Olympic Controversy Redux

[rvwsleep]

I guess Maya Whalen and Augustus shouldn't have been on the Olympic team... cause they didn't win the WNBA title. Now we're into predicting the future smh. If the Sparks didn't win the title I guess it would have been ok that those 2 were left off smh

Exactly my point and how ridiculous it is to use after the fact performace to justify who should have been on the team.

 

[DaddyChoc]

at the start of the WNBA season they were saying CP3 had a point to prove, making a statement, playing with a chip on her shoulder... what da! If she was selected to the team, she'd still be trying to win the WNBA title... just like Maya and 'nem

 

[Wally East]

I guess Maya Whalen and Augustus shouldn't have been on the Olympic team... cause they didn't win the WNBA title.

Likewise Catch, Stewie, Diana, EDD, Britney, Angel, Sue, and Tina.

This --> does not even begin to hint at the amount of eyerolling I'm doing because, seriously.

 

[DaddyChoc]

Evidently not. You didn't get over it last night or you wouldn't be on this forum posting today.

it's called gloating, teasing, trolling, popping collar etc. JustAVistor I suggest you chill now, the host posters aren't happy with your prodding. I understand it tho... but let's see what the Lady Vols do this season

 

[jonson]

I am astonished by the nastiness of these posts. In no other sport would two of the finest players in the country, perhaps the two finest front court players in the country, get left of the Olympic team, and it would not generate controversy.

I think that it is because it implies that, perhaps, the deity that is Geno Auriemma made a decision that might not have been perfect that posters here have lost their collective mind.

That would account for the fury with which posters here have reacted to what would normally be a perfectly rational question, and a perfectly rational issue.

But to those who are not blinded by their worshipful view of UConn's coach, these players just demonstrated by winning the pro league championship that they deserved to be not only on the Olympic team, but probably starters on the Olympic team.

You might raise all sorts of bizarre questions- Parker isn't a team player, she won't play defense; Ogwumike is lacking in some strange, mystical, unspecified way- as to why they were passed over.

But the simple truth is that that decision looks curiouser and curiouser. And it calls into question the judgement of the Olympic committee, and their entire selection process.

Amen.

In Parker's case, I think that the opposite conclusion is also possible--namely, that her lack of her consistency over this five game series--3 very good games and 2 very bad ones, with the bad ones seemingly the result of disinterest and a lack of effort--actually proves that the committee made the right decision. This kind of inconsistency isn't fatal in a 5 game series, but once you reach the knock-out round in a competition like the Olympics it very well could be. Parker may be one of the best, if not the best, basketball player in the WBA when she wants to be, but--too often--that desire seems to me missing, and perhaps that's a gamble that the Olympic committee didn't want to take.

 

[wallman]

Last night, Candace Parker scored 28 points, and Nneka Ogwumike added 12, as the LA Sparks defeated Minnesota for the WNBA championship.

Neither Parker nor Ogwumike was selected to represent the United States on the Olympic basketball team. Parker was rumored to not be a team player. Yet she managed to lead her team to the WNBA championship.Ogwumike was voted the MVP of the league. So why were they left off of the Olympic team?

Yes, Team USA went undefeated, and blew through the opposition. But we have to question again why those two players were deemed not good enough for the Olympics. Ogwumike was voted MVP over Tina Charles, who was selected for the team. If Ogwumike was better than Charles in the WNBA (and let's keep in mind that the season was half over when the Olympics began), why was the decision made to leave her off?

What really happened? Why were both of those players left off the Olympic team?

Some might ask who should have been left off to make room for Parker and Ogwumike. The answer, it appears, would be Sylvia Fowles, who was outplayed by both in the championship series, and Tamika Catchings.

Should Coach Auriemma or the USOC explain why they made the choices they did? Seems as though those two players were so good, and their omission so glaring, that an explanation would be in order.

Wow, this is like 7 degrees of Kevin bacon. Nneka, one of my favs on the sparks had a tremendous year, she was magnificent for the Sparks and she was not the only player why, because the Sparks couldn't rely on Parker to be consistent. It has been well documented throughout these games that parker has disappeared, she argued with Agler and some of her own team and especially with the refs. BTW she even admitted some of this herself. And you still wonder why she wasn't put on the USA squad. This season should not have been about Parker drama, it should be about the Sparks, the organization, the ownership and the players, not just about 1 diva.

 

[cbraarj]

Last night, Candace Parker scored 28 points, and Nneka Ogwumike added 12, as the LA Sparks defeated Minnesota for the WNBA championship.

Neither Parker nor Ogwumike was selected to represent the United States on the Olympic basketball team. Parker was rumored to not be a team player. Yet she managed to lead her team to the WNBA championship.Ogwumike was voted the MVP of the league. So why were they left off of the Olympic team?

Yes, Team USA went undefeated, and blew through the opposition. But we have to question again why those two players were deemed not good enough for the Olympics. Ogwumike was voted MVP over Tina Charles, who was selected for the team. If Ogwumike was better than Charles in the WNBA (and let's keep in mind that the season was half over when the Olympics began), why was the decision made to leave her off?

What really happened? Why were both of those players left off the Olympic team?

Some might ask who should have been left off to make room for Parker and Ogwumike. The answer, it appears, would be Sylvia Fowles, who was outplayed by both in the championship series, and Tamika Catchings.

Should Coach Auriemma or the USOC explain why they made the choices they did? Seems as though those two players were so good, and their omission so glaring, that an explanation would be in order.

Stealing this from a wise old coach, Stop acting like Girly Girls!

 

[Willie E.Gold]

The NBA selected a so called "Dream Team' and left Shaq and Isiah ,two of the best ever off the team.Now we have this prolonged discussion about two WNBA players.I guess Laettner and Mullins were better.Committees /Coach choose whomever they feel comfortable with and they don't owe any of us an explanation.I feel Beard should have been the MVP.Totally irrelevant.

