28 Olympic team | Page 2 | The Boneyard

28 Olympic team

GamecockFam said:
I'm not sold on Ionescu making the next team and could see someone like Mitchell or Bueckers beating her out. If for some reason a vet at the forward position decides to bow out, Hamby makes sense as a possible choice.
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If you dump Sabrina, that means turning over 3 PGs. Seems questionable.

In terms of size I was wondering about Ayoka Lee.
 
WBBTakeover said:
It can't be Reeve. I'm over that experience.

Also, I'm moving Kah and KP up into the "under consideration for 2028" category. I underestimated them both.
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Oh, come on! I have 15 years of experience with Coach Reeve here in Minnesota. Y'all can handle one more Olympic run with her as coach :);)

But I think Coach is a one and done, which is okay with me. I am sure there is a list of potential coaches out there. Hopefully they start early on the search.
 
MilfordHusky said:
The next Head Coach is often one of the Assistant Coaches. Mike would be good, but may be too old. I think Joni is too inexperienced. My current guess: Kara Lawson, who has 3x3 coaching experience.

Dawn and Geno will not want it, nor will they be chosen.
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I can see Coach Lawson being in the conversation. Mike. Nah. Not just the age factor. I just don't see him being another Coach Reeve. Whoever they bring on as the coach has to be that Wow factor coach and a coach that wants to invest the time and energy into the program.
 
oldhusky said:
Very good list. I might substitute Brink for Howard, but this could be very close.
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Brink could be a good fit. With FIBA physicality maybe her foul issues go away a bit.
 
12au said:
Brink could be a good fit. With FIBA physicality maybe her foul issues go away a bit.
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Interesting thought. How the heck did Jackie foul out?
 
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Mulkey has declined in the past
Walz has had some run with USA
Brooks ... not sure
Dawn seemed pretty sure she wouldn't coach again, but she bleeds for the team so maybe if they begged she would say yes.
Kara...? She doesn't have the deep coaching experience but she has deep USA roots.
 
GamecockFam said:
We're going to need a tall player to replace Griner with the young talent we are seeing internationally from teams like China, Australia, France and Brazil, to name a few. I wouldn't be surprised at all if Betts makes the team so that she can be that chess piece on the US squad. She'll be in the middle of her third season of the WBNA in 2028? Plus, she was integral at the Americup this past year.

Another dark horse candidates to throw out is Kelsey Mitchell. If they want instant chemistry the Mitchell/Boston/Clark connection would fit the bill. You'd have the Fever squad to backup the main squad in the same way that the Liberty/Aces/Mercury squads dominated this US Olympics squad.

Guards: Young, Howard, Plum, Copper, Ionescu, Clark
Forwards/Centers: Collier, Stewart, Wilson, Brink, Boston, Betts

I'm not sold on Ionescu making the next team and could see someone like Mitchell or Bueckers beating her out. If for some reason a vet at the forward position decides to bow out, Hamby makes sense as a possible choice.
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I'm not sold on Plum, Copper, or Howard making the next team, more so than Ionescu of your list. Plum, imo, was a disaster this tournament and her playing time was befuddling and what kept France in the game. Howard seems to take a step back every season and her 3x3 showing was less than inspiring. Copper was excellent this game and good throughout but she's already 30 and as a player that relies on her athleticism I'm not sure she'll be as impactful 4 years in the future when she's lost a step.

I think team USA needs to build around a Jackie/Sab backcourt for the next 4 years leading into 2028. Both the youngest guards and imo the best guards in the WNBA right now and now have Olympic 5x5 experience. Ones of Cheryl's many mistakes was not playing them together more. Then grab 3-5 guards from a pool of players like Clark, Plum, Juju, Bueckers, Raven Johnson, Howard, Hildago, Fulwiley, Copper.
 
Zanzman said:
Really you think Sabrina played bettee tham Kelsey plum ?
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I thought Plum was truly terrible today. For every good thing she did she did 3-4 very bad things that off set it completely offensively and defensively. Watching the game it felt like she was one of those possessed Victorian dolls you see in horror movies. Every time i thought she was out of the game for good she pop back on my screen after a time out ready to foul someone for an and-1.

Despite the one bad turnover from Sabrina, the offense seemed to run smoothest when she was in there. Just a coaching disaster from Reeves today, not just the backcourt minutes but also the front court decisions were questionable.
 
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nwhoopfan said:
You didn't watch the same game I and several others watched.
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I honestly have talked to quite a few people and the consensus has been Plum played terribly on both ends. Curious what you saw that warranted her playing today? I really think we would have had a much more comfortable victory if she has traded places with Lloyd, Taurasi or even Sabrina.

