2018 Team USA | Page 2 | The Boneyard

2018 Team USA

Shades said:
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I count 18 players. When they play the Red v. White scrimmage on Wednesday, I think Dawn and Jen may need to suit up.

I'm sure Dawn, Geno, et al. let out some nasty expletives when Sue broke her nose.

There are 2 former MVPs in the photo, as well as 14 players who have never even been in WNBA All-Star game.
 
Whatever combination of players makes it the roster still has talent, but I"m not sure a first place finish is close to a sure thing. I understand injuries happen as well as the need to rest, but there isn't a lot of international experience at this level on the team relative to what I was hoping/expecting.

I hope they win gold and still think it's possible but I don't think there will be anything close to a repeat performance of what we saw in 2016. I knew this roster would be one of transition but I'm scratching my head as to why so many top flight players who have shown interest in the past are skipping out.
 
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MSSportsGuy said:
Whatever combination of players makes it the roster still has talent, but I"m not sure a first place finish is close to a sure thing. I understand injuries happen as well as the need to rest, but there isn't a lot of international experience at this level on the team relative to what I was hoping/expecting.

I hope they win gold and still think it's possible but I don't think there will be anything close to a repeat performance of what we saw in 2016. I knew this roster would be one of transition but I'm scratching my head as to why so many top flight players who have shown interest in the past are skipping out.
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It is precisely because this roster will be one of transition that the absence of certain players is baffling.

Maybe someone will ask Diggins-Smith, Chelsea Gray and Kayla McBride why they backed out.

Interesting that last week USA BB tweeted videos of Maya and Diggins-Smith talking about playing for USA BB. That says their decisions were last minute. Given what transpired during the WNBA season, Maya's absence is less surprising than Diggins-Smith's.
 
Anyone know if Stewart will join them? After the Storm season is over.
 
I'm trying to think positively about the roster and think the mixture of players plus whomever decides to join them after the WNBA playoffs is still very good. The front court concerns me less than the guard situation. If Stewart and Griner join Charles, Wilson and Nneka then it's a solid lineup as I suspect EDD will sit it out with her knee and probably should.

Bird's injury leads me to believe she won't play. Hoping Taurasi, Hayes and Loyd join the roster for leadership and skill. I look at Deshields, Mitchell, Ionescu, Plum and Simms as being good players for sure, but they aren't the greatest collection of talent the US could put out there.

Considering Diggins and McBride both barely missed the cut in 2014 I'm surprised they declined the invite. I do understand the desire to rest and heal but it reminds me of what happened when the US men started to pass on invitations. After a few "dream team"esqe cycles the top men's players started taking a pass due to fatigue, endorsements and lack of interest. It's at that time the men's team slid down in the world rankings and it took a rebuild of the NT process to get them back on top.

USA basketball has rewarded loyalty to players who commit. I look at Catchings, who was given a spot in spite of her age and declining abilities where Pondexter missed one cycle at the peak of her career and never received another invite. I like to see our best players out there when possible.
 
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j66kicker said:
Maybe getting this chance to play with the pros will give Sabrina an idea of whether she's ready to come out after this year. Or maybe she's already done enough of that to know that she is.
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I would bet big money against her declaring early for the draft.
 
Shades said:
I would bet big money against her declaring early for the draft.
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She's probably thinking about big money also ...and that's why she WILL declare. She may even have a picture hanging in her locker of Stewie driving her Maserati. :D
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dtbtbtb said:
this was such a great opportunity for Gray, Diggins-Smith, and McBride to make team USA and be in the front seat from the 2020 spots and they pass...wow
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Totally agree. Someone mentioned Cappie - she passed IIRC because she was getting involved in fashion and wanted to attend New York Fashion Week. Not a good enough reason to skip the World Championships and boom! She's out of future pools. Parker skipped 2 world championship teams (2010 and 2014 - one for an injury) and although she was on the 2012 Olympic team, it contributed to her being left off the 2016 Olympic team.

