Jim Fuller: Are there too many former UConn players on the U.S. women’s basketball team?

[Sargassoc]

The short answer? No.

LINK HERE.

 

[triaddukefan]

 

[HoopsFan21]

You can never have too many.

 

[JordyG]

The long answer. Absolutely no. When the ex-Husky's predominate on the floor the ball moves side to side, post entry to perimeter. When not the ball stagnates.

 

[HuskyFan1125]

Here is the thing to me. Even if <insert any coach here> were to be coaching the team DT, Sue, Maya, and Tina would be no brainers. Had EDD stayed at uconn we would have to add her and the program would still be in the same predicament.

Short answer,,,, NO! GA and staff know how to get the best out of the great players that come to uconn. Leave it alone.

2020 Olympics is likely to have at least 3 (Maya, Tina, Breanna) so I just wish people would pick another topic to cover and move on with this.

Rant over

 

[easttexastrash]

Team USA wants to win and put the players on the team that will help them win. I think there are a couple of changes that could have been made but not by leaving off UCONN players. I think we needed a young PG on the team instead of either Catchings or Augustus. Neither of them, IMO, offer anything that we don't get from the forwards on the team. I would have left them off and added Sims and Loyd.

 

[MilfordHusky]

The short answer: No, not if you want to actually win the games!

 

[cbraarj]

Team USA wants to win and put the players on the team that will help them win. I think there are a couple of changes that could have been made but not by leaving off UCONN players. I think we needed a young PG on the team instead of either Catchings or Augustus. Neither of them, IMO, offer anything that we don't get from the forwards on the team. I would have left them off and added Sims and Loyd.

Tamika Catchings can still play at a high level and has earned the right to be on this team. Catch, Bird and Taurasi should go out with 2016 Gold.I am going on record barring injury Diana Taurasi will play in 2020.

 

[UcMiami]

And I will add that the committee would have insisted on Breanna Stewart being on the team as well - she has been on every team they could get her on since she was 14 including the 2014 WC team. This is what USA basketball does with players they identify as the 'next' generation. Will she be a major factor this year? Unlikely, following in the footsteps of players like Sue and Tamika who were there to learn.

 

[Justavisitor]

Yes. It would be best to have more universities represented. Stanford was a main stay in the final 4 and then Notre Dame has been in the final 4 for many years. These teams don't have that type of success without having a player that is worthy of being on the Olympic team. Yes, Candace Parker should also be on the team. The more universities that are represented, the better it is for the growth of the game. They should have dwindled the list down and then named the final team after surveying their play in the WNBA this season. By doing this, they could have easily seen who the best performers are right now. More youth should be on the team and unless a player is still a superstar performing at the same level they did in their early years, they shouldn't be given an automatic bid. It should be earned.

 

[Justavisitor]

And I will add that the committee would have insisted on Breanna Stewart being on the team as well - she has been on every team they could get her on since she was 14 including the 2014 WC team. This is what USA basketball does with players they identify as the 'next' generation. Will she be a major factor this year? Unlikely, following in the footsteps of players like Sue and Tamika who were there to learn.

Stewart should be there and there should not have been a choice between her and Candace. Both should be there, along with EDD. I would love to see all 3 of them on the court together with Tina or Big Syl. Can you imagine how huge that line up would be. It would have been fun to see.

 

[HGN]

NO.............There are not too many UCONN players or any other schools players on the Olympic team. All are great players that just happen to be former UCONN Huskies.
Maya Moore , Diana Taurasi , Tina Charles , Breanna Stewart , and Sue Bird , all deserve to be on the team no matter where they played their college basketball.
This issue gets the attention because they all played at UCONN for Geno. UCONN also gets accused of winning too many NC's too. The USA is full
of great players and there are many players out there that are deserved. But that does not say that any of the above named players are not.......... and maybe one day a rule will be put in that no more
than one great player from a school can be on the Olympic team.

But until that day.......

 

[reno tony]

Stewart should be there and there should not have been a choice between her and Candace. Both should be there, along with EDD. I would love to see all 3 of them on the court together with Tina or Big Syl. Can you imagine how huge that line up would be. It would have been fun to see.

I haven't read anything about it coming down to Stewart or Parker..... at least not by anyone that has any knowledge of the selection. How about Parker or Griner? Maybe Parker or Catch? And I don't understand your earlier post about more Universities being represented. Do you mean to imply that the selection process does take into consideration the players former school and they are not doing a good job? Or, if it doesn't take a players former school into consideration, it should start?

 

[Padutch5]

Stewart should be there and there should not have been a choice between her and Candace. Both should be there, along with EDD. I would love to see all 3 of them on the court together with Tina or Big Syl. Can you imagine how huge that line up would be. It would have been fun to see.

AH! There we have it. A politically correct selection of a basketball team. I thought sports was one of the last places where meritocracy ruled.