I find her to be a low basketball IQ player that takes the rest of the team out of the flow of the offense with poor decisions. She was also hunted on the defensive end of the court imo.
 
Vowelguy said:
View attachment 102818
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Seems like they just picked the most popular rookies / college players and threw them on the team without a thought ...

It's so hard to predict four years in the future, so I get it. Players we aren't talking about, like Jacy Sheldon, Diamond Miller, and Chennedy Carter could take their game to the next level.

I find it hard to believe that Juju Watkins would make the 28 team. The committee would only have her WNBA rookie season to judge, so she would have to have a Candice Parker (i.e., league MVP candidate) like rookie season for her to even be in consideration IMO. The same goes for all of these fantastic freshmen...Hidalgo, Fulwiley, etc. 2032 seems like their year to make the team.
 
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GirlBoo1020 said:
I honestly have talked to quite a few people and the consensus has been Plum played terribly on both ends. Curious what you saw that warranted her playing today? I really think we would have had a much more comfortable victory if she has traded places with Lloyd, Taurasi or even Sabrina.

I find her to be a low basketball IQ player that takes the rest of the team out of the flow of the offense with poor decisions. She was also hunted on the defensive end of the court imo.
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Yep, you watched a different game. They don't win today without her. They were down 10 in Q3 and it was not looking good. She comes in, hits 2 3's and a nice pass to Wilson for probably her only uncontested shot of the game. Just like that they're back in it. Probably the most critical juncture of the game. Her clutch FTs late were big as well. In a game where offense was hard to come by, she tied Copper for second most points, and every single one of them was needed. Like I said, they don't win without her. If you don't see that...I really don't know what you were watching. Also tied for a team high 4 assists. And on a day where everybody was turning the ball over, her 2 TO's weren't egregious. Didn't see her being bad on D either. Lacan scored a couple times on her, but she definitely was not getting lit up. She was pesky. She was the only U.S. player who was pressuring the ball the full length of the floor.

The guard corp was inconsistent in Paris. Young was easily the best, but today wasn't her today. Copper, Ionescu and Plum all had some good games along the way. The others...well I won't say anything.
 
GirlBoo1020 said:
I thought Plum was truly terrible today. For every good thing she did she did 3-4 very bad things that off set it completely offensively and defensively. Watching the game it felt like she was one of those possessed Victorian dolls you see in horror movies. Every time i thought she was out of the game for good she pop back on my screen after a time out ready to foul someone for an and-1.

Despite the one bad turnover from Sabrina, the offense seemed to run smoothest when she was in there. Just a coaching disaster from Reeves today, not just the backcourt minutes but also the front court decisions were questionable.
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This is a very unexpected take. Clearly watched a different game than me bc Plum only had one foul the whole game according to the box score lol
 
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I feel like people are in denial that the world is catching up to us. France exclusively practiced for 2 months prior to the games and they played before a home crowd. We couldn't make layups in the 1st half and that included our MVP.
I think everyone needs to start taking the world more seriously going forward.
 
GirlBoo1020 said:
I honestly have talked to quite a few people and the consensus has been Plum played terribly on both ends. Curious what you saw that warranted her playing today? I really think we would have had a much more comfortable victory if she has traded places with Lloyd, Taurasi or even Sabrina.
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I, for one, saw us go down by 10 points and then saw her lead the 8-0 charge (including two 3-pointers for a team that notoriously could not hit threes) that brought us back. She also helped seal the game with clutch free throws. Plum had an up-and-down tournament (she was terrible against Australia), but yesterday's Olympic Finals was one of her finest career moments.

I really think we would have had a much more comfortable victory if she has traded places with Lloyd, Taurasi or even Sabrina.
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I don't, and they were rightfully benched (or, in Sabrina's case, given reduced minutes). Sabrina couldn't guard anyone in that tournament whereas KP kinda could (depending on the match-up). DT sucked all tournament long despite being pegged as a starter for half of the games. Jewell was just--there.

I find her to be a low basketball IQ player that takes the rest of the team out of the flow of the offense with poor decisions. She was also hunted on the defensive end of the court imo.
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You aren't wrong with this general assessment, which is why she's never going to be anyone's superstar. Most people here (with the exception of one person--and I'm sure everyone knows who I'm referring to) know this to be the truth with regard to Plum. It wasn't the reality yesterday--which is why we won that game. I'm not a KP fan (strictly because of her game--she seems to be a good enough person, so I'll pull for her more often than not), but I have to give credit where credit is due. She, 4th quarter Kah, and MVP A'ja were the main offensive reasons why we held on for gold (and none of those players were offensive wizards throughout the entire game).