That should hold for anyone else who skips out for any reason other than injury or illness. Pondexter was only given 1 chance. Parker was given 2. Being tired and needing to rest your body is simply not a good enough reason. And to me, that should hold for ANY player - including former UCONN stars. You think Catchings wasn't tired, sore, beat up or worn out after 15 grueling years in the WNBA? You think Dee and Sue aren't feeling the same (Sue is currently injured).

However, we all know that barring something extraordinary, Sue and Dee will play. Before passing judgment, I will wait to see what the reasons are for the other players skipping out, but if it's not for good reasons, they should be removed from all future pools. There are plenty of youngsters willing, able, and capable of taking their places.
 
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Parkers injury which caused her to miss the 2014 World Championship required knee surgery and platelet-rich plasma injections. Just curious to know if that counts against the sliding scale of injury, illness or the need for rest that we are now determined to reinvent.
 
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Here is the 2016 roster for Rio and their current status:

Diana--still playing and looking like the GOAT

Stewie--still playing and the league MVP

Tina--off and rested

Brittney--still playing and looking very good

Sue--still playing but has broken nose

Elena--still playing but bruised knee

Maya--appears to be injured and out

Seimone--appears to be out

Sylvia--injured elbow and appears to be out

Angel--injured and out

Lindsay--retired and out

Tamika--retired and out

That's only FOUR returning players who have no issues that we are aware of. And some of them may be very tired in mid-September. It was obvious that we would see at least 3 new faces, but we may see as many as 6-8.
 
MilfordHusky said:
Here is the 2016 roster for Rio and their current status:
That's only FOUR returning players who have no issues that we are aware of. And some of them may be very tired in mid-September. It was obvious that we would see at least 3 new faces, but we may see as many as 6-8.
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Not to mention a new & first time head coach. I think you grab A'ja, Odyssey, Tiff, Neka, Big Mama, & Napheesa and hope for the best.
 
CocoHusky said:
Not to mention a new & first time head coach. I think you grab A'ja, Odyssey, Tiff, Neka, Big Mama, & Napheesa and hope for the best.
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You list 6 players, so I think you are assuming that Sue and Elena will play. I am too, though I recognize some level of uncertainty.

Your 6 additions are largely the most experienced. That is not a bad thing. Both Nneka and Odyssey played in Istanbul in 2014.

I honestly think that either Tuck or Collier can make the team,
 
Shades said:
I would bet big money against her declaring early for the draft.
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I don't know anything about Ionescu's academic career or aspirations. That said, my sense has always been she a basketball player first. If that's the case, and if she were being projected as the #1 pick, it could be hard to stay in school.

Lots of unknowns. If they go deep in the tourney this season and look like they'll be a real NC contender her senior year...? Etc.
 
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Will tonight's game be a short scrimmage or a full 40-minute game?

I like the team with Nneka, Tina, and Kelsey Plum. I think they have the advantage.

I'll be interested in seeing how some of the newbies do--Napheesa, Sabrina, et al.
 
Different subject than my prior post:

1. Will Diana, Brittney, and Tiffany play in Monday's exhibition game in D.C.?

2. As long as we have that mysterious player in the mask, I like our chances in Tenerife. Her jersey said Bird, but I think it was really Steph Curry underneath the mask.

3. I know she's not in the pool, but given the depleted roster, here's a player who could be a very good backup PG:

 
MilfordHusky said:
Different subject than my prior post:

1. Will Diana, Brittney, and Tiffany play in Monday's exhibition game in D.C.?

2. As long as we have that mysterious player in the mask, I like our chances in Tenerife. Her jersey said Bird, but I think it was really Steph Curry underneath the mask.

3. I know she's not in the pool, but given the depleted roster, here's a player who could be a very good backup PG:

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Well they continued to add players right to the end, no? I know they added the college players and wasn't Diamond a late addition too? IMHO they should have added Renee... arguably a better PG than Clarendon who doesn't even start on her WNBA team...
 
This is starting to feel like the 2006 WC team that brought home Bronze - vets from the 2004 Olympics missed that WC (most notably Lisa Leslie and Dawn.
If they were to fail to get gold this year which I think is possible if some others are not added, it could be a benefit in terms of the 2020 Olympics. They would be forced to field a qualifying team for the Americas in 2019 - not a bad thing with the transition that has to happen.
 
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