Sarah to Represent 3x3 for the US (merged thread)

[Zarathustra]

Sarah struggled against Madrid. Haven't seen the Ireland replay anywhere.

I've seen the USA team (the FIBA UNDER 16, 18, etc. 3x3 teams play for
the last few years. Sometimes it takes a few games for the team
members to "REALLY" get their chemistry and timing down. Also
the 3X3 ball is smaller, and the refereeing tends to be, well, "different".
One of my impressions from "DAY ONE" is that the USA may be
"sandbagging" it a bid. (despite the close scores). The better
competition is ahead and it is important not to show all your
weapons (IMHO... just a guess).

 

[Sluconn Husky]

I've seen the USA team (the FIBA UNDER 16, 18, etc. 3x3 teams play for
the last few years. Sometimes it takes a few games for the team
members to "REALLY" get their chemistry and timing down. Also
the 3X3 ball is smaller, and the refereeing tends to be, well, "different".
One of my impressions from "DAY ONE" is that the USA may be
"sandbagging" it a bid. (despite the close scores). The better
competition is ahead and it is important not to show all your
weapons (IMHO... just a guess).

I don't care for this team as much as the one Strong played with last year--Hall and Davidson--but she looked kinda uninspired today. Maybe jetlag or something.

 

[Zarathustra]

I really wish the players would just take time off.

Yes, but these 3x3 tournaments, at least this particular 3x3 series of
tournaments are three-day affairs (larger tournaments, the 3X3
World CUP and the 5X5 FIBA competitions are longer affairs and rather grueling. In
the summer, in the heat, outdoors, it can be a matter of fitness as
much as skill. However, to your comment: I see it as a great opportunity to play
overseas, visit different cities. I would imagine working out for
a few hours of training and reviewing some tapes and scouting with time off to be a tourist in different countries and different venues would be rather enjoyable. No? Then, again, I don't think AZZI and other Huskies, etc., are using the summer to "take time off", ???

 

[hoopsfan22]

Yes, but these 3x3 tournaments, at least this particular 3x3 series of
tournaments are three-day affairs (larger tournaments, the 3X3
World CUP and the 5X5 FIBA competitions are longer affairs and rather grueling. In
the summer, in the heat, outdoors, it can be a matter of fitness as
much as skill. However, to your comment: I see it as a great opportunity to play
overseas, visit different cities. I would imagine working out for
a few hours of training and reviewing some tapes and scouting with time off to be a tourist in different countries and different venues would be rather enjoyable. No? Then, again, I don't think AZZI and other Huskies, etc., are using the summer to "take time off", ???

Professional athletes in general are not allowed to partake in certain physical events that risk injury. Today's student-athletes are virtually professional athletes and should be held to that same standard.

 

[RoadMaster]

 

[Zarathustra]

Professional athletes in general are not allowed to partake in certain physical events that risk injury. Today's student-athletes are virtually professional athletes and should be held to that same standard.

The Players are "invited" to play for the national team. I assume
they consider it an honor to do so.

 

[oldude]

Experienced Spanish team takes the young US team to school in the quaterfinals, 20-12.

 

[Zarathustra]

Experienced Spanish team takes the young US team to school in the quaterfinals, 20-12.

Win as a team... Lose as a team.... The USA loses!
USA put themselves in a hole with 13 fouls with means
double bonus for the Spanish Team.... Free Throws and
then they also get the ball back... Not easy to overcome
those facts. Spain, IMHO, probably would have won anyway.
The USA never "clicked" as team all-tournament.

 

[oldude]

Win as a team... Lose as a team.... The USA loses!
USA put themselves in a hole with 13 fouls with means
double bonus for the Spanish Team.... Free Throws and
then they also get the ball back... Not easy to overcome
those facts. Spain, IMHO, probably would have won anyway.
The USA never "clicked" as team all-tournament.

Poland and Madrid were good teams. US wins over both were no accident. The US played pretty much the same game against Spain, but couldn’t finish effectively at the basket, which got them into a deep hole they couldn’t climb out of.

