:40 a.m. ET. The Americans could use Taurasi’s sharpshooting and leadership, which was sorely missed in the team’s back-to-back losses to the WNBA All-Star team, and Team Australia sans 6-foot-8 Liz Cambage.

Taurasi is set to appear in her fifth Olympic games and is in search of as many gold medals. In 2016, she averaged 15.6 points per game on 56.9 percent shooting from the field and 57.9 percent shooting from 3-point range. She’s started in every Olympic game she’s played in since 2008. In her absence in exhibition play, Seattle Storm guard Jewell Loyd’s taken her place in the starting lineup, though it’s unclear what the plan is when Taurasi returns.

The American women haven’t lost an Olympic game since 1992, and Taurasi’s return is good news to keep that streak alive.