Team USA may be forced to make another roster change.
Forward Zach LaVine of the Chicago Bulls, who scored 13 points off the bench in a 83-76 exhibition win over Spain, did not travel with the team to Japan after USA Basketball placed him on health and safety protocols. The team is hoping LaVine can join them later in the week, but there are no promises he will be available for the U.S. Olympic opener against France Sunday
Elsewhere Katie Lou Samuelson is out of the inaugural women’s 3 x 3 competition after contacting Covid while training in Vegas. “I will not be able to go and compete in Tokyo,” she said. “Competing in the Olympics has been a dream of mine since I was a little girl and I hope someday soon I can come back to realize that dream.
”I am especially heartbroken as I am fully vaccinated and took every precaution, but I know everything will work itself out the way it’s supposed to.”
Samuelson, who played for the WNBA’s Seattle Storm flew home to get vaccinated during her European season. She will be replaced on the roster by Jackie Young, who played for the U.S. in a 3 x3 training camp in 2020 and competed in an event in the 2019 World Beach games. Young joins Stefanie Dolson, Allisha Gray and her Las Vegas’ Aces’ teammate Kelsey Plum. The 3 x 3 tournament begins with preliminary competition July 24.
