OT: 2028 Olympic team coach: Sue picks who?

[oldude]

Based on this criteria, would Smesko be considered as a potential AC?

He certainly should be under consideration.

 

[NycUcWbbFan]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought USA Basketball using NCAA players during qualifying tournaments was to help get younger players familiar with international play. Is the concern that this doesn't provide enough opportunities for these players to do so?

That’s true. Lack of international experience is not the key culprit in favoring older (prior Olympics team) players. It is the lack of practice time for the Olympic pool.

The (prior) selection committees always gravitate toward the “prior existing chemistry” emergency criteria because of the lack of practice time. The selected players must somehow decongest from the ongoing WNBA season and then go 0-100 for the Olympics.

This emergency criteria naturally favors older players, or player combos from the same WNBA teams, who are currently performing well in the WNBA season.

 

[baggerbob]

That’s true. Lack of international experience is not the key culprit in favoring older (prior Olympics team) players. It is the lack of practice time for the Olympic pool.

The (prior) selection committees always gravitate toward the “prior existing chemistry” emergency criteria because of the lack of practice time. The selected players must somehow decongest from the ongoing WNBA season and then go 0-100 for the Olympics.

This emergency criteria naturally favors older players, or player combos from the same WNBA teams, who are currently performing well in the WNBA season.

Whomever the players are on the next World
Fiba championship team, probably at least 10 of the 12 spots will be the same.

 

[NycUcWbbFan]

Whomever the players are on the next World
Fiba championship team, probably at least 10 of the 12 spots will be the same.

I think the current system for qualifying for the Olympics in 5x5 basketball is AmeriCup => World Cup => Olympics.

The U.S. fields different teams with some overlap (the biggest overlap, less than 10 of 12 (see link below for 2022 and 2024), is between the World Cup and the Olympics). The 2025 AmeriCup team was headlined by Mikayla Blakes who won MVP. Kara Lawson was the coach.

The full lists of U.S. national team rosters (AmeriCup, World Cup, Olympics) are here.

 

[triaddukefan]

This is cool for Lawson, but in the meantime Lawson needs to focus on getting the Duke women to start putting boots to arses beginning in early In November. 😤😤😤😤

 

[triaddukefan]

 

[bballnut90]

A Thomas was 3rd in MVP voting this year. Why write her off so quickly.

And BG continues to have a unique skill no one else has -- she's 6'8". You don't want to show up at the Olympics with only a 6'5 center and be at a big disadvantage because an opponent has an unstoppable a 6'8 or 6'9 one. Not that height trumps everything, but I could see her being kept around longer than another player past her prime.

Thomas will be 36 by the next Olympics. Her style of play requires her to be ball dominant to be effective offensively, she has no range outside of 12-15 feet as a 6-2 point forward. It works for her well in the WNBA because the entire offense is build around her, but that wont be the case if Clark/Bueckers are in the lineup in 2028. She also wasn't particularly effective in 2024, I don't see that improving in 2028.

Griner shouldn't be in consideration if this past season is any indication. She'll be almost 38 and has been declining for a while. She isn't the defensive presence she just was despite having the physical attributes. I'd much rather see A'ja Wilson manning the center spot and have a younger player like Aliyah Boston, Cameron Brink and Angel Reese come in off the bench.

Also in regards to the part about opposing teams having 6'8 or 6'9 players, who else is out there aside from Zhang Ziyu (7'3) of China that's 6'6+ and a potential problem for the US?

 

[Vowelguy]

Surprised no one has mentioned that Sue & Kara go waaaay back -- I believe they were on an AAU or similar-type team.

 

[Ladeeeeda]

Surprised no one has mentioned that Sue & Kara go waaaay back -- I believe they were on an AAU or similar-type team.

They played against each other in aau as far back as 10 and 11:yrs old. The '08 Olympics was the only time they were on the same team.