Olympic team announcement

[MilfordHusky]

Sorry, not yet--but less than 3 weeks away.

Per Jim Fuller:

"Staying on the subject of former UConn stars, the U.S. Olympic team will be announced during the Final Four festivities. Former Huskies Sue Bird, Swin Cash, Tina Charles, Asjha Jones, Renee Montgomery, Maya Moore and Diana Taurasi are among the 21 candidates for the 12 spots. UConn's Geno Auriemma is the U.S. head coach but not on the committee responsible for making the final selections."

I'm guessing 5 Huskies: Diana, Sue, Tina, Maya, and either Asjha or Swin. The World Championship team with 6 Huskies did not do too badly.

 

[VAMike23]

Umm..... don't they have to have a final round of trials?

It's obvious that Griner has a really strong shot at making the squad, but I thought they would actually have her participate in [formal] trials before being selected, which would mean trials in April/May. To say nothing of those on the bubble. They need to look at everybody before making the final call.

Most of the 21 final candidates won't even be in the US yet, as they are not done with their euro league playoffs til about the same time as the FF games take place over here. I wonder if Jim isn't referring to an interim 'cut' down from 21 but not the final 12.

Color me confused .....

 

[MilfordHusky]

Umm..... don't they have to have trials?

It's obvious that Griner has a really strong shot at making the squad, but I thought they would actually have her participate in [formal] trials before being selected, which would mean trials in April/May. To say nothing of those on the bubble. They need to look at everybody before making the final call.

Maya, Sue, Tina, CP3, DT, Big Syl -- they won't even be done with their euro league playoffs til about the same time as the FF games take place over here. I wonder if Jim isn't referring to an interim 'cut' down from 21 but not the final 12.

Color me confused .....

I too was expecting another set of practices. Maybe it's an interim cut. We need to do some research. The wording seems pretty clear.

 

[rocky rococo]

There's no way to get everybody together all at the same time. Different people are scatterede all over the world, the top American players are not surprisingly associated with overseas teams that are going deep in post-season play in their various leagues and cups. It's just not possible to have the whole team in the US at the same time in time to make the final cuts. Remember where it is that these players make their real money (hint, it's NOT the WNBA).

 

[VAMike23]

There's no way to get everybody together all at the same time. Different people are scatterede all over the world, the top American players are not surprisingly associated with overseas teams that are going deep in post-season play in their various leagues and cups. It's just not possible to have the whole team in the US at the same time in time to make the final cuts. Remember where it is that these players make their real money (hint, it's NOT the WNBA).

I realize that, and no hints needed - but for the World Championships, they got everyone together ....all at the same time.....some time after the Euro season ended (their finals are around the same time as the FF), and had trials. Why not for the Olympics?

Last I checked, Ros Casares plays in the final 8 of Euro league play on 3/29-3/31. This group includes UMMC, Galaratasay, RC, and the other biggies from Turkey and the rest of Europe including the Russian league. After that the final game listed is for 4/1. It could be that there are a couple of games after that that aren't apparent from reading through the schedules. But the first WNBA games aren't until 5/18 and 5/20 so it would seem there is a (brief) window just as their was during the WC tryout process. Yes they are going to be tired, but it's the Olympics....

 

[pap49cba]

This is all the USA BB website shows....

 

[easttexastrash]

Umm..... don't they have to have a final round of trials?

It's obvious that Griner has a really strong shot at making the squad, but I thought they would actually have her participate in [formal] trials before being selected, which would mean trials in April/May. To say nothing of those on the bubble. They need to look at everybody before making the final call.

Most of the 21 final candidates won't even be in the US yet, as they are not done with their euro league playoffs til about the same time as the FF games take place over here. I wonder if Jim isn't referring to an interim 'cut' down from 21 but not the final 12.

Color me confused .....

I am a bit surprised, too, to hear that the announcement would be made during the Final Four. I wish that it were not that weekend as it could be a distraction for Griner if she is playing in Denver.

 

[MilfordHusky]

I am a bit surprised, too, to hear that the announcement would be made during the Final Four. I wish that it were not that weekend as it could be a distraction for Griner if she is playing in Denver.

 

[ThisJustIn]

Remember where it is that these players make their real money (hint, it's NOT the WNBA).

I've always wondered how accurate an assumption that is.. there are, say, 120 WNBA players who work 3 months and change. Then they work 7 months and change. What's the average salary.

The WNBA starts its regular season May 18th, right? Give it a two week preseason. 3 week camp. It feels like it's pretty much right on top of the last European games.

 

[MilfordHusky]

Remember where it is that these players make their real money (hint, it's NOT the WNBA).

I've always wondered how accurate an assumption that is.. there are, say, 120 WNBA players who work 3 months and change. Then they work 7 months and change. What's the average salary.

The WNBA starts its regular season May 18th, right? Give it a two week preseason. 3 week camp. It feels like it's pretty much right on top of the last European games.

You know way more about this than I do. The WNBA is very closed, but I believe that the salary range is about $45K to $110K (plus bonuses). I don't know where the European salaries start--and the whole scale may be lowered by Spartak's owner's death--but I think Diana was earning about $500K plus lodging in Moscow. Do these numbers sound right?

 

[Icebear]

You know way more about this than I do. The WNBA is very closed, but I believe that the salary range is about $45K to $110K (plus bonuses). I don't know where the European salaries start--and the whole scale may be lowered by Spartak's owner's death--but I think Diana was earning about $500K plus lodging in Moscow. Do these numbers sound right?

I thought that DT pulled down $1 mill for Spartak at least one year.

 

[Scotter]

There is no time for another round of trials because the Olympics happen during the summer unlike the World Championships, which take place after the WNBA season. With the World Championship USA Basketball had access to all of the WNBA players who were not playing in the playoffs and needed the extra bodies in camp until the final players finished the WNBA playoffs, which ended just a couple of days before the World Championships. That's totally different than the start of the season when every player has commitments to their WNBA team and many have commitments to European schedules that actually overlap this WNBA season.

In order to allow for the WNBA to take a break for the Olympics the WNBA has to start sooner. WNBA training camps start basically as the European seasons are still coming to an end in some cases. Carol Callan said months ago that the team would be named without another round of trials.

 

[ThisJustIn]

I thought that DT pulled down $1 mill for Spartak at least one year.

That's Diana (and that's not even close to a real business model). I'm talking about real teams with real budgets. You know, everyone BUT Diana and her ilk .

People denigrate the W salaries as if the women are suffering. Bull. They get paid twice as much as many for working 1/4th as long. And they get paid for bouncing a ball. It's not like they're responsible for making a daily contribution to the world, like a teacher or firefighter or DMV worker or such. (Though I love what they do, and wouldn't pay to watch a DMV person work.)

 

[Icebear]

That's Diana (and that's not even close to a real business model). I'm talking about real teams with real budgets. You know, everyone BUT Diana and her ilk .

People denigrate the W salaries as if the women are suffering. Bull. They get paid twice as much as many for working 1/4th as long. And they get paid for bouncing a ball. It's not like they're responsible for making a daily contribution to the world, like a teacher or firefighter or DMV worker or such. (Though I love what they do, and wouldn't pay to watch a DMV person work.)

Simply correcting the $500,000 pay previously mentioned. Nothing more.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

That's Diana (and that's not even close to a real business model). I'm talking about real teams with real budgets. You know, everyone BUT Diana and her ilk . ilk???!!! What ilks? ilk suggests a group, bundle or bunch...gang, flock, or school...name 2,I dare you!

People denigrate the W salaries as if the women are suffering. Bull. They get paid twice as much as many for working 1/4th as long. And they get paid for bouncing a ball. It's not like they're responsible for making a daily contribution to the world, like a teacher or firefighter or DMV worker or such. (Though I love what they do, and wouldn't pay to watch a DMV person work.)

I believe Ice is right about the Spartak thing, plus she and Sue had a private limo/driver/security and the swankiest digs imagineable. DT's endorsements eclipse her salary by an x factor too.

 

[VAMike23]

There was another article this winter that talked about the current Euro salary structure. Ice is correct (at least per that article and whatever other sources) that there are a handful of superstars that pull down a reported $1M per season at this time.

I believe this is true for around 5-6 players; these are said to include DT, Parker, probably Sue, and a few others. Then you step down and there is a slightly larger group of top players that are making somewhere in the $300K - $500K range. After that, I think it probably varies widely team by team depending on the owner's willingness and ability to spend....