 

[Justavisitor]

NO...There are not too many UCONN players or any other schools players on the Olympic team. All are great players that just happen to be former UCONN Huskies.
Maya Moore , Diana Taurasi , Tina Charles , Breanna Stewart , and Sue Bird , all deserve to be on the team no matter where they played their college basketball.
This issue gets the attention because they all played at UCONN for Geno. UCONN also gets accused of winning too many NC's too. The USA is full
of great players and there are many players out there that are deserved. But that does not say that any of the above named players are not..... and maybe one day a rule will be put in that no more
than one great player from a school can be on the Olympic team.

But until that day..

I disagree that all deserve to be there, but I do agree that most do. As for championship accusations, win all you can. It's up to the others to recruit in better talent and keep up.

 

[ThisJustIn]

AH! There we have it. A politically correct selection of a basketball team. I thought sports was one of the last places where meritocracy ruled.

Another misuse of the term.... that being said, POOH to too many UConn players on the team. Did folks complain when the team was full of Nashville or Haines players?

 

[EricLA]

I haven't read anything about it coming down to Stewart or Parker..... at least not by anyone that has any knowledge of the selection. How about Parker or Griner? Maybe Parker or Catch? And I don't understand your earlier post about more Universities being represented. Do you mean to imply that the selection process does take into consideration the players former school and they are not doing a good job? Or, if it doesn't take a players former school into consideration, it should start?

Exactly. the WNBA season really had zero to do with who was selected. They had "tryouts" where many players were invited, and after evaluating them, the committee decided on the current team. Based on the WNBA performances this season, it seems clear that players like Ogwumike, Loyd, Sims and McBride (and even Jefferson) are all making cases for serious consideration the next time they have tryouts to select the NC team for the WC's in 2018. But the 5 UCONN players on the team are pretty much not only the best at their positions in the US, but arguably the best at their positions in the word.

Well, maybe Stewie not so much right now, but she's #5 in the league in scoring, #2 in rebounding, and #15 in assists. She's certainly holding her own. Bottom line - the team would have more of a flavor of other schools if there were other players who were ready to step up at this time. Thing is, the last 2 players on the team probably were Augustus and Catchings so even if you took out the "weakest links" and replaced them with Loyd and Sims, you still would have 5 UCONN players on the team...

 

[JoePgh]

Here is the thing to me. Even if <insert any coach here> were to be coaching the team DT, Sue, Maya, and Tina would be no brainers. Had EDD stayed at uconn we would have to add her and the program would still be in the same predicament.

Short answer,,,, NO! GA and staff know how to get the best out of the great players that come to uconn. Leave it alone.

2020 Olympics is likely to have at least 3 (Maya, Tina, Breanna) so I just wish people would pick another topic to cover and move on with this.

Rant over

You don't think Moriah Jefferson will be on the 2020 Olympic team? I certainly think she'll be there. If Geno is the coach, it's a near certainty, and a high probability otherwise.

I would expect her to be recognized as the premier PG in the WNBA well before 2020, and still holding that honor in that year.

 

[Orangutan]

For my own curiosity, I checked the PERs of the players on the team:

Other notables - N. Ogwumike 33.2 (!!!), Parker (22.2), Loyd (17.5)

I would like to see the committee hold off a little longer to pick the team but they more or less got it right. The huge glaring omission is Ogwumike who, statistically, has been comfortably the best player in the WNBA this year. It also seems that perhaps an opportunity was missed to give Loyd some experience by leaving out Augustus.

The biggest selection is issue is that USA is so stacked in the forward spots. Bad timing on Nneka's part - she has this season last year and maybe she's a lock as the reigning MVP. As it is, she's in the midst of one of the great statistical seasons EVER in the WNBA and she's not on the team.

 

[JoePgh]

Team USA wants to win and put the players on the team that will help them win. I think there are a couple of changes that could have been made but not by leaving off UCONN players. I think we needed a young PG on the team instead of either Catchings or Augustus. Neither of them, IMO, offer anything that we don't get from the forwards on the team. I would have left them off and added Sims and Loyd.

Don't forget Nneka! I think she would be a higher priority than either Sims or Loyd. But I agree that the current team lacks a really fast guard, so one of them would provide something that the team doesn't currently have.

On a strictly meritocratic basis, you could argue that Augustus / Bird / Catchings should be replaced by Nneka / Sims / Loyd. But lifetime experience and prior Olympic experience (and familiarity with what the coach wants) should count for something, so I am somewhat comfortable with the team as it is, except that Nneka really should be on it.

 

[Justavisitor]

I haven't read anything about it coming down to Stewart or Parker..... at least not by anyone that has any knowledge of the selection. How about Parker or Griner? Maybe Parker or Catch? And I don't understand your earlier post about more Universities being represented. Do you mean to imply that the selection process does take into consideration the players former school and they are not doing a good job? Or, if it doesn't take a players former school into consideration, it should start?

