2016 National Team Prediction

[Icebear]

Except maybe Breanna? She just came close to 60% in an international competition if I remember.
Totally agree with all the KML praise - and I agree with the part I highlighted which is all I am saying.
Just another point - USA basketball wants loyalty from their players and in return they also show loyalty to them - I think one of the hardest decisions this past Olympics was to pass over Kara Lawson after she had been a stalwart of USA basketball teams for years. I think if Catchings wants to be on the Olympic team and is still playing well in 2016 they will have to be blown away by someone else before they would not name her to the team. (Same with Sue, by the way.) And I was very impressed with Kara handling the disappointment of not being included on the team, but then I have been impressed with her since she first came on the scene (even if I hated her uniform back in those days.)

60% over short stretches is not uncommon but 46-50% for 3/4 seasons is exceedingly rare. Breanna shot .333 on the season on 88 shots. KML shot .492 for 118 made of 254 shots. KML made more 3s than Breanna took and at a higher rate. KML's shooting is simply unparalleled in UCONN history. As a fresh KML shot .384 while making 98, again more than Breanna tried.

 

[wire chief]

One KML and Breanna variable could be the # of UConn players. The committee may be wary of overstacking.

 

[ochoopsfan]

I have no problem if Team USA has as many new faces as they can. I think KML and Simms, and some others, can easily step up and play against other countries best. I say that based on what I saw in the 2 WUG games that were televised. Both Australia and mainly Russia were stacked with Professional players. In fact Russia's roster had 10 women who were playing pro last season in Europe, some were prior Olympians, while the entire USA roster had girls who were sophomores or juniors in college last season. We won every game by double figures, except the Aussie game, where we blew the 17pt fourth qtr lead.
I am not saying the entire team should be "select" college girls or recent grads, but I have no problem with an approx. 50/50 mix of new faces and older experienced faces. By the 2020 Tokyo Olympics we could have the returning new faces from Rio and additional new faces. I really think our girls are that good. Has there been any Team USA event, in recent years, that we haven't dominated the rest of the world?

 

[UcMiami]

Ocho - you may not, but USA Basketball tends to. I expect there will be two or three new faces for the 2014 WC chosen from Nneka, Griner, and EDD. And KML and any other college junior or younger will not be included in the team based on conflicts with school. And I expect there will be 1 or 2 new faces for 2016 always assuming good health for all the players. For sophomores and younger the 2016 Olympic team would be tough because they probably will not have been able to attend any of the training camps up until the actual summer as those camps have typically fallen during the academic calendar year. Breanna might be an exception like BG might have been an exception this past year.
From this past Olympic team, everybody is assuming Swin and Asjha are gone and I think that is valid based on age. After that it becomes pretty difficult to identify the players that 'need to be replaced'. Based on age Catch and Sue are next in line but they have been part of the core of the team for a long time and certainly deserve the benefit of the doubt if they are still playing well. After that you have a group of players that have either won WNBA MVPs or have been in the discussion for the award multiple times so we aren't talking chopped liver. And on the list of possibles are a number of other WNBA stars who have been performing very well. So ...
First you have to identify players 3 through 6 to drop from the current team and then you have to fit the other outstanding candidates into the open rolls on the team. I would love to see another Olympic team with 5 or 6 Uconn players and starting with Maya, Tina, and DT is a solid start. If Sue is healthy, that would be 4. KML and or Breanna would get us there but I don't think either is a slam dunk selection. And DT at 34 in 2016 isn't an absolute lock to be healthy and still at her A-game level.
Current team:
Fowles
Charles
Parker
Catchings
Moore
Augustus
McCoughtry
Bird
Taurasi
Whalen
(Cash)
(Jones)