Both the U.S. softball and women’s basketball teams are massive favorites and current World Champions going into the 2004 Olympic Games, and it would take an upset of miraculous proportions to knock Team USA off the top step of the podium this year. Team USA’s softball team has won the last two gold medals in Atlanta and Sydney, the only two Olympics where softball has been included. The women’s basketball team has won gold in five of the last six Olympics with only the stunning silver medal defeat to the Unified Team in 1992 as the only blemish since 1976.

Women’s Basketball

This year’s U.S. women’s basketball team brings many of the same players to Athens that won gold in Atlanta and Sydney. With all that veteran experience though comes the worry that this older team could be tired with the Olympics coming in the middle of a busy WNBA season. There are injury questions already regarding Sheryl Swoopes, Tina Thompson, and Swin Cash – so coach Van Chancellor is going to have his hands full juggling his roster to fill the potential holes.

The two healthiest of the leaders are guard Dawn Staley and center Lisa Leslie. Both of them won gold in 1996 and 2000.

Of course many eyes here in Ohio will be on former Buckeye and current Minnesota Lynx guard and Ohio State assistant coach Katie Smith. This is Smith’s second trip to the Olympics after being cut late in the process prior to the 1996 Olympics. Smith is still the OSU all-time leading scorer. If the injury bug continues to bite Team USA, look for Smith possibly to see more game action than in 2000.

Many fans will also be tuning in to see American women’s basketball greatest new star, Diana Taurasi. Taurasi makes her Olympic debut after starring at Connecticut and winning three NCAA Championships. This season she is averaging a team-high 16.5 points-per-game for the WNBA Phoenix Mercury.

Team USA is in Group B, the weaker of the two groups in the Olympics. The U.S. will play China, the Czech Republic, New Zealand, South Korea and Spain, with only the Koreans expected to provide very much opposition at all.

If Team USA advances as expected they will have to worry about a talented Australian team with another one of women’s basketball bright stars in WNBA MVP Lauren Jackson. The Aussies won the bronze medal in 1996 and then the silver at home in 2000. They also have other solid talent beyond Jackson such as guards Sandy Brondello and Kristi Harrower.

The American team will also need to be careful with Russia since the Russians gave the U.S. its shocking defeat in Barcelona, the team’s only Olympic loss since 1976. The Russians have plenty of size down low with Yelena Baranova and Irina Osipova both at 6-foot-5-inches, and Maria Stepanova at 6-foot-8-inches.

While this is the most moral Team USA has looked in recent times, the red, white and blue should still be flag above all others after the gold medal game.

Softball

While most American viewers’ understanding of softball begins and ends with pitcher and pin-up Jennie Finch – Team USA is once again stacked with talent across the diamond and expected to win gold.

Last time around in 2000, the U.S. team got a mighty scare winning the gold only after losing consecutive group games to Japan, China and Australia.

The international body of softball has increased the size of the field this year with the hopes of increasing offense after the highest scoring team in Sydney, China, managed only 3.25 runs-per-game.

That shouldn’t phase the U.S. pitching staff with two-time gold medalist Lisa Fernandez returning as its ace. She will be backed up by Finch along with another two-time gold medalist Lori Harrigan.

Team USA certainly isn’t lacking power at the plate either with Jessica Mendoza, four-time first-team All-American at Stanford and Kelly Kretschman who hit .437 during her four years at Alabama, still a SEC record.

Japan is likely to be Team USA’s biggest worry especially if Yukiko Ueno is in the circle. Her fastball has been clocked at 73 mph and can dominate even the best hitters.