WASHINGTON, D.C.— Point guard Sue Bird and forwards Breanna Stewart and Elena Delle Donne– three of the heroines on Team USA’s gold medal run in the 2016 Olympics at Rio– were all at George Washington’s Charles Smith Center Monday to watch the U.S. Senior national team play Japan in a pre-World Cup exhibition game.

But they were all in the stands, wearing street clothes.

They are still participating in the WNBA championship series that continues with Game 3 Wednesday night at George Mason University in Virginia.

Bird and the 6-4 Stewart from the Seattle Storm and the 6-5 Delle Donne from the Washington Mystics are expected to join the national team as soon as the best of five WNBA finals are over. Guard Diana Taurasi, 6-8 Brittany Griner, who play for the Phoenix Mercury and were eliminated in the WNBA semi-finals, are expected to join the team for a three pre-World Cup exhibitions against Canada, Senegal and France beginning this weekend in the south of France.

 Bird and Tarausi 38 and is 35, but they are still the best players at their position in the world. The 24-year old Stewart, who was the WNBA’s MVP, is the team’s next big star. If all five show, as expected, they should comprise a powerful, internationally experienced starting lineup for a U.S. team that should be the favorites in the 12-team tournament that takes place from Sept. 23 to Oct. 1 in the Spanish Gran Canaries off the coast of Africa.

 But there was only one returning Olympian—6-4 center Tina Charles—on the floor when the U.S. defeated Japan, 102-87, forcing new coach Dawn Staley to audition new faces to flesh out her 12-player roster. The U.S. national team is going through transition. Guard Maya Moore, 32-year old center Sylvia Fowles, 34-year old forward Seimone Augustus and guard Angel McCoughtry all decided not to play this summer and two others, forward Tamika Catchings and point guard Lindsay Whelan, have retired from international competition, leaving six open spots.

 Staley appears to have found three players—6-5 center A’ja Wilson and point guard Kelsey Plum from the Las Vegas Aces and 6-2 forward Nneka Ogwumike from the Los Angeles Sparks– who can contribute in international play. Wilson, the WNBA Rookie of the Year, scored 26 points on 10 for 15 shooting, grabbed 5 rebounds and blocked three shots against the smaller, but highly skilled Japanese, who led for three quarters before Team USA dropped the hammer, shooting 12 for 18 and outscoring the Asian power, 35-18, to turn the game into a convincing victory.

 “She’s just being A’ja,’’ Staley said. “I think her experience in WNBA helped her confidence. She grew as a player. She’s seeing different looks playing in WNBA. In college you get one look– double triple teams. In the WBA, the game opens up and you’re seeing all the facets of here. Game. Playing for Bill Laimbeer in Vegas has helped. He’s given her the keys to the car.’’

 The active 28-year old Ogwumike, who graduated from Stanford in 2012, played on the World Championship team and was a late cut from the 2016 Olympic team, had 22 points and 10 rebounds.

 “’Coming in, it was evident there were fewer vets that there used to be,’’ Ogwumike said. “But I got a chance to play on the 2014 World Championship team and was on the verge of making the Olympic team and I’m very comfortable assuming any type leadership role. I’m using this opportunity not only get better but, for many of young players, any moment could your moment. We’re here with who we have. I don’t want to talk about who we don’t have.”

 Plum, an improving second-year rising star who averaged 31.7 points as a senior at Washington and was the first pick in the 2017 draft, contributed 9 points and 3 assists.

 Staley will also take guard Layshia Clarendon of the Connecticut Sun, Connecticut rising senior forward Napheesa Collier, guard Jewell Loyd of the Seattle Storm, guard Kelsey Mitchell of the Indiana Fever, Tiffany Mitchell of the Indiana Fever, forward Morgan Tuck of the Connecticut Sun and 6-3 center Elizabeth Williams of the Atlanta Dream with her to France, then cut from 16 finalists to 12.

 This is a team that is still discovering who it is and what it can become. “Japan has been practicing non-stop since April,’’ Staley said. “We’ve been together since Sept. 3 and we’ve had a couple days off.’’

 Wilson, who played for Staley on South Carolina’s 2017 national championship team, was the first pick in the 2018 WNBA draft and has been the biggest revelation to date, giving Team USA—which outscored Japan, 64-28, in the paint, front court power in place of Fowles. Ogwumike should make a nice replacement for Augustus. Plum could eventually duplicate Whelan as a backup point.

 “’Coming in, it was evident there were fewer vets that there used to be,’’ O said. “But I got a chance to play on the 2014 World Championship team and I’m very comfortable assuming any type leadership role I’m using the opportunity not only get better but, for many of young players, any moment could your moment. We’re here with who we have. I don’t want to talk about who we don’t have.”

 But moving forward, there is no one who can replace Taurasi, Bird and Moore after the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.

 Having Staley, a four-time Olympian who was an assistant to Geno Auriemma in Rio, should help. “She’s so chill,’’ Ogwumike said. “She’s has a cool, calm collectedness that gives you confidence. Coming from the pro side, coaches know they can’t coach every single play, so they let the players be who they are.’’