The Women's Team USA is shaping up with talent across all age groups, be it vets like Chelsea Gray or 20-year-olds like JuJu Watkins. But one class in particular stands out among the rest for Paige Bueckers, and she herself is a part of it.

Young stars like Paige Bueckers, Angel Reese, and Caitlin Clark got their first call-up to the senior team. In a way, training camp is letting them play and bond with long-time college rivals.

Class of 2020

In a post shared by the WNBA, Paige Bueckers was asked to comment on the representation of the 'class of 2020', referring to the players who finished high school in 2020, like Angel Reese, Caitlin, and Bueckers herself.

She responded by embracing the competitive and shared identity of wearing the same jersey now. “I mean, you guys know about the nickname. We coined ourselves young and turnt class, but really we're just, we play with the chip on our shoulder,” said Bueckers.

She continued, “I feel like we have that edge to us. We're really competitive, highly competitive, and we all just want to win and represent ourselves, our teams, our communities, in the right way, our country, the right way."

The Weight of Carrying Team USA’s Name

Bueckers finished her rookie season with the Dallas Wings after an NCAA title with the UConn Huskies. While her First season in the WNBA didn't go the way she might have wanted, she was not the only one who struggled.

Players like Cameron Brink, Caitlin Clark, and Angel Reese all had seasons with injuries and ups and downs in their respective teams. But Paige gave props to each one: "So whatever that looks like, think the class of 2020, in my opinion, I'm biased, but it's one of the best classes. So I think we all respect each that we all want each other to do well and we all kind of ride in this environment.”

The End Goal

Team USA women’s basketball has won eight gold medals since the 1996 Olympics, a streak they plan on continuing to LA 2028.

With names like Clark and Bueckers on the team, who both have junior Team USA experience, they’re looking in good shape to put on some promising gameplay.

Written by

Fatema Kapasi

Edited by

Joyita Das