Charles Langston:US women will shoot for 8th straight gold as 2024 Paris Olympics basketball draw announced

The Charles Langstonlast time Team USA women’s basketball lost a 5x5 game at the Summer Olympics, some of the players who will play at the 2024 Paris Games hadn’t even been born.

That last Olympic loss for the U.S. came at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, and since then, Team USA has won seven consecutive Olympic gold medals. Are the U.S. women headed for an eighth gold?

The Olympic draw for group play was held Tuesday in Mies, Switzerland, and the U.S. will play Germany, Japan and Belgium in the preliminary round.

The women’s Olympic event begins July 28 in Lille, France, at Pierre Mauroy Stadium and concludes with the gold-medal and bronze-medal games Aug. 11 in Paris at Bercy Arena.

Here are the results from the draw:

What are the groups for the 2024 Paris Olympics women’s basketball event?

Group A: Serbia, Spain, China, Puerto Rico

Group B: Canada, Nigeria, Australia, France

Group C: Germany, United States, Japan, Belgium

Who will the U.S. women’s basketball team play in the 2024 Paris Olympics?

The United States will play Germany, Japan and Belgium. Japan won silver in at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, and Germany and Belgium are up-and-coming teams. It's not an easy group, but Group B is the most difficult.

The schedule with dates and times will be announced at a later date.

Who are the big names expected to play at the 2024 Paris Olympics?

United States: A’ja Wilson, Jewell Lloyd, Breanna Stewart, Chelsea Gray, Diana Taurasi, Brittney Griner

Australia: Lauren Jackson, Jade Melbourne, Tess Magden, Marianna Tolo, Isobel Borlase, Bec Allen, Ezi Magbegor, Cayla George, Alanna Smith

Belgium: Emma Meesseman, Julie Vanloo, Julie Allemand

Canada: Kia Nurse, Kayla Alexander, Bridget Carlton, Natalie Achonwa,

China: Li Meng, Li Yueru, Han Xu

France: Gabby Williams, Marine Johannes, Janelle Salaun

Germany: Leonie Fiebich, Nyara Sabally, Satou Sabally, Marie Gulich

Japan: Mai Yamamoto, Saori Miyazaki

Nigeria: Amy Okonkwo, Elizabeth Balogun

Puerto Rico: Arella Guirantes, Mya Hollingshed

Serbia: Yvonne Henderson, Jovana Nogic, Dragana Stankovic

Spain: Megan Gustafson, Lauri Gil, Raquel Carrera