 

[PacoSwede]

The Players are "invited" to play for the national team. I assume
they consider it an honor to do so.

hmmm ... yes. but is it?

personally, i'd feel it is an obligation, and especially for younger people they might feel that pressure without even acknowledging it. i see that as a form of exploitation -- a form that society endorses, sadly.

call it an honor, but your reputation is ruined if you don't comply. that feels like coercion to me.

 

[oldude]

hmmm ... yes. but is it?

personally, i'd feel it is an obligation, and especially for younger people they might feel that pressure without even acknowledging it. i see that as a form of exploitation -- a form that society endorses, sadly.

call it an honor, but your reputation is ruined if you don't comply. that feels like coercion to me.

It’s not quite the situation for 3x3 in the US. Foreign countries put together experienced teams that compete in 3x3 tournaments year round. These teams don’t even play 5x5 basketball. Hell, Ulan Bator has a team that made it to the semifinals of this tournament. I had no idea they played basketball in Mongolia.

The US team has 3 college kids who will all be starting summer classes and practice soon. They all did fine considering their lack of experience relative to every other team in the tournament. But their priority is getting ready for the 2025/26 college season. Cierra Burdick is probably the only US player who might continue on the 3x3 circuit.

 

[Sluconn Husky]

US was overmatched against Spain. Didn't like the style they played in any of the games. Way too much standing around, almost no turnovers leading to points, and basically no three-point attempts.

 

[SVCBeercats]

Have to admit that this is not my favorite kind of basketball......btw where are the fans?

Did Phee ask this question relative to Unrivaled?

 

[Bald Husky]

Watched the Madrid game and Sarah was not on her game. Most of their scores were the 1 point variety. Did not look like a unit that has practiced. I did hear from the announcer that the USA team was seeded #11 which surprised me. Its funny, I didn't even hear about this tournament until the other day when someone posted about it. Well, some great news: Sarah didn't get injured.
BTW, a nice little interview with Azzi, giving us good news that the team will be back at school in about a week for workouts.

 

[Bone Dog]

I kinda agree with @Charliebball @Bald Husky and @PacoSwede -- I don't care for the FIBA 3x3 tournaments I've seen. It feels a bit coerced, it's as much rugby scrum as basketball, and I don't see anything enjoyable for the players in it. By the way, other than the 'coerced aspect', Unrivaled has a bit of this flavor too, but since the strength and skill of the WNBA players is so much higher -- and there's a real monetary reward for them -- I find it slightly more palatable. And thank goodness no one was injured, which seemed like a real possibility to me.

 

[JellyBean]

Experienced Spanish team takes the young US team to school in the quaterfinals, 20-12.

Tough one but a great learning experience.

 

[oldude]

I don't see anything enjoyable for the players in it.

A week in Marseille is a pretty enjoyable consolation prize……

 

[Bone Dog]

A week in Marseille is a pretty enjoyable consolation prize……

Personally, I can take Marseilles or leave it. In the end, it’s a gritty port town. But there is a pretty zone piétonne where you can spend an idle hour or two. If they have access to a car, tooling around the Côte d’Azur could be great fun. I wonder if any of them speak French.

 

[oldude]

Personally, I can take Marseilles or leave it. In the end, it’s a gritty port town. But there is a pretty zone piétonne where you can spend an idle hour or two. If they have access to a car, tooling around the Côte d’Azur could be great fun. I wonder if any of them speak French.

Je ne sais pas.

 

[Zarathustra]

