Five former and current Notre Dame basketball players to compete in 2024 Paris Olympics

NOTRE DAME, Ind. -- Five former and current Notre Dame women's basketball players are headed to Paris to compete for gold for their respective countries.

Last month Team USA announced their roster for the 2024 Paris Olympics, which includes former Irish guards Jewell Loyd and Jackie Young. Notre Dame is one of two schools to have multiple players on an Olympic team, and they've done it twice.

Loyd played for Notre Dame from 2012-2015 and was the first-overall pick in the WNBA Draft to the Seattle Storm, where she still plays. She was helped lead the team to back-to-back National Championships and finished fifth overall in scoring for Notre Dame women's basketball.

Young, an Indiana native played for the Irish from 2016-2019 and was the first-overall pick in the WNBA Draft to the Las Vegas Aces, where she still plays. She was a national champion in 2018, and runner-up in 2019.

Team Canada announced their 12-player roster on July 2, and it included former Notre Dame forward Natalie Achonwa and current guard Cassandre Prosper. 

Achonwa is Canada's first four-time Olympian in women's basketball. The Ontario native also played for Team Canada in 2012, 2016, and 2020. In 2009 she was the youngest player selected to the Canadian Senior National Team at the age of 16.

Achonwa played for Notre Dame from 2010-2014 and was the first-ever international player to play for the Irish women's basketball team. She had four Final Four appearances and three National Championship appearances.

Achonwa was drafted to the Fever in 2015 and most recently played for the Minnesota Lynx from 2021-2023.

Prosper is a junior for the Irish that missed most of last season with a leg injury. In five games the Montreal native averaged 8.2 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.8 steals.

This will be Team Canada's eighth Olympic appearance.

Wednesday, Nigeria announced their Olympic roster, which includes former Irish center, Lauren Ebo.

Ebo finished her college career as a graduate student for Notre Dame in 2022-23, averaging 9 points and 7 rebounds in 28 games.

August 4 will include a matchup between Nigeria and Canada, where Ebo will play Achonwa and Prosper, being in the same group.

The group stage of play in Paris will take place July 28 through August 4. The quarterfinals, semifinals and gold medal match will take place August 7, 9 and 11.