Olympic Team Announced

[DEpup]

No. I would be shocked if they don't take the team that qualified. However they have not officially named the 3x3 team.

So now that we know the 5x5 team, who would you replace the 3x3 qualifiers with who have experience playing 3x3? I think the qualifiers will be the team. Dolson's game has gotten so much better after playing 3x3.

 

[DEpup]

Hasn't Tiff played for another country at some point?

 

[Kaizen]

Hasn't Tiff played for another country at some point?

I think it is Gabby for France.

 

[DEpup]

Real (attempt) at an answer:

• A combo guard generally refers to a guard that can comfortably be both a point/lead guard (1) and a shooting/off guard (2). Orangutan duly noted that Diana T., S D-S, Gray all can comfortably fill both these roles.
• For old(er) guys like me, the wing (3) was a small forward. Now that teams are going to more three-guard sets, it could be the taller guard, who can hit the boards, drive, help out inside. I think Jewell Loyd is actually the wing/off-guard (3-2) combo on this team. (Atkins is 5'8").

What messes this up a bit these days is you have a few players that can slide into multiple roles. Looking at my alma mater, Marina Mabrey and Jackie Young are wings that can take over lead roles for a bit, as well as fill the shooting guard role.

My guess is you'll see a lot of sets with two bigs and three of these guards on the floor.

DT actually plays the Point Forward at the 3 for Phoenix. In addition to an all UConn line up, I also can't wait to see a Sue, Jewell, DT guard line up. Deadly. Add a Stewie and Syl, opposing teams should just raise the white flag.

 

[Orangutan]

I believe she opted to sit out due to her fear of covid while having Lyme disease. WNBA wasn't going to pay her to sit out due to it not being a high risk disease based on CDC protocol at the time, she wrote a blog upset about it and the WNBA shelled out for her.

EDD is a fantastic talent but I agree with the OP that she rarely seems fully on board with basketball. I'm not sure if she's just more fragile physically or if she isn't as willing to play through injuries as other players, but compared to the other players of her caliber (ex. Parker, Taurasi, Bird, Stewart, etc.) she's never seemed to have the same consistent drive or love of the game that the others show.

If Candace Parker makes a bad pass, she won't even get back past half court on defense because she's too busy sulking. So I wouldn't hold her up as a paragon of "consistent drive".

EDD has had back problems since at least the 2014 playoffs. In the Eastern Finals against Indiana that year, her back was so bad that she was rendered a decoy. She would come out of the game and immediately lie down and get stretched out by a trainer. But she played anyway.

What is she supposed to do? Go out there now when she's not fully recovered from back surgery and play horribly to prove she's really hurt? I don't remember anyone questioning Taurasi's love of the game when a back injury kept her out of all but 6 games of the 2019 season.

She's injury prone, that's all. No need to delve into the realm of amateur psychology.

 

[Orangutan]

Hasn't Tiff played for another country at some point?

Sort of - per usab.com "Has an Azerbaijani passport and competed for the host Azerbaijan 3x3 National Team in the 2015 European Games, held in Baku; helped her team to a 3-2 record and the quarterfinals."

 

[CBus13]

I believe she opted to sit out due to her fear of covid while having Lyme disease. WNBA wasn't going to pay her to sit out due to it not being a high risk disease based on CDC protocol at the time, she wrote a blog upset about it and the WNBA shelled out for her.

EDD is a fantastic talent but I agree with the OP that she rarely seems fully on board with basketball. I'm not sure if she's just more fragile physically or if she isn't as willing to play through injuries as other players, but compared to the other players of her caliber (ex. Parker, Taurasi, Bird, Stewart, etc.) she's never seemed to have the same consistent drive or love of the game that the others show.

The WNBA did not pay EDD's contract. The Mystics decided to pay her full contract while she stayed home.

I think it is Gabby for France.

Tiffany became an Azerbaijani citizen and has played for their National Team since 2015

 

[Kaizen]

 

[DEpup]

What about Vandetsloot? Does she play for another country and I just don't know it?

 

[UConnCat]

The WNBA did not pay EDD's contract. The Mystics decided to pay her full contract while she stayed home.


Tiffany became an Azerbaijani citizen and has played for their National Team since 2015

Not accurate regarding Tiff Hayes. She played for Azerbaijan once in a non-FIBA event. Dual citizenship does not preclude Tiff from playing for Team USA. In fact, she has participated in Team USA camps.

 

[bschwartz]

Censored myself a lot today seeing all the rage against the Huskies. Some people are still blaming Geno. Where I agree with the haters is that the process is shrouded in mystery. I don't think many people really understand selection criteria. The funny thing is...they were mad when they saw so many Huskies on the 5x5 roster, wait till they see Dolson and KLS on the 3x3 roster. Makes for good recruiting.

 

[UConnCat]

What about Vandetsloot? Does she play for another country and I just don't know it?

Vandersloot is a Hungarian citizen and has played for Hungary in a FIBA event.

 

[BRS24]

Censored myself a lot today seeing all the rage against the Huskies. Some people are still blaming Geno. Where I agree with the haters is that the process is shrouded in mystery. I don't think many people really understand selection criteria. The funny thing is...they were mad when they saw so many Huskies on the 5x5 roster, wait till they see Dolson and KLS on the 3x3 roster. Makes for good recruiting.

wooooo ... there's an epic twitter thread from a ND alum and she went off on the selections, past teams, etc. It almost burned my laptop screen ....

