I'm telling you, these Int'l Players are very good!

[Fairfield Fan]

The French team, even missing its starting point guard (as was the US), got more assists than the US (18 versus 15). This 21 year-old up-and-c0mer, Johannes, scored 13 points against the US.

Sandrine Gruda showed why the Connecticut Sun kept after her to play in the WNBA, scoring 8 points, and pulling down 6 rebounds.

Yacoubou is a fine center, and held her own, for the most part, against American bigs.

And read what the WNBA website says about the star of the Spanish team, Alba Torrens (also drafted by Connecticut) we'll face for the gold:


Alba Torrens

"The 6-foot-3 shooting guard has been a machine in Europe, winning both the FIBA Europe Women’s Player of the Year Award and EuroLeague Finals MVP in 2011 and 2014. She’s been tough to guard in Rio as well, dropping 32 points on China and averaging 16.1 points per game, good for sixth in the tournament. She’s not just a scorer, however, pulling down nearly six rebounds a game, and dishing out three assists a night as well.

"If there is one main weakness to her game, it’s that she can become careless with the ball. During the Olympics, her 3.9 turnovers per game are fourth among all players."

Other fine international stars:

Nika Kurihara of Japan has almost equaled Diana Taurasi for total 3-pointers made.

Japan's Asami Yoshida leads the Olympics in assists per game, just ahead of Maya Moore.

Liz Cambage of Australia is second overall in rebounds per game in this Olympics.

Breanna's teammate in Seattle, Ramu Tokashiki, is one of the scoring leaders.

Perhaps a common point for most of these players is that they don't bother to play in the WNBA. What we're seeing in the WNBA is the equivalent of Major League Soccer. The best players, except for the Americans, pass up the US during the summer, and play in Australia or Europe. That's where the action is, and where you'll find the best teams.

It's time for the WNBA to either move to a real fall/winter schedule and pay real salaries, or else try to play European and Australian teams in the US.

These women play great basketball. These close calls to France and Japan aren't flukes.

 

[HoopsFan21]

Some of the players you mentioned already play in the WNBA. The WNBA won't pay real salaries until as a form of entertainment it is something people will part with their money to watch, and the things people are willing to pay for purely for entertainment purposes are dwindling hence dwindling attendance figures at events across various sports.

 

[Fairfield Fan]

Some of the players you mentioned already play in the WNBA. The WNBA won't pay real salaries until as a form of entertainment it is something people will part with their money to watch, and the things people are willing to pay for purely for entertainment purposes are dwindling hence dwindling attendance figures at events across various sports.

But if they had Torrens, Gruda, Cambage, etc., might be different. We watch soccer. Heck, we watch a really crappy NBA product. So no reason why great women's basketball wouldn't be a draw. And Europe appears to be getting the support, and paying the salaries.

Seems to be a problem here, not with women's basketball overall.

 

[EricLA]

It can't be true. After all, we were told by several that the competition in the women's game just isn't there. No one else is any good, or so we were told.

 

[alexrgct]

All I know is that last game against France, I witnessed BG and Tina being given a breather so that EDD and Big Syl could spot them. That is unimaginable luxury...

 

[alexrgct]

It can't be true. After all, we were told by several that the competition in the women's game just isn't there. No one else is any good, or so we were told.

Just ask Dan S: Team USA WBB is bad for the sport.

 

[Charliebball]

Gosh..........you sound like a UConn fan after a mere 20 point victory!!! No team can equal the American team in terms of real talent..............that doesn't mean that the better teams can't give us a game now and again..................contrary to popular belief there is good basketball being played all over the world.....................I've seen the USA women against Australia twice, against Spain, France and Japan (awesome first half) once and at no time were any of the games in doubt after the first half...........the USA clearly has been missing Sue Bird's play making savvy the past two games but I'd hardly call the final outcomes catastrophic!!!! Torrens is one of the few women at the Olympics that would even have a chance making the US squad and frankly she's no Candace Parker yet..............the US beat Spain by around 40 the last time they played......I would expect the Gold Medal game to be closer but I don't expect an upset.....if you do, you should get to the bookies as quickly as possible!!!

 

[Orangutan]

Breanna's teammate in Seattle, Ramu Tokashiki, is one of the scoring leaders.

Perhaps a common point for most of these players is that they don't bother to play in the WNBA. What we're seeing in the WNBA is the equivalent of Major League Soccer. The best players, except for the Americans, pass up the US during the summer, and play in Australia or Europe. That's where the action is, and where you'll find the best teams.

It's time for the WNBA to either move to a real fall/winter schedule and pay real salaries, or else try to play European and Australian teams in the US.

These women play great basketball. These close calls to France and Japan aren't flukes.

We beat France by 21 and Japan by 46! Only on a UConn forum is winning by 46 a "close call"

Honestly, the fact that Tokashiki is among the leading scorers tells you that the standard of play in this tournament is nowhere near that of the WNBA. She is below-average post player in the WNBA.

People who can't make it in the WNBA or are benchwarmers go to Australia and become stars. If the stats I'm looking at are right, Jordan Hooper (a benchwarmer for the Wings) was the 3rd leading scorer in Australia last year. I know Betnijah Laney won a Player of the Month award over there and then came back to Chicago and...rode the pine before getting injured.

The best European teams are dominated by WNBA players.

Top 10 scorers in the Euroleague last year:
Taurasi, Ogwumike, Bonner, Chrissy Givens, LaToya Sanders, Sonja Petrovic, Yvonne Turner, Allie Quigley, Loyd, Lavender

That's a bunch of WNBA players plus Givens & Turner. It looks like Givens was drafted to the WNBA but didn't make it. Turner was a training camp cut for the Sky a couple years ago.

