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Olympics Women's Basketball, Expected Outcomes and Surprises

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MilfordHusky said:
UConnCat says it better than I do, but unless you have been to an Olympics or World Cup Finals in a foreign country, you cannot fully understand how difficult and pressure-filled the situation is. In Istanbul, the Turkish fans had whistles, air horns, and other noisemakers. There were 20,000 Turkey fans and only a few Americans. Conversation in the arena was impossible. Dee's experience in both Russia and the WC/Olympics, plus her personality, keeps the Americans from getting rattled. This environment is quantitatively and qualitatively much different than the NCAA or WNBA Finals.
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Stewie has done all those things and much more recently.
 
Each of the players have different personality, not all will say something useful at exactly the time needed in a way that is most effective. Just having experience playing in multiple international competitions is not enough to acquire this quality.

We are all on the outside looking in, not privy to the dynamics in the team as selected. It would be a surprise if the Selection Committee did not talk to Coach Reeve before finalizing the roster on the intangibles someone like DT brings to the team and whether someone else can do the same. That process ended up with this roster.

Since none of us has privy direct information on what is happening within the team both in games and in the locker room, we make our judgments based on what we see on the court and the statistics, e.g mostly how things look. Still, it is very tempting to certain about the "truth" of the judgments. we utter, often done without an iota of doubt. (It is after all, part of the game in these Board)

I have taken the position that the Selection Committee made the judgment on intangibles and not on what DT is still capable of delivering in spurts and that they are right... If they win, the Committee was right in having that "insurance" measure. If they lose, it was still right in doing so to try to cover all bases......all it means is that the insurance policy did not work but more importantly, the rest of the core of the team with extensive international experience failed to deliver on the intangibles as well.

The emphasis on defensive capability means winning ugly is perfectly fine with them......

But the way things look now in how the other teams are playing compared to the US, there is no loss awaiting them in Paris.
 
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nwhoopfan said:
Looks like Ionescu is leading the guards in minutes played, starters Gray and Taurasi are 2nd and 3rd. The two starters have been the least productive players. They've scored a combined 4 points in 2 games. Gray did have 13 assists in the first game. Taurasi has 1 assist total. I don't know why she's getting any playing time.
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Sad to see what is happening to Dee in Paris. This happens sometimes when players, no matter how good they are, try to play beyond their expiration date. It can happen very suddenly and when it does they can end up with stats like 1 assist in two games. I have beaucoup respect for Dee but in this case she (and the team/game) would have been better served by gracefully accepting a tie with her good friend Sue Bird at five golds. I do hope however, that she can produce a respectable stat line in the coming games. I’d truly hate to see this continue through to the mdal game. Go USA!
 
nwhoopfan said:
2 players changed the momentum for USA. First Thomas, then Plum. KP was the last player to enter the game, as soon as she came in US grabbed the lead and then kept building on it. Hmm, she must've been supplying some leadership and chemistry or something.
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AT just provided that assertiveness on offense and defense. KP was being a pest on defense. Her energy, much like AT, was a huge spark for the team. Then with Jackie and Copper knocking down shots. Huge game for Team USA
 
MilfordHusky said:
UConnCat says it better than I do, but unless you have been to an Olympics or World Cup Finals in a foreign country, you cannot fully understand how difficult and pressure-filled the situation is. In Istanbul, the Turkish fans had whistles, air horns, and other noisemakers. There were 20,000 Turkey fans and only a few Americans. Conversation in the arena was impossible. Dee's experience in both Russia and the WC/Olympics, plus her personality, keeps the Americans from getting rattled. This environment is quantitatively and qualitatively much different than the NCAA or WNBA Finals.
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She's my GOAT and I love her, but what you are describing is a coach @MilfordHusky.
 
Does anyone know what was going on with Stewie today. She was taken out midway thru the 1st qtr and didn't return until the 5:11 mark of the 2d qtr. She played less than 17 min for the whole game, so I guess she played less in the 2d half.
 
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cancontent said:
Maybe but in regards to whom? Van Lith looks to be holding up her end of the deal, along with Hamby. Burdick meh and Howard seems to be struggling.
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One of them came in last minute for Brink. Not sure which one. Chemistry still developing I guess.
 