That said, I don't think she is a lock to return. She should, however, be under heavy consideration for 2028 (with it being close to her hometown, she's going to go for it). If Team USA isn't going to recruit more players who are reliable 3-point shooters, then we really can't afford not to bring back a player who can at least hit them.
 
Ladeeeeda said:
I feel like people are in denial that the world is catching up to us. France exclusively practiced for 2 months prior to the games and they played before a home crowd. We couldn't make layups in the 1st half and that included our MVP.
I think everyone needs to start taking the world more seriously going forward.
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Wouldn't the bolded factor more into France's success than them simply catching up to us? Let's say that we were the ones in that position (playing in front of a home crowd and had 2+ months to practice with the 12 we selected). Would France (or any team, for that matter) have come within 20 points of us under those conditions? I would be the farm that that would not be the case.
 
Sorry, I missed this thread when it came up, probably because I was enmeshed in watching hoops, soccer, team handball, athletics, etc.
In any case, some thoughts on 2028.

Coach
  • If Coach Reeve wants to run it back, I think USA Basketball will be happy to have her. Pressure doesn't seem to get to her, as well as making big personnel decisions.
  • If she doesn't come back, I think USA Basketball likes to select from those within the family, so -- like it or not -- those on the current staff might get first consideration. I would have no issue with jumping to Kurt Miller, who was an advisor this time around (but did several during-game interviews on Reeves' behalf) because I like having a W coach run the show. Can't discount Kara Lawson, who has paid dues -- while she hasn't won in college, she did coach the 3x3 Gold Medal Team in Tokyo.
  • Is Becky Hammons still pissed she had to play for Russia because she couldn't get an invite? If so, bag that. If that's water under the bridge, she'd be a kick-butt, take no-prisoners coach and you'd see A'ja Wilson, Jackie Young and Kelsey Plum on the team (you probably will anyways).

Returners from This Year's Team
Definite: A'ja Wilson, Breanna Stewart, Jackie Young, Napheesa Collier
Possible: Sabrina Ionescu, Kelsey Plum, Brittany Griner (she's still 6'9")

From WNBA
Will Get Looks: Aliyah Boston, Cameron Brink, Caitlin Clark, Rhyne Howard, Angel Reese

Coming from College
High Profile: Paige Bueckers, Juju Watkins
If They Get Invite to Camps, Don't Be Surprised (if not '28, then '32): Madison Booker, Sonia Citron (excels in International play), Milaysia Fulwiley, Ayoka Lee (that height thing...see Griner), Oliva Miles, Cotie McMahon.

I'll be paying attention to the coaching announcement and who gets invited to the training camps....
 
WBBTakeover said:
Wouldn't the bolded factor more into France's success than them simply catching up to us? Let's say that we were the ones in that position (playing in front of a home crowd and had 2+ months to practice with the 12 we selected). Would France (or any team, for that matter) have come within 20 points of us under those conditions? I would be the farm that that would not be the case.
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Most of the world usually practices together for extended periods of time prior to the Olympics, so that is a constant over the years.
 
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nwhoopfan said:
Yep, you watched a different game. They don't win today without her. They were down 10 in Q3 and it was not looking good. She comes in, hits 2 3's and a nice pass to Wilson for probably her only uncontested shot of the game. Just like that they're back in it. Probably the most critical juncture of the game. Her clutch FTs late were big as well. In a game where offense was hard to come by, she tied Copper for second most points, and every single one of them was needed. Like I said, they don't win without her. If you don't see that...I really don't know what you were watching. Also tied for a team high 4 assists. And on a day where everybody was turning the ball over, her 2 TO's weren't egregious. Didn't see her being bad on D either. Lacan scored a couple times on her, but she definitely was not getting lit up. She was pesky. She was the only U.S. player who was pressuring the ball the full length of the floor.

The guard corp was inconsistent in Paris. Young was easily the best, but today wasn't her today. Copper, Ionescu and Plum all had some good games along the way. The others...well I won't say anything.
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Could we just have different opinions or different views on what happened rather than dismissing an opinion with "you watched a different game"?
She did hit two threes but she also got blown by for an and one in that series, ended some offensive possession with bad drives and turnovers, and was a cone on defense in general. Offense might not have been so hard to come by had she not been on the floor so much. We'll have to agree to disagree it seems but I appreciate you sharing what you thought Plum added. I do agree she did have a few good possessions, I just thought the rest of the game far outweighed the value of them.
Ladeeeeda said:
This is a very unexpected take. Clearly watched a different game than me bc Plum only had one foul the whole game according to the box score lol
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And it was a very awful and-one on a player that blew right by her. Not sure why that means I watched a different game.
WBBTakeover said:
I, for one, saw us go down by 10 points and then saw her lead the 8-0 charge (including two 3-pointers for a team that notoriously could not hit threes) that brought us back. She also helped seal the game with clutch free throws. Plum had an up-and-down tournament (she was terrible against Australia), but yesterday's Olympic Finals was one of her finest career moments.


