As others have asked, what exactly is the committee supposed to say? "We didn't select so-and-so because of reasons X, Y and Z"? It doesn't work that way because it can't work that way.
Absolutely nothing they might say is going to mollify the haters or assuage the understandable disappointment of Nneka, her circle, and her fans.
"Allow the controversy to continue unabated": Again, just how are they supposed to "abate" it?
And no, I don't give a a pass on this one. To imply that the controversy is forcing Callan out is willfully dishonest.
Why can't it work that way? USA Basketball did a press call with reporters in 2016 when Candace didn't make it. There will always be haters, but at the very least USA basketball can help put to bed some of the more egregious rumors/conspiracy theories. Instead, when you have silence from USA Basketball, Curt Miller practically running away from a question, and GEno implying that if it was just his call he'd be fine talking; it makes it seem like they have something to hide .
How hard is it for Carol Callhan to get on a call and say, "Look, we love Nneka, she's been a huge staple for team USA and is an amazing ambassador for the game. But we felt that we had players on the team who bring similar skill sets to her, and given her uncertain health status, our priority was getting more perimeter defense/outside shooting/whatever. These are tough calls, and unfortunately we always have to leave great players home. But our job is to build the best team to win a gold medal, and we believe the team we've put together will do that."
Follow up: So you're saying she was left off because of her injury? Why did you put DT on then?
Answer: WE evaluate every player both individually and on what their skill set brings to the team. We look at EVERY player's health, but it's not the only thing we are looking at.
Q: Some are saying you're using a double standard here.
A: I respectfully disagree. We are looking at all factors to try and build the best team to win a gold. There are always tough calls to make; we can't bring everyone we'd like to.