I don't think it's a stretch to think Parker, Nneka, Sims, January, Diggins, and Loyd are just as good, if not better than some already on the team. I also don't think it should be an issue with anyone to grow the game. Everyone benefits when the game grows. I believe if you simply pick the best, the rest will work itself out.

My point about university success goes back to the excuse that many use when they say UConn players have so much college success that it stands to reason they would be on the team. So why does this same excuse not work for others that have had college success? If it matters for UConn players, it should matter for them.

I've also heard many say, including the committee, that UConn players get the advantage because they know Geno's system and it improves the preparation time, so there again, UConn players are getting an advantage due to college affiliation.

Bottom line: it should either matter for all or matter for none. Equal opportunity.

 

[EricLA]

I don't think it's a stretch to think Parker, Nneka, Sims, January, Diggins, and Loyd are just as good, if not better than some already on the team. I also don't think it should be an issue with anyone to grow the game. Everyone benefits when the game grows. I believe if you simply pick the best, the rest will work itself out.

My point about university success goes back to the excuse that many use when they say UConn players have so much college success that it stands to reason they would be on the team. So why does this same excuse not work for others that have had college success? If it matters for UConn players, it should matter for them.

I've also heard many say, including the committee, that UConn players get the advantage because they know Geno's system and it improves the preparation time, so there again, UConn players are getting an advantage due to college affiliation.

Bottom line: it should either matter for all or matter for none. Equal opportunity.

I actually think that's a HUGE stretch. Sims, January, Diggins, and Loyd are not as good as any player chosen ahead of them on the team for their positions. Sims and January are not better than Bird, and it's a stretch to say they are better than Whalen. Diggins is not even on the map at this time and Loyd is not better than Taurasi or McCaughtry. MAYBE you can make the argument she's better than Augustus. Individually. But this is a TEAM.

And this team was selected before the WNBA season had a chance to really get rolling. They had tryouts. The team was selected. If you wanted to argue that Parker should have been on at the expense of Catch, that's about the only spot she could have taken, and no way was a player who has given so much to team USA over the years going to be left off the team.

Bottom line, the US National Team has always been about the team. It's about selecting the best team, not selecting players with the best individual talents. Any player not selected needs to look inside and see what she can do differently/better to have a shot at the WC team in 2018...

 

[Justavisitor]

For my own curiosity, I checked the PERs of the players on the team:

Other notables - N. Ogwumike 33.2 (!!!), Parker (22.2), Loyd (17.5)

I would like to see the committee hold off a little longer to pick the team but they more or less got it right. The huge glaring omission is Ogwumike who, statistically, has been comfortably the best player in the WNBA this year. It also seems that perhaps an opportunity was missed to give Loyd some experience by leaving out Augustus.

The biggest selection is issue is that USA is so stacked in the forward spots. Bad timing on Nneka's part - she has this season last year and maybe she's a lock as the reigning MVP. As it is, she's in the midst of one of the great statistical seasons EVER in the WNBA and she's not on the team.

They were close, but the same ones at the bottom of this list are the same ones I would have not had on the Olympic team. I didn't want to insult those ladies, but since the stats show the same thing, I think it's fair to question their inclusion.

 

[Willie E.Gold]

What will be said if the 2020 team consist of the following;Maya,Tina,Stewart,Taurasi,Jefferson,Hayes,Dolson KLS or possibly Stokes?I predict barring any serious injuries at least 5 ,possibly 6 from that list will be on that team. Taurasi will probably fit the role of Catchings.I might be bias ,but Hayes and Jefferson could have replaced Simone and Whalen. Both are definitely better defensive players.How good will KML be in four years?

 

[Justavisitor]

I actually think that's a HUGE stretch. Sims, January, Diggins, and Loyd are not as good as any player chosen ahead of them on the team for their positions. Sims and January are not better than Bird, and it's a stretch to say they are better than Whalen. Diggins is not even on the map at this time and Loyd is not better than Taurasi or McCaughtry. MAYBE you can make the argument she's better than Augustus. Individually. But this is a TEAM.

And this team was selected before the WNBA season had a chance to really get rolling. They had tryouts. The team was selected. If you wanted to argue that Parker should have been on at the expense of Catch, that's about the only spot she could have taken, and no way was a player who has given so much to team USA over the years going to be left off the team.

Bottom line, the US National Team has always been about the team. It's about selecting the best team, not selecting players with the best individual talents. Any player not selected needs to look inside and see what she can do differently/better to have a shot at the WC team in 2018...

I think all 3 guards are currently better than Bird, but I know that's not popular to say here. I would certainly look at more than simply points and assists. There defense is definitely alot better and if there is any area of concern for this team getting the gold, it would have to be defensive concerns.

As for individual talents, these same players are also great teammates.