USA 3x3 women look like they have finally gotten in gear - into the medal round so I think we can relax about the selection.

As for the 5x5 - the US strength is the quality of depth on the roster - if you look at past Olympics they have not infrequently struggled in the first quarter/half of games, only to wear down their opponents by making them play 40 minutes against WNBA all stars. You force them to defend Stewie and A'ja, then replace them with Griner and AT when their starters are running on fumes.

[Anyone watch the Women's road race (Cycling) - what a brilliant ride by Kristen Faulkner who only started competing in cycling at age 23. Talk about an upset - she got her ride because the qualifier wanted to focus on other events.]
 
nwhoopfan said:
I would probably say the biggest problem is that Chelsea Gray currently isn't anything like the player she used to be.

From what you say about Taurasi, it sounds like she should be part of the coaching staff.
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I really miss the days when 90% of your time was spent on Sabrina Ionescu love. Why don't you go back to that and stop with the criticism of the Husky on the UConn side of the board?
 
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Well that 3x3 game could have gone better.

Seth Meyers Idk GIF by Late Night with Seth Meyers
 
Cuango said:
Sad to see what is happening to Dee in Paris. This happens sometimes when players, no matter how good they are, try to play beyond their expiration date. It can happen very suddenly and when it does they can end up with stats like 1 assist in two games. I have beaucoup respect for Dee but in this case she (and the team/game) would have been better served by gracefully accepting a tie with her good friend Sue Bird at five golds. I do hope however, that she can produce a respectable stat line in the coming games. I’d truly hate to see this continue through to the mdal game. Go USA!
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This is getting extremely tiresome.

Regardless of any other part of this discussion, the highlighted phrase is bosh. Diana's stats, playing in the toughest women's basketball league in the world are 16.1/4.7/2.6 in 29 minutes per game. If you compare her stats against the presumptive rookie of the year who so many think should have been selected instead of her and plays 35 minutes per game, there's barely a credit card thickness of difference between them. The only significant differences are that Caitlin has 5.6 more assists per game and 3.6 more turnovers and Diana shoots better..

Look at the facts. Diana is not nearly decrepit, she's having a bad run at the Olympics. I'm a 4.0 tennis player, but there are occasional days when I can't play worth a damn.
 
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JRRRJ said:
This is getting extremely tiresome.

Regardless of any other part of this discussion, the highlighted phrase is bosh. Diana's stats, playing in the toughest women's basketball league in the world are 16.1/4.7/2.6 in 29 minutes per game. If you compare her stats against the presumptive rookie of the year who so many think should have been selected instead of her and plays 35 minutes per game, there's barely a credit card thickness of difference between them. The only significant differences are that Caitlin has 5.6 more assists per game and 3.6 more turnovers and Diana shoots better..

Look at the facts. Diana is not nearly decrepit, she's having a bad run at the Olympics. I'm a 4.0 tennis player, but there are occasional days when I can't play worth a damn.
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I never had an issue with her selection, as I don't dispute all the posters that say she brings a lot of intangibles.

I actually think the way she is being used is probably part of the reason she isn't doing as well as in the W, plus she is ultimately surrounded by much better players than the Mercury have, with their own unique skill sets.

I agree with a remark above about Gray - not that she was a bad selection, but clearly the health issues have had a negative impact.
 
Lots has been said about this years' team....I'm thinking ahead 4 years with Paige Bueckers, JuJu Watkins, Katelyn Clark and other future greats coming to the team to join Stewie, Pheesa, Aja and others.
 
Happydad745 said:
Lots has been said about this years' team....I'm thinking ahead 4 years with Paige Bueckers, JuJu Watkins, Katelyn Clark and other future greats coming to the team to join Stewie, Pheesa, Aja and others.
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Caitlin Clark, too... not Catelyn, and definitely not Katelyn.
 
I don't think the Committee's selection are all that predictable any more.
 
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France giving US everything they can handle. Reeve with some interesting coaching choices (ie. not playing Ionescu until late in the 2nd, benching BG after she was effective).
 
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