Lindsay Whalen, Maya Moore and Sylvia Fowles not at practice....for a reason

Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve was mum about it, but it's pretty clear why Maya Moore, Lindsay Whalen and Sylvia Fowles weren't on the court when the Lynx finished practice Tuesday.

After all, USA Basketball is set to announce the final roster for the 2016 Olympic team that will compete in Rio de Janeiro Wednesday.

So put two and two together.

"I have no idea," Reeve deadpanned when asked where her stars were. She will be an assistant to head coach Geno Auriemma in Rio. "I was informed I had to let them go."

The announcement of the final roster will be made Wednesday morning on NBC's Today Show. It appears Whalen, Fowles and Moore are locks for the team. There was some thought Seimone Augustus might have a difficult time making the final 12-player roster.

But the website womensbasketball247.com, citing sources, has all four Lynx players on the final roster. According to the site, the rest of the roster includes Sue Bird, Breanna Stewart, Diana Taurasi, Brittney Griner, Tamika Catchings, Tina Charles, Angel McCoughtry and Elena Delle Donne.

Should Augustus be named, it would be her third trip to the Olympics, having won Gold both in Beijing in 2008 and in London in 2012. The same is true for Fowles, who was also on both of those teams.

Both Moore and Whalen were a part of that 2012 team.

Given the United States' dominance in the Games – the team will be going for its sixth straight Gold in Rio – the final decisions were difficult. And, in at least one case, controversial; ESPN first reported that Candace Parker, the L.A. Sparks start forward/center who won Gold in both Beijing and London, would not be a part of the team.