Spain won the Championship with a 21 to 11 win
over Czechia. First place was worth $14,000.oo U.S.
dollars. The USA Team came in 6th out of 14 teams.
6th Place was worth $ 3,000.00.
The Fiba 3X3 Women's Series continues TOMORROW
May 26, 2025, in Baku, Azerbaijan. The USA is not in
the field of teams (There is a whole new slate of teams).
Baku is on the Caspian Sea, which is North of Iran.
With the different size ball, and the different weight to
the ball, I believe that I could see the lack of experience with
these extra variables for the USA team. Perhaps that is
why we did not see so much outside 2-point shooting (3 pointers
for those thinking NCAA distance). Did anyone else notice
our players had some difficulty with dribbling and with ball handling due to
the different ball? Also, I think some of the poor passing between
team members could also be attributed to the weight of the
ball and the "grip" (I believe the surface of the FIBA balls is also
a different texture!). So, there were many things that made just about everything harder for "newbies" vs the regular 3X3 teams that participate in these
tournament all year long. So, Sarah and her teammates did not simply
have "off games". If this USA team continues to play "on the circuit"
this summer I expect the "learning curve" will become apparent. Maybe
not in the very next competition but as the summer progresses. The
sport is now an OLYMPIC ONE? If so, this could be a case of the USA taking its
"lumps" now to prepare for the future. GO SARAH!!, GO USA.
EDIT: FYI... 3X3 basketball was added as an official OLYMPIC
Sport on JUNE 9, 2017! Wasn't Stephanie Dolson on the recent
Olympic 3x3 team???

 

[RockyMTblue2]

I think this summer "recreation" is a supremely dumb idea. Repretitive Strain Injury exists and for many everything is fine until it isn't and then it is ice baths and rehab or surgery when our player shows up in Storrs and comes clean. I suppose it would be a knock on recruiting if Geno mandated no summer tournament.

 

[oldude]

Spain won the Championship with a 21 to 11 win
over Czechia. First place was worth $14,000.oo U.S.
dollars. The USA Team came in 6th out of 14 teams.
6th Place was worth $ 3,000.00.
The Fiba 3X3 Women's Series continues TOMORROW
May 26, 2025, in Baku, Azerbaijan. The USA is not in
the field of teams (There is a whole new slate of teams).
Baku is on the Caspian Sea, which is North of Iran.
With the different size ball, and the different weight to
the ball, I believe that I could see the lack of experience with
these extra variables for the USA team. Perhaps that is
why we did not see so much outside 2-point shooting (3 pointers
for those thinking NCAA distance). Did anyone else notice
our players had some difficulty with dribbling and with ball handling due to
the different ball? Also, I think some of the poor passing between
team members could also be attributed to the weight of the
ball and the "grip" (I believe the surface of the FIBA balls is also
a different texture!). So, there were many things that made just about everything harder for "newbies" vs the regular 3X3 teams that participate in these
tournament all year long. So, Sarah and her teammates did not simply
have "off games". If this USA team continues to play "on the circuit"
this summer I expect the "learning curve" will become apparent. Maybe
not in the very next competition but as the summer progresses. The
sport is now an OLYMPIC ONE? If so, this could be a case of the USA taking its
"lumps" now to prepare for the future. GO SARAH!!, GO USA.
EDIT: FYI... 3X3 basketball was added as an official OLYMPIC
Sport on JUNE 9, 2017! Wasn't Stephanie Dolson on the recent
Olympic 3x3 team???

You mention the problem the US had dribbling the ball. What I noticed watching the games is that the court was a temporary construction with assembled panels that rattled constantly when someone was dribbling on it. I strongly suspect there were numerous dead spots on the floor that seemed to adversely affect the US team, particularly in the game against Spain.

 

[Zarathustra]

I think this summer "recreation" is a supremely dumb idea. Repretitive Strain Injury exists and for many everything is fine until it isn't and then it is ice baths and rehab or surgery when our player shows up in Storrs and comes clean. I suppose it would be a knock on recruiting if Geno mandated no summer tournament.

I just checked (May 25th). 3X3 basketball is an Olympic Sport. The next
Olympic Games is in Los Angeles in 2028. The USA participating in
these events is probably an attempt to get our Women's 3X3 team
some experience before the actual "BIG DANCE"!! As we noticed this
weekend there were many "national" teams in this Marseille competition
as well as City (e.g. "Madrid") and other regional teams. As Mayor
Ed Koch said, years ago: "You can't win it... if you're not in it". ("Ed"
was the major of New York City for those members of the Boneyard from other regions of the USA.").

 

[ERWUC65]

It would seