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Message: [QUOTE="UcMiami, post: 3995381, member: 199"] I am sorry Nneka isn't on the team - and unlike some other players she has shown her commitment to USA basketball by being available whenever requested (something USA basketball definitely pays attention to.) As for 2016 ... yes it was her career year and it was an unbelievable year, she shot 10% better than her career average and 25% better from 3 with more rebounds, more assists, and more blocks than any year before or since, but that year mostly occurred well after the team was selected and it is only in retrospect that you can really say 'why didn't they select her.' She has also played in the 2014 and 2018 WCs and been a valuable member of the team earning three starts when Griner wasn't available for the first two games in 2018. Nneka joins a number of players who have filled in for WCs and contributed a lot when other Olympians were unavailable - Candice Dupree comes to mind whose 2010 and 2014 WC campaigns were really good but who never made an Olympics. Nneka probably got her 2014 spot because Parker wasn't available (Parker has never been available for a spot on the WC except as a college player.) Just as a note on some other comments - I have been really impressed with how well Angel McCoughtry played on her Olympic and WC teams. She accepted and thrived as a bench player, sublimating her professional/college game to the team's needs, playing killer defense and providing very efficient offense. I can only remember one game where she was really out of sync and picked up quick fouls and was quickly benched. Playing well for the national team requires star players changing their games to fit into an all-star team - some players transition smoothly, some learn quickly, and some do not ever get it. It is a very different situation from the unwatchable standard All Star games and USA doesn't have their winning streak without the players quickly learning to play as a team and not as all-stars. (This is specifically not directed at the non-selection of Nneka but at selections overall - you see in all sports at all levels that the most talented team seldom wins unless they are also a really good TEAM.) [/QUOTE]

Verification: First name of men's bb coach