Three-Time Olympic Champ Seimone Augustus Retires From Basketball

Seimone Augustus competes at the Olympic Games Rio 2016 on Aug. 8, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro.

Seimone Augustus, a three-time Olympic gold medalist with the U.S. women’s basketball team, is hanging up her sneakers.
The 37-year-old announced her retirement Thursday and will become an assistant coach for the Los Angeles Sparks, for whom she played in her final WNBA season in 2020.
“It’s an honor to continue to serve the game that has given me so much,” Augustus said in a story on the Sparks’ website. “I’m excited to join the Sparks staff and look forward to developing in this new role.”
A generational talent growing up in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Augustus led the hometown LSU Tigers to three Final Fours and was the consensus national player of the year in 2005 and 2006. From there she went on to the Minnesota Lynx as the top pick in the 2006 WNBA Draft.
Over 14 seasons in Minneapolis, the 6-foot forward was an eight-time All-Star and teamed with fellow U.S. Olympians Maya Moore and Lindsay Whalen, and later Sylvia Fowles, to win four league championships. Augustus was the 2011 WNBA Finals MVP.
All the while Augustus piled up a boatload of hardware while suiting up for the national team. In addition to three Olympic gold medals from 2008 to 2016, Augustus was part of winning U.S. teams at the 2014 FIBA World Cup and 2007 FIBA Americas Championship.
The U.S. was 105-6 in games with Augustus on the floor.
Augustus had planned to play another season with the Sparks in 2021 but leaves the game one day before the team’s season opener. Her retirement also means she won’t be in contention for Team USA this summer at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020.