U.S. women’s basketball team ready to drill

DETROIT (AP) — The wait is over.

For the first time, the U.S. women’s basketball team will be on the court together today at Stanford University to start its quest to win an unprecedented fourth straight gold medal.

“We’ve been waiting for this day for a long time,” two-time Olympian Katie Smith said. “We haven’t been on the floor together yet and we don’t have a lot of time to prepare, but we have the talent to get the job done.”

Three-time gold medalist Lisa Leslie leads a team that also includes experienced players Diana Taurasi, Tina Thompson, Sue Bird and Smith, along with first-time Olympians such as Candace Parker.

“We have a lot of veterans, but we also have some players who will give us a new look,” Smith said.

Following four days of practices in Palo Alto, Calif., the team will play in the FIBA Diamond Ball Tournament in China before preparing in Beijing for a few days before its Olympic opener Aug. 9 against the Czech Republic.