 

[bschwartz]

wooooo ... there's an epic twitter thread from a ND alum and she went off on the selections, past teams, etc. It almost burned my laptop screen ....

I saw that and a lot worse...Some of it was ridiculous, like complaints about Candace Parker not playing this year when she is already on the broadcast team.

 

[FridaFriend]

I hope Sue still plays point for the National team, when she's 50.

 

[bballnut90]

If Candace Parker makes a bad pass, she won't even get back past half court on defense because she's too busy sulking. So I wouldn't hold her up as a paragon of "consistent drive".

EDD has had back problems since at least the 2014 playoffs. In the Eastern Finals against Indiana that year, her back was so bad that she was rendered a decoy. She would come out of the game and immediately lie down and get stretched out by a trainer. But she played anyway.

What is she supposed to do? Go out there now when she's not fully recovered from back surgery and play horribly to prove she's really hurt? I don't remember anyone questioning Taurasi's love of the game when a back injury kept her out of all but 6 games of the 2019 season.

She's injury prone, that's all. No need to delve into the realm of amateur psychology.

We've debated this before, agree to disagree.

 

[southofnorth]

Why? Dee and Sue are still among the best at their positions in the world, never mind the country. It's not that it's an unpopular opinion, it's like saying "Stewie already made a few teams. She should give someone else a chance". The people who are on the team are either among the best at their positions in the USA, and/or such consummate team players that make everyone around them better that they HAD to be on the team.

Some of the new blood found its' way onto the team in people like Atkins, Collier, Diggins, Grey, and on the 3x3, all 4 players of Dolson, Samuelson, Gray, and Plum.

Sue and Dee are not only among the best still at their positions, but both are likely starters for Team USA. Not that you mentioned Catch, but Tamika Catching was probably the last person to make the team, in that year probably beating out Parker, and she was the last person off the bench on the 12 player team. That won't be the case with Sue and Dee.


She wasn't in the pool this time around. I agree she will likely be next year for the 2022 World Championships. I will be very curious if the start including Paige and Caitlyn Clark in the pool as early as next year. I know they like to include college players

As a total side note, I was never a fan of Skyler, but I happened to catch an interview with her after a recent game and came away impressed. Much more of a team player than I thought (mentality wise) and really high B.B.I.Q. Very aware of what the team was doing/needed, and also had some spot on comments regarding what has changed since Dee's injury.

Can you imagine a team with Ionescu, Paige, AND Clark? Plus the established USAWBB talent like Stewie, et al? I get that we want to win, but do we need to obliterate every other team in the world???

 

[TheFarmFan]

 

[Rb335]

When you look at the roster, Atkins is the one who really stands out to me. If you had said she would be on an olympic roster during her days at Texas, I would have confidently wagered my life savings that she wouldn't. Great growth in her game since getting to the W, and cool to see her rewarded.

I get the anti Connecticut sentiment found on social media/the web. I can't see any way Charles and Stewart didn't make the team, based on their current WNBA seasons. Same with Sue, who has looked like the best PG, despite her age. The wing is the thinnest position in the W, and Collier is as good of a choice as anyone. I do think the Taurasi selection is mainly loyalty based. She hasn't looked amazing this season, and is injured. So if anyone was to be omitted, it should have been her. But the olympics in three years will feature a very different roster than what we've been seeing.

Way too early to tell, but it could be as drastic as this, seeing a huge youth movement for the next generation.

Ionescu/Diggins Smith/ Bueckers
Loyd/Clark
Delle-Donne/Collier/Howard
Stewart/Wilson
Griner/Boston

For now, I will sit back and enjoy watching our huskies compete in both 5x5 and 3x3. Cool that Samuelson and collier will experience the olympics together.

 

[Mlb0814]

Should be announced this week. Hard to see USA BB making a change, unless someone is injured between now and Tokyo.

Lots of backlash today about Nneka Ogwumike being left off the team and Sue and Diana being included. I’m hoping Katie Lou is not a casualty of that fall out, taking her off the team and replacing her with a non UConn player. Lou’s worked hard and deserves to go and compete with the rest of the 3x3 team.

 

[hoopsfan22]

Does Dawn not get any of the criticism over the make up of the team? I remember how much blame Geno got when he was coach, and he's still getting it. Should we limit each university to one player on the team to keep the peace?

 

[CBus13]

Not accurate regarding Tiff Hayes. She played for Azerbaijan once in a non-FIBA event. Dual citizenship does not preclude Tiff from playing for Team USA. In fact, she has participated in Team USA camps.

So she just hasn't made an official Team USA National Team yet? Only exhibitions? I assumed since she hadn't made a team it was because of her participation in the Euros for Azerbaijan? thanks for the clarification.

 

[UConnCat]

wooooo ... there's an epic twitter thread from a ND alum and she went off on the selections, past teams, etc. It almost burned my laptop screen ....

Embarrassing. Fortunately few know who she is much less care what she says.

 

[UConnCat]

So she just hasn't made an official Team USA National Team yet? Only exhibitions? I assumed since she hadn't made a team it was because of her participation in the Euros for Azerbaijan? thanks for the clarification.

Correct. If she weren't eligible to make the team there would be no point to USA Basketball including her in the pool.

 

[UConnCat]

Does Dawn not get any of the criticism over the make up of the team? I remember how much blame Geno got when he was coach, and he's still getting it. Should we limit each university to one player on the team to keep the peace?

When Geno was the coach it was the coach who picked the team. Now that Dawn is the coach it's the special advisor (Geno) who picks the team.