 

[MilfordHusky]

You mean like Game 3 Maya and Game 4 Maya. As someone else tried to excuse the selections and say it was based on previous performances because there's no way to know the future, you could also reference 2015 Game 5 Maya with 5 points on 1 of 8 shooting.

See, we can all play that game.

Maya has bad halves and bad games, but she rarely lacks for effort. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for Candace. Candace should play as hard as Nneka all the time. Or as hard as Catch.

 

[MilfordHusky]

Nneka was in the MVP running during the 2015 season and dropped late in the season. She battled an injury throughout the season that really hindered her performance during the playoffs. In addition, I recall there were some very upset in 2012 when she wasn't selected, so this was no surprise.

Nneka played very well in Turkey in 2014. She would have been a good fit on the team in 2016, but there were no weak links. Who would have been cut to make room for Candace or Nneka?

 

[BigBird]

Because of one bogus shot by LA that clearly should not have been counted, we now are treated to another of Fairfield's Parker infatuation tours.

 

[huskeynut]

Fairfield - let it go. Parker didn't get selected for the Olympic team and you see it as an injustice. And like everyone else, you entitled to your opinion but it is just that - an opinion. You have no more information on the selection process than the rest of us.

Keep pushing it and you will not have many, if any, friends here. But maybe that's what you want.

 

[Orangutan]

This thread still going ?

 

[Alydar]

Last night, Candace Parker scored 28 points, and Nneka Ogwumike added 12, as the LA Sparks defeated Minnesota for the WNBA championship.

Neither Parker nor Ogwumike was selected to represent the United States on the Olympic basketball team. Parker was rumored to not be a team player. Yet she managed to lead her team to the WNBA championship.Ogwumike was voted the MVP of the league. So why were they left off of the Olympic team?

Yes, Team USA went undefeated, and blew through the opposition. But we have to question again why those two players were deemed not good enough for the Olympics. Ogwumike was voted MVP over Tina Charles, who was selected for the team. If Ogwumike was better than Charles in the WNBA (and let's keep in mind that the season was half over when the Olympics began), why was the decision made to leave her off?

What really happened? Why were both of those players left off the Olympic team?

Some might ask who should have been left off to make room for Parker and Ogwumike. The answer, it appears, would be Sylvia Fowles, who was outplayed by both in the championship series, and Tamika Catchings.

Should Coach Auriemma or the USOC explain why they made the choices they did? Seems as though those two players were so good, and their omission so glaring, that an explanation would be in order.

Five months ago 12 players were picked over her for the Olympics and the villagers, torches ablaze and pitchforks raised, tried & convicted Geno. It was Geno they said. Not the committee, who the villagers insisted were just giving Geno the UConn-loaded team he demanded. The villagers assured us that everyone else associated with wbb thought Parker was one of the best 3 players in the world. This could only be Geno's vengeful work. Now she has been left off the list of this year's 10 best players. By whom? Did Geno hack the voting?

And what is hilariously funny is that prior to last night the same group points to the championship as evidence that Parker deserved to be an olympian. I could be wrong but until last night they almost unanimous in saying that championships shouldn't factor into all star or olympic decisions.

What a difference a day makes.

 

[Rixxx]

This is also irrelevant, but IMHO, Chelsea Gray saved the day for LA late in the game.

 

[topogigio]

Parker is a great player when she wants to be a great player, that is why she was not selected to the Olympic team.

 

[triaddukefan]

this same message was posted on the Vol board by LadyVolFan4ever .. 14 minutes after this post ..... hmmmmm

snitch

 

[triaddukefan]

This is also irrelevant, but IMHO, Chelsea Gray saved the day for LA late in the game.

Its not irrelevant to me

 

[calpedaler]

I continue to think it is a legitimate question.

 

[Fairfield Fan]

Maya has bad halves and bad games, but she rarely lacks for effort. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for Candace. Candace should play as hard as Nneka all the time. Or as hard as Catch.

So Nneka was left off the Olympic team because.....? Anyone? Anyone?

 

[Wally East]

Did you read the whole thread? Because a number of posters addressed that very question.

 

[LadyVols9]

we need to go back to when head coaches rotated for olympics. that is the most fair and honest way to run USA ball. this last team was brilliant but we would win gold playing second or third team level WNBA players. i think everyone should support rotating coaches. the best would make the team and that would include plenty of UCONN players but it wouldn't have the appearance of unfairness.

 

[Wally East]

There were some cries of unfairness in 2012 and that was Geno's first time as coach because there was six former Huskies on the team.

Maybe instead pick the team and then pick the coach? But that has problems, too, and it won't stop the "so-and-so should've been selected for the team" disputes.

 

[Wally East]

Okay, look: hypothetical exercise: you have to name four and only four songs to the Hall of Fame. Four. That's it. Or, name just 5 all-time baseball players to a HOF. Five novels. How about the 12 prettiest spots in the United States?

There will always be someone left out. It's unfortunate. It's also unavoidable.

 

[BigBird]

we need to go back to when head coaches rotated for olympics. that is the most fair and honest way to run USA ball. this last team was brilliant but we would win gold playing second or third team level WNBA players. i think everyone should support rotating coaches. the best would make the team and that would include plenty of UCONN players but it wouldn't have the appearance of unfairness.

Rubbish. You want to win? You send the best you have. The best players AND the best coaches. What we have here is multiple pages of folks trying to hammer out what the word "best" means, hardly a novelty on a sports board. But let's not treat USA basketball like a rotating door prize. The most "fair and honest" way to run things is to have tryouts (check), choose really good players from among other good players (check), then go win the gold medal (check!). If you find this offensive, wait four years and cheer for Bolivia.