Collier Olympics

[BballFan]

Anyone know why Napheesa didn’t play during the Olympic Games? I find it strange especially while she is having such a great season.

 

[Argonaut]

1. She was the last option at forward.
2. When she did get playing time, she didn’t show she should get more playing time.

 

[eebmg]

1. She was the last option at forward.
2. When she did get playing time, she didn’t show she should get more playing time.

When she did get playing time in the exhibition games prior to Tokyo

 

[Hayven]

Stewie is at the wing position with the national team. This is the same position as Collier. Stewie played a lot of minutes.
when Collier did play, she was trying to force her shot. She was also playing more quickly than she usually does. She didn’t look like the Pheesa we all know

 

[Wbbfan1]

I would think EDD will be ready for the World Championships and Olympics and I see her making the team over Napheesa. Is Napheesa more suited for the 3 x 3 team which she did play during the pre-Olylmpic tournaments?

I wouldn't mind see a 3 x 3 team with Sabrina, Napheesa, Kelsey Plum and Steph Dolson. KLS is a possibility for the 3 x 3 team, but is she quick enough and play enough defense and who would she replace on my suggested team.

 

[Argonaut]

When she did get playing time in the exhibition games prior to Tokyo

Even in her limited minutes in Tokyo, she wasn’t the calm, metered player that we expect her to be. Like @Hayven said, she was playing at a much faster pace than we’re used to seeing. And because of that, her game didn’t manifest the way it needed to in order to get more PT.

 

[BrianUC]

Collier is a great player, a winner who makes her teammates better, and holds her own when going up against Stewart. And she's very coachable. I don't blame her for not getting enough minutes. The coaching staff did not make proper use of her and I was disappointed.

 

[darkstar1]

1. She was the last option at forward.
2. When she did get playing time, she didn’t show she should get more playing time.

This makes no sense to me. These are perhaps the best players in the WNBA (although I would have liked to see Van Sloot at guard behind Sue and Diana). They have shown what they can do in the WNBA. Actually Phee was the only player other than Stewie at the 3. Do you think that if Phee played more minutes with Stewie, Sue, Diana and any of the bigs she would not have performed much better? She does it in the WNBA and can’t believe she wouldn’t have at the Olympic if given the opportunity. Much easier for me to blame Dawn. Hopefully Ohee hasn’t lost confidence and brings it the rest of the WNBA season the way she did against the Aces in their last game.

 

[JellyBean]

Pretty sure the coaching staff knew what they were doing. They saw these ladies in practice and understood the match-ups that were coming and how to put players in places that would help Team USA. Sure there are always "coulda, woulda, shoulda" moments but in the end, Team USA got the Gold and that is all that should matter. On the plus side, now that there is an opening for Team USA coach, maybe one of you fine, excellent X & O coaches, knowing all of the game angles, folks should apply for the hot seat.

 

[willtalk]

I remember when KML was not getting the minutes that some of her college fans thought she should be getting, the explanation also was that they were not using her correctly. It might seem strange to some of you but teams do not often structure their entire team or game plan to suite an individual players skill set. Fans of specific teams tend to become very miopic when it comes to evaluating the players they followed. They seem to focus on the players they followed and conversly ignore all the other players that exist as competition.

I must say, however, that the second unit as a hole did seem to lack chemistry and rythm. There were a lot of players who did not produce and that might have forece others playing with them to force things.

Darkstar--- Collier was not the only one on the team who could play the three position. If you notice in the Japan game they often had Chelsea Gray on the court at the same time with two other guards. Steward ended up playing the four or five when either Wilson or Griner were out. Against Japan she played 34 plus minutes and was totally gassed by the end of the game. Neither Fowles or Charles played very much. Depending who was on the court the issue in respect was who played the 3 on defense. Often DT was put watching the 3 on defense because they generally are slower. They also did a lot of switching because of Japans speed. I suspect much of the lineup was as dictated by defense as anything else. This is why the Steward played less three against Japan.

 

[baggerbob]

Pretty sure the coaching staff knew what they were doing. They saw these ladies in practice and understood the match-ups that were coming and how to put players in places that would help Team USA. Sure there are always "coulda, woulda, shoulda" moments but in the end, Team USA got the Gold and that is all that should matter. On the plus side, now that there is an opening for Team USA coach, maybe one of you fine, excellent X & O coaches, knowing all of the game angles, folks should apply for the hot seat.

No coach was going to sit Stewie to play Collier. You had 2 WNBA coaches as assistants, including Collier's head coach.
They played to win the Olympics not to give players participation minutes.

 

[bbsamjj]

I'd also add that while Collier was brought on the team because she has some wing skills, the wing is not her best position. She's much better at the 4.