Here are the top performers (as posted by eurobasket.com) from the Euroleague final last year:
UMMC: Taurasi 22 pts, Sancho Lyttle 18 pts, 12 reb, Griner 12 pts
Nadezhda: Bonner 26 pts, McBride 20 pts

Top performers for the 3rd place winners, Fenerbache, in the consolation game - Quigley 22 pts, Lavender 14 pts, Quanitra Hollingsworth 10 pts

I don't buy for one second that Australia or Europe is where the best teams are. There are some foreign players that don't play in the US that would definitely improve the league (e.g. Cambage, Torrens) but there are also some Americans who don't go overseas and would be instant superstars. I'm confident, for example, that Delle Donne would dominate Euro competition.

(After having spent way too long researching this post), I'm certain the best club basketball in the world is played in the WNBA

P.S. All that said, I would pay good money to see UMMC vs. LA Sparks

 

[Fairfield Fan]

We beat France by 21 and Japan by 46! Only on a UConn forum is winning by 46 a "close call"

Honestly, the fact that Tokashiki is among the leading scorers tells you that the standard of play in this tournament is nowhere near that of the WNBA. She is below-average post player in the WNBA.

People who can't make it in the WNBA or are benchwarmers go to Australia and become stars. If the stats I'm looking at are right, Jordan Hooper (a benchwarmer for the Wings) was the 3rd leading scorer in Australia last year. I know Betnijah Laney won a Player of the Month award over there and then came back to Chicago and...rode the pine before getting injured.

The best European teams are dominated by WNBA players.

Top 10 scorers in the Euroleague last year:
Taurasi, Ogwumike, Bonner, Chrissy Givens, LaToya Sanders, Sonja Petrovic, Yvonne Turner, Allie Quigley, Loyd, Lavender

That's a bunch of WNBA players plus Givens & Turner. It looks like Givens was drafted to the WNBA but didn't make it. Turner was a training camp cut for the Sky a couple years ago.

Here are the top performers (as posted by eurobasket.com) from the Euroleague final last year:
UMMC: Taurasi 22 pts, Sancho Lyttle 18 pts, 12 reb, Griner 12 pts
Nadezhda: Bonner 26 pts, McBride 20 pts

Top performers for the 3rd place winners, Fenerbache, in the consolation game - Quigley 22 pts, Lavender 14 pts, Quanitra Hollingsworth 10 pts

I don't buy for one second that Australia or Europe is where the best teams are. There are some foreign players that don't play in the US that would definitely improve the league (e.g. Cambage, Torrens) but there are also some Americans who don't go overseas and would be instant superstars. I'm confident, for example, that Delle Donne would dominate Euro competition.

(After having spent way too long researching this post), I'm certain the best club basketball in the world is played in the WNBA

P.S. All that said, I would pay good money to see UMMC vs. LA Sparks

Lots of good points. Perhaps the US has the very best players in the world- Diana, Sue, Tina. But there are certainly, as we've seen in Rio, some really great players around. Yes, Liz Cambage turned her back on the WNBA, as did Torrens, as did Sandrine Gruda (what is it about kids turning down the Connecticut Sun?!). And that kid (21 years old) Maine Johannes for France was very impressive. Yes, EDD doesn't play in Europe. But, if I'm not mistaken, that's more due to her chronic Lyme condition and family concerns, than it is to do with not wanting to play there.

I suspect that the US team is clobbering everyone largely thanks to the all-time greats- Sue, Diana, Tina. And after they're no longer playing, it could be that these games get much, much closer.

I suspect that a Minnesota versus UMMC, or some other WNBA team versus a Euro-League team would be very entertaining. France versus New York Liberty?

And I'm guessing that the overseas takent is going to get better over time.

 

[MilfordHusky]

Length of time practicing and playing together is a big factor. Plus, the other teams mostly play very good team ball. I think the international teams and several players are quite good.

 

[sarals24]

Don't a lot of those international clubs have backing from major sponsors, or benefactors, or are part of a larger organization? I just don't see that model catching on in the States, which is why we have to rely on ticket sales, TV contracts, etc. I am pretty sure, especially in Russia, that a lot of those teams don't even charge for entry, and the owners end up losing money on the teams. It's a hobby for them, or maybe a tax writeoff for a company.

So there's no way the WNBA can go to a traditional winter schedule, because nobody, including the top Americans, would play in the US and the league would fold.

 

[DaddyChoc]

imagine how good the international men are

 

[Jim]

I'd be curious to hear which (if any) of the int'l players in the Olympics could have made the US team (especially since Parker was left off).

 

[JoePgh]

I'd be curious to hear which (if any) of the int'l players in the Olympics could have made the US team (especially since Parker was left off).

I would have to think that Liz Cambage and Penny Taylor on the Aussie team could have played for the USA team. And I also think that Alba Torrens of Spain would be a very strong candidate. From what I could detect of her personality, she seems to be the kind of intense but team-oriented person that would really fit into the chemistry of the USA team.

 

[UcMiami]

Orangutan - well researched and nice post, but ...
I don't think it is quite that easy - you watch some of these international players who ride the pine in the WNBA and they really shine on their national teams and do very well against the 'great' USA team, so it is not quite so simple. A lot has to do with style of play and chemistry on the WNBA teams, as well as the cultural issues of playing in a foreign land in a different culture. The big US stars getting paid the big bucks internationally are expected to lead their teams offensively as well, so part of the Euro (or Asian) stats is because those players are the focus of their team. And especially with the big clubs they are creating all-star rosters, so their teams are going to be the 'Yankees' and 'Red Sox' of their leagues and be competing for the championships.