A few thoughts on the 2018 World Cup and upcoming 2020 Olympics for Team USA

[EricLA]

First, let me start by saying how proud I am of Team USA and the players who took the time and energy required to commit to the US National Team for the less glamorous World Championship (World Cup). I thought the entire TEAM played well together, especially given the incredibly shortened time frame for the US National players to gel and develop chemistry. Dawn did herself proud.

Stewie, Sue, Dee, Brit, Tina were all exceptional doing what they do best. I was surprised pleased that Loyd and Clarendon looked better than I thought they would. I think Nneka and A'ja played really well leading up to the medal rounds (especially A'ja), but both had limited production in the final 2 games (in fact Wilson scored only 2 points in about 16 total minutes over the last 2 games). I thought Plum struggled (or looked "uncomfortable") more than I thought she would (I thought she was really good leading up to the World Cup). EDD did what she could given she was still injured (KUDOS to her for being there for team USA - puts to shame the others who chose not to make it because they were tired or banged up). And Tuck did what was asked of her.

At this point I'd say it's nearly impossible to know what will happen for the Olympics. I'm betting numerous players will suddenly be more available for 2020 Tokyo. I have no doubt at all that the committee will take into consideration who was there and who chose not to be. Carol Callan went out of her way a bit ago to talk about loyalty, commitment, etc. as being a huge deciding factor when the committee chooses who will represent Team USA (Maya Moore and Sylvia Fowles specifically - I lean heavily towards the committee giving her a pass this time since she's given so much to Team USA in the past).

I don't know that Plum will be the heir apparent to Sue (it's a possibility). I think a fully healthy Jefferson could push her for that honor, and so could a more experienced Ionescu. IMHO if they all stay healthy and don't retire, Sue, Dee, Brit, Tina, Stewie, EDD and Wilson are all locks. Probably Moore and Fowles as well. After that, I think it's really up in the air.

I think we have to allow for some of the seniors coming out this year (Collier, Samuelson, Ogunbowale, and maybe Brown/McCowan - are they both Team USA eligible?) as well as juniors who will just have graduated (Ionescu, Danger, Cox, Durr etc). as well as Loyd, Deshields, Nneka, Williams, and then see how the folks who stayed home are viewed by the Committee. I love Tuck, but think this is as far as she goes for Team USA... And Clarendon was solid, but same for her as Tuck IMHO. And given the committee passed over Deshields and Williams for Collier and Tuck means to me that it will be hard for them to make it as one of the last 3 in.

If there are 8-9 locks, the ones I have mentioned, then that leaves 3-4 spots and the competition will be fierce. IMHO, Hayes, Diggins, McBride, Ogwumike (Chiney), and any of the others who declined to try out, (and have no Senior USA National Team experience), may well have "decided" themselves off future teams. I have no idea if any of them had legit injury excuses as I've not heard about it... Time will tell for sure!!!

 

[UcMiami]

Like your thoughts though I think I am a little higher on both Plum's and Clarendon's chances. I do question all of the no shows for this team. I suspect players like Maya and Fowles were in pretty constant communication with Carol and USA basketball about whether they would be available, and I think it is easier for a player like EDD who does not play in a foreign league to choose to play through an injury knowing that she has 6 months off now rather than heading immediately into another league season.

I see Tuck as sort of similar to Jones - a very useful versatility player who was in the right place at the right time to get her USA gold, and agree that unless something similar happens this will be it. (Like Dupree from the 2010 WC team.)

The question mark remains firmly on the guards/small forward positions going forward - there are a few players now who have had a run in the Olympics or WC but none of them feel like locks.

My feeling is that USA is looking for seriously disciplined players who can self limit their shots. It is generally an 'unnatural' thing for star players - something they haven't done in college and haven't done or their club teams, so I am not saying it is easy. But it is what every USA teammate does. I thought Loyd, Clarendon, and Plum all understood that (whether they were fully comfortable or not) and that is why they were the ones selected for this team.