 

[Wbbfan1]

This makes no sense to me. These are perhaps the best players in the WNBA (although I would have liked to see Van Sloot at guard behind Sue and Diana). They have shown what they can do in the WNBA. Actually Phee was the only player other than Stewie at the 3. Do you think that if Phee played more minutes with Stewie, Sue, Diana and any of the bigs she would not have performed much better? She does it in the WNBA and can’t believe she wouldn’t have at the Olympic if given the opportunity. Much easier for me to blame Dawn. Hopefully Ohee hasn’t lost confidence and brings it the rest of the WNBA season the way she did against the Aces in their last game.

Courtney Vandersloot is now part of Hungary's Olympic Team. Can't blame her or any other younger player that good enough to make an Olympic Team but wasn't given the Opportunity to make the USA team due to in this case Sue and DT being locks to make the National Team for the last 15 Years or so. Then you had Lyndsay Whalen who made two Olympic Teams.

 

[CTBballfan243]

Collier just needs to continue to put in the work and wait her turn. She will see the floor in the next Olympic Games.

 

[TC22]

Collier is a great player, a winner who makes her teammates better, and holds her own when going up against Stewart. And she's very coachable. I don't blame her for not getting enough minutes. The coaching staff did not make proper use of her and I was disappointed.

Her WNBA coach was Dawn’s assistant. Are you saying she didn’t know how to put Phee in position to be successful?

 

[BrianUC]

Her WNBA coach was Dawn’s assistant. Are you saying she didn’t know how to put Phee in position to be successful?

Yeah that's what I'd say. I'm sure that Cheryl Reeve had a lot on her plate and even if she strongly advocated for Collier, the head coach is in charge. I think Geno was able to get more out of his whole Olympic teams than Dawn was, as he and Cheryl Reeve -- as head coaches -- are great at getting the most out of their players. Though I have to say, Dawn sure is a great recruiter! BTW have you seen the Lynx lately? I've seen all their games and they are the hottest team in the W.

 

[CL82]

Collier is a great player, a winner who makes her teammates better, and holds her own when going up against Stewart. And she's very coachable. I don't blame her for not getting enough minutes. The coaching staff did not make proper use of her and I was disappointed.

Maybe, or maybe versus some of the best players in the game she wasn’t the best option? I say let’s celebrate her gold medal, rather than complain about her playing time. I suspect there will be other Olympics for her.

 

[darkstar1]

Most of the best players in the world play in the WNBA, so Phee plays and excels against them regularly, including those on the national team. I expect we all celebrate the gold, but I wouldn’t confuse observation and opinion with complaint.

 

[VAUConnFan]

Ms Collier will gain from the experience and will become a steady USA Basketball contributor going forward.

 

[Waquoit]

The coaching staff did not make proper use of her and I was disappointed.

I notice whenever a former UConn player hits a post-UConn bump in their career, there is an entire segment says it's because they aren't being used correctly. It's doesn't quite fit here since Collier is a star. She didn't play because others are better right now, making the team was her reward.

 

[GCKSFN4L]

I really like Collier but I don't think she's played anyway near her best basketball ever since the All star game. In her limited minutes she hadn't really given the coaching staff any reason to increase her minutes either, if we're being honest. She's young and will likely get plenty of chances in the future. At the end of the day the most important thing is that the team win and she got to be apart of something that thousands of girls/women could only dream to do.

 

[CocoHusky]

I notice whenever a former UConn player hits a post-UConn bump in their career, there is an entire segment says it's because they aren't being used correctly. It's doesn't quite fit here since Collier is a star. She didn't play because others are better right now, making the team was her reward.

 

[Fairfield Fan]

A big question is why the coaching staff basically benched Skylar Diggins-Smith. Yes, she did not perform when they put her in. But what was going on? Was SD-S ticked off with Staley? Was she hurt? She's a major star, and has been for years. But this was a Ted Williams in the World Series sort of underperformance. Wonder if we'll find out why....?

 

[darkstar1]

I guess I’ll just have to agree to disagree. Yes, great to be named to the team. But My take remains that we all know what these players are capable of, barring injury or an off night. I just don’t see that Phee was given a real opportunity to shine. I never saw her get sufficient minutes with Sue and Diana in the exhibition games. No chance given in the olympics.

 

[Sakibomb25]

A big question is why the coaching staff basically benched Skylar Diggins-Smith. Yes, she did not perform when they put her in. But what was going on? Was SD-S ticked off with Staley? Was she hurt? She's a major star, and has been for years. But this was a Ted Williams in the World Series sort of underperformance. Wonder if we'll find out why....?

I don't know why there has to be a conspiracy theory here. International ball is very different than WNBA rules. This is Diggins-Smith first Olympics. For whatever reason, she didn't play up to her abilities, whether it was nerves, an inability to adjust to the international game, or her game being off. On a team with stars, not everyone is going to shine and everyone person on the team knows that. Team chemistry is so big and the only goal is the gold - not who got to play more minutes or scored the most buckets.

The US came home with the gold. That's all that matters.