I don't, and they were rightfully benched (or, in Sabrina's case, given reduced minutes). Sabrina couldn't guard anyone in that tournament whereas KP kinda could (depending on the match-up). DT sucked all tournament long despite being pegged as a starter for half of the games. Jewell was just--there.


You aren't wrong with this general assessment, which is why she's never going to be anyone's superstar. Most people here (with the exception of one person--and I'm sure everyone knows who I'm referring to) know this to be the truth with regard to Plum. It wasn't the reality yesterday--which is why we won that game. I'm not a KP fan (strictly because of her game--she seems to be a good enough person, so I'll pull for her more often than not), but I have to give credit where credit is due. She, 4th quarter Kah, and MVP A'ja were the main offensive reasons why we held on for gold (and none of those players were offensive wizards throughout the entire game).

That said, I don't think she is a lock to return. She should, however, be under heavy consideration for 2028 (with it being close to her hometown, she's going to go for it). If Team USA isn't going to recruit more players who are reliable 3-point shooters, then we really can't afford not to bring back a player who can at least hit them.
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One 8-0 run, with three's the were set up by other players is not enough to balance out how terribly she played imo the rest of the game. And really, it was an 8-3 run given she immediately got blown by then committed the worst foul of the whole game for an and one. The US wouldn't have been tied in the half if Sabrina had played in that first half over her imo. There was actually some offensive flow with Sabrina in the game and some chemistry. One turnover and she never got back in. Reeves reluctance to experiment in the backcourt despite how badly the guards were playing, despite experimenting with the backcourt all tournament, cost them a larger win imo. That's on Reeves, not Plum but Plums continual playing time at PG, despite killing any sort of offensive flow with over dribbling bad shot selection and chaos really made the team un-fun to watch.

Anyways, now I feel bad because I really don't dislike Plum as a person or a player in general and she has had a particularly hard year. My real issue is with Cheryl Reeves and uneasy feeling she will again be the Olympic coach but with an declining A'Ja and Stewie instead of a Prime Stew'Ja and that doesn't spell anything but an inevitable L.
 
Ladeeeeda said:
Most of the world usually practices together for extended periods of time prior to the Olympics, so that is a constant over the years.
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Define extended periods of time. Canada Basketball's format of training doesn't provide much opportunity for the team to play as a unit. Australia didn't have their complete roster together to train until just before the Olympics as well.
 
Ladeeeeda said:
Most of the world usually practices together for extended periods of time prior to the Olympics, so that is a constant over the years.
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But there are still more variables to consider (substandard coaching decisions, poor personnel choices by selection committee, a nasty bug that has been going around Team USA, etc.) that played more of a role in the outcome than the suggestion that the rest of the world has caught up to the US. At the end of the day, we went 6-0. Every other team in the field had at least two losses or lost prior to the semifinals. This French team lost in the group stage to Australia--the same Australian team that Team USA demolished in the previous round. They very easily could have lost to Belgium in the semis--a Belgian team that has one actual WNBA-level talent (Vanloo, in my opinion, is not a good WNBA player).

France is a very good team that is well coached. But they are not particularly talented (Gabby is their best player, and she's barely a WNBA starter while every member of Team USA is/has been at All-WNBA level) and would not come close to beating the winning team (despite its shortcomings) had the conditions been more favorable to Team USA.
 
GirlBoo1020 said:
One 8-0 run, with three's the were set up by other players is not enough to balance out how terribly she played imo the rest of the game. And really, it was an 8-3 run given she immediately got blown by then committed the worst foul of the whole game for an and one. The US wouldn't have been tied in the half if Sabrina had played in that first half over her imo. There was actually some offensive flow with Sabrina in the game and some chemistry. One turnover and she never got back in. Reeves reluctance to experiment in the backcourt despite how badly the guards were playing, despite experimenting with the backcourt all tournament, cost them a larger win imo. That's on Reeves, not Plum but Plums continual playing time at PG, despite killing any sort of offensive flow with over dribbling bad shot selection and chaos really made the team un-fun to watch.
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But Sabrina's defense is even worse than Plum's because of her slow feet! Whatever benefits she brings offensively during this tournament (and she didn't bring three-point shooting in this game) have been nullified by her lack of defense. She also got blown by during her stint on the court (and committed an untimely foul that led to FTs for France). Also, she does not possess an air-tight handle, so she is just as prone to turnovers against an aggressive French defense as the other guards.