And this is not just guards but every member of the team - I though Wilson did well for her first time at this level, but she was the one player I thought forced a few too many shots, when she should have passed out when well defended. (Telling that she got under 17 minutes playing time combined in the medal rounds?)

(I expected more from Nneka. Not sure why she didn't have a bigger impact on the medal games. Dawn had some high praise for her earlier but ...)

 

[warbler1055]

Great posts. 2020 is a long time and lots of things could happen which will change the dynamic of the US team. SB and Dee are getting older. Can they keep playing like Tom Brady at that level. From what I have seen, they were in fantastic shape and have not missed a beat. Amazing!!! But time is a silent thief, we will see. Team chemistry is foremost in my mind, when Dawn put Stewart, Loyd and Bird in the game and said she realized they were the WNBA champs and they know how to play together.

 

[Wbbfan1]

This years world cup didn't include Russia as they didn't make it out of the Eurobasket 2017. I suspect Russia is now the 2nd or 3rd best SR National Women's Team. They'll be tough competition for Team USA. IF you take Cambage off Australia's team they probably don't make it to the Semi-Final Games. Not sure if Russia would have been able to beat Team USA this year, but I do think they would have given USA a better game.

Team USA needs to have a Candice Wiggins or Angel McCoughtry type player on the team to be able to create shots when the outside shooting aren't falling. Lyndsey Whalen was also good in that role. I suspect Jewell Lloyd was supposed to fill that role, not sure she was successful as the previous players I mentioned.

Winning the World Cup automatically qualifies Team USA for the 2020 Olympics. I'm hoping Team USA schedules and/or attends some events in 2019 to continue to develop some young players and team chemistry. This years team did not look good in most games but were able to win because of the amount of talent they have. The rest of the World is catching up.

 

[MilfordHusky]

I thought all 12 players did what they were asked to do. It was obvious with the starters and some of the others, but Clarendon, for example, came into Sunday's game and harassed the Aussie guards. She also had a great A:TO ratio, as did Plum.

Of the newbies, I think Loyd was perhaps the most effective. She played a lot of minutes on Sunday and defended well, picking up 3 steals. She also hit spot-up threes and penetrated.

Wilson did well in the early rounds, but the bigs and refs slowed her down in the last 2 or 3 games. Her moves didn't work, and she forced shots when double-teamed. She also didn't get the calls she got in college or the W. She is young and will learn. Her playing time the last 2 games was an indication of her struggles.

Nneka should be a lock going forward, but I think she played better in Istanbul than in Tenerife. She may not have been 100%, but her regular inside moves didn't work as well as in the W.

Elena was well less than 100%, but she can still score. She's part of the core.

I think Plum and Clarendon will be in the mix, but others may pass them by. The same holds for Tuck.

I assume that Maya will be back in 2020.

 

[UcMiami]

This years world cup didn't include Russia as they didn't make it out of the Eurobasket 2017. I suspect Russia is now the 2nd or 3rd best SR National Women's Team. They'll be tough competition for Team USA. IF you take Cambage off Australia's team they probably don't make it to the Semi-Final Games. Not sure if Russia would have been able to beat Team USA this year, but I do think they would have given USA a better game.

Team USA needs to have a Candice Wiggins or Angel McCoughtry type player on the team to be able to create shots when the outside shooting aren't falling. Lyndsey Whalen was also good in that role. I suspect Jewell Lloyd was supposed to fill that role, not sure she was successful as the previous players I mentioned.

Winning the World Cup automatically qualifies Team USA for the 2020 Olympics. I'm hoping Team USA schedules and/or attends some events in 2019 to continue to develop some young players and team chemistry. This years team did not look good in most games but were able to win because of the amount of talent they have. The rest of the World is catching up.

