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USA Today via Reuters

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USA Today via Reuters

Just two weeks and the hourglass will run out of time. The Olympics are here and the anticipation surrounding the 8th gold medal and the ongoing 28th WNBA season only adds to the drama of it all. However, with many new fans joining the league this year, thanks to Caitlin Clark and the 2024 rookie class, it is crucial to get the information about the WNBA season out.

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One of the most asked questions is whether the season will continue or not. Also, what will the players who don’t make it to the national roster do? Let us see what the WNBA league and its players do during the Olympics.

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Olympics and the WNBA: A symbiotic relationship

The league has always commenced its season during the summer season. However, with the quadrennial event also occurring in the same season, timings clash. Still, the professional women’s basketball league has always found ways around the issue. In every Olympic year, the WNBA’s regular season takes a break. During this period, the 12 players in the national 5×5 roster and some in the 3×3 roster compete for the highest honor that is playing for their country. This year, Team USA will try to bring home its 8th gold medal.

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At the same time, the rest of the league gets time to recreate game plans and chemistry. Additionally, they can regroup to look at their performances through the first half of the season and evaluate themselves on their weaknesses and strengths. Not to mention, the remaining players get more time to practice with each other since the training camp is cut short during the Olympic years. This break can usually mean the development of storylines where players who could not prove their worth also rise.

As for the fans, this could mean that their source of excitement also takes a pause. However, they can, of course, choose to follow their favorites through the Olympics. It can also be a great time for players to take some much-deserved rest.

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What will the WNBA stars do during their break?

As mentioned above, the Olympics break gives everyone an opportunity to rest and also regroup. For starters, Caitlin Clark has already mentioned that she will be returning to her home in Des Moines for some time. She will return to Indianapolis to continue practicing with her young team which is slowly making progress. Another rookie Angel Reese has announced that she will be going to Paris to cheer on Team USA across the various sports.

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DeWanna Bonner is excited to go against Alyssa Thomas, her fiancé, in her sixth All-Star game. But she has also confessed that the Olympics break will be her vacation and will join Thomas in Paris as the latter fights alongside A’ja Wilson and Co. Surely, other players will also go on these three paths as they take the required 1-month break.

In its 28th season, the WNBA will have its last game on July 17. Then, it will be the All-Star weekend with the game between Team USA and Team WNBA set to kick off on July 20. The season will resume post-Olympics on August 16. Until then, we have a handful of games remaining in the regular season.

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Stay tuned for more such updates, and to follow what Shaq’s ex-agent, Leonard Armato, has to say about the infamous Shaq-Kobe feud, Caitlin Clark’s Olympic snub, and more, watch this video.

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Written by

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Srashti Sharma

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Srashti Sharma is a Newsroom Editor at EssentiallySports, where she plays a pivotal role in shaping the site’s NBA coverage. She began her journey at ES as an NBA writer, quickly building a reputation for sharp research, clear storytelling, and an instinct for the narratives that matter most to fans. Her editorial growth saw her take on roles as NBA Primary Editor and later Newsroom Editor, where she now drives content quality, style, and timeliness across the fast-moving basketball desk.

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Deepali Verma

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