I do not advocate for Plum to be a PG--full-time or part-time. All I'm saying here is that she was one of the reasons why Team USA was able to pull off the victory yesterday while Sabrina played a much smaller role (she made a play here and there but was overall not much of a factor from a positive standpoint). And given Sabrina's shortcomings, I don't think she would've made enough of a difference offensively to overcome what she lacks defensively. It was a bad match-up for her.

Anyways, now I feel bad because I really don't dislike Plum as a person or a player in general and she has had a particularly hard year. My real issue is with Cheryl Reeves and uneasy feeling she will again be the Olympic coach but with an declining A'Ja and Stewie instead of a Prime Stew'Ja and that doesn't spell anything but an inevitable L.
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What makes you think that A'ja, who's still on the upswing in her transcendent career, will somehow be on the decline at just 32???? Because Stewie may be (and who said that she would be on the decline, either? Maybe a new WNBA team would do her wonders)? They're not the same player. And it's unlikely that Cheryl Reeve will be the coach in 2028 given that most Team USA coaches get one cycle.

Also, I'm confident that there will be plenty of offensive support to complement A'ja and Stewie in 2028 because the next coach will likely bring along an assistant who can coach offense (did you look at the staff Reeve put together? None of those coaches are offensive gurus).
 
WBBTakeover said:
But there are still more variables to consider (substandard coaching decisions, poor personnel choices by selection committee, a nasty bug that has been going around Team USA, etc.) that played more of a role in the outcome than the suggestion that the rest of the world has caught up to the US. At the end of the day, we went 6-0. Every other team in the field had at least two losses or lost prior to the semifinals. This French team lost in the group stage to Australia--the same Australian team that Team USA demolished in the previous round. They very easily could have lost to Belgium in the semis--a Belgian team that has one actual WNBA-level talent (Vanloo, in my opinion, is not a good WNBA player).

France is a very good team that is well coached. But they are not particularly talented (Gabby is their best player, and she's barely a WNBA starter while every member of Team USA is/has been at All-WNBA level) and would not come close to beating the winning team (despite its shortcomings) had the conditions been more favorable to Team USA.
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WBBTakeover said:
But there are still more variables to consider (substandard coaching decisions, poor personnel choices by selection committee, a nasty bug that has been going around Team USA, etc.) that played more of a role in the outcome than the suggestion that the rest of the world has caught up to the US. At the end of the day, we went 6-0. Every other team in the field had at least two losses or lost prior to the semifinals. This French team lost in the group stage to Australia--the same Australian team that Team USA demolished in the previous round. They very easily could have lost to Belgium in the semis--a Belgian team that has one actual WNBA-level talent (Vanloo, in my opinion, is not a good WNBA player).

France is a very good team that is well coached. But they are not particularly talented (Gabby is their best player, and she's barely a WNBA starter while every member of Team USA is/has been at All-WNBA level) and would not come close to beating the winning team (despite its shortcomings) had the conditions been more favorable to Team USA.
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I disagree entirely. There will always be external factors (players who party every night, bad attitudes, illnesses, etc). The issue now is that it isn't as easy for us to run the table against the top 3-4 teams. If you can't see that the rest for the world is closing the gap, I certainly am not going to try and change your mind.
 
WBBTakeover said:
What makes you think that A'ja, who's still on the upswing in her transcendent career, will somehow be on the decline at just 32???? Because Stewie may be (and who said that she would be on the decline, either? Maybe a new WNBA team would do her wonders)? They're not the same player. And it's unlikely that Cheryl Reeve will be the coach in 2028 given that most Team USA coaches get one cycle.

Also, I'm confident that there will be plenty of offensive support to complement A'ja and Stewie in 2028 because the next coach will likely bring along an assistant who can coach offense (did you look at the staff Reeve put together? None of those coaches are offensive gurus).
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Most players peak around 27/28. Doesn't mean A'ja or Stewie won't be great in 2028 but I don't think either will be better or at the level they are playing now. Will still likely be the best players on the team but won't be able to single handedly carry the team to victory they way they did this time. Would love to be wrong just think we need to be realistic.

My concern is that "the next coach" will be Cheryl Reeves again.
 
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