The Russian team has been a mess for a number of years now - in-fighting and politics having a major effect on them - the last world competition they qualified for was 2012 Olympics - they missed 2014 and 2018 WC and 2016 Olympics. And they ended up 4th in the 2012 behind USA, France, and Australia. I'm not sure why you rank them 2nd or 3rd in the world when in the 2017 European qualifying they ranked a very distant 9th.

Agree that they need to find someone like Angel off the bench - a really disruptive defender who could turn in some instant offense if necessary. I think Clarendon or Loyd might grown into that role. Plum is more likely to be more in the mold of Sue if she sticks.

 

[Ron and Vida]

Like your thoughts though I think I am a little higher on both Plum's and Clarendon's chances. I do question all of the no shows for this team. I suspect players like Maya and Fowles were in pretty constant communication with Carol and USA basketball about whether they would be available, and I think it is easier for a player like EDD who does not play in a foreign league to choose to play through an injury knowing that she has 6 months off now rather than heading immediately into another league season.

I see Tuck as sort of similar to Jones - a very useful versatility player who was in the right place at the right time to get her USA gold, and agree that unless something similar happens this will be it. (Like Dupree from the 2010 WC team.)

The question mark remains firmly on the guards/small forward positions going forward - there are a few players now who have had a run in the Olympics or WC but none of them feel like locks.

My feeling is that USA is looking for seriously disciplined players who can self limit their shots. It is generally an 'unnatural' thing for star players - something they haven't done in college and haven't done or their club teams, so I am not saying it is easy. But it is what every USA teammate does. I thought Loyd, Clarendon, and Plum all understood that (whether they were fully comfortable or not) and that is why they were the ones selected for this team.

And this is not just guards but every member of the team - I though Wilson did well for her first time at this level, but she was the one player I thought forced a few too many shots, when she should have passed out when well defended. (Telling that she got under 17 minutes playing time combined in the medal rounds?)

(I expected more from Nneka. Not sure why she didn't have a bigger impact on the medal games. Dawn had some high praise for her earlier but ...)

Your disciplined team players sounds right. Under her new coach in Atlanta, Angel Mcoughtry has become that player and a joy to watch

 

[UcMiami]

Your disciplined team players sounds right. Under her new coach in Atlanta, Angel Mcoughtry has become that player and a joy to watch

And playing on the National team she has always sublimated her game toward the team's performance - she bought in 100% from her first days with Geno.

 

[RPM101370]

This years world cup didn't include Russia as they didn't make it out of the Eurobasket 2017. I suspect Russia is now the 2nd or 3rd best SR National Women's Team. They'll be tough competition for Team USA. IF you take Cambage off Australia's team they probably don't make it to the Semi-Final Games. Not sure if Russia would have been able to beat Team USA this year, but I do think they would have given USA a better game.

Team USA needs to have a Candice Wiggins or Angel McCoughtry type player on the team to be able to create shots when the outside shooting aren't falling. Lyndsey Whalen was also good in that role. I suspect Jewell Lloyd was supposed to fill that role, not sure she was successful as the previous players I mentioned.

Winning the World Cup automatically qualifies Team USA for the 2020 Olympics. I'm hoping Team USA schedules and/or attends some events in 2019 to continue to develop some young players and team chemistry. This years team did not look good in most games but were able to win because of the amount of talent they have. The rest of the World is catching up.

The rest of the world is most certainly not catching up. The USA demolished this tournament with a team cobbled together in less than a month with almost no practice time nor time to gel. They left multiple former WNBA MVP’s at home (Parker, Fowles, Moore) along with numerous WNBA All-Stars. The team they brought included multiple players probably exhausted from recent playoffs, including Delle Donne who played on a bum knee. They also had a first-year head coach and staff that have barely worked together plus multiple players that have never played for Team USA at this level before. These other National teams included mostly well-rested players that play together far more often and either skipped the WNBA season or don’t play in the WNBA at all. And even still the USA was dominant.

Give the USA their best and adequate time to practice and this wouldn’t even be a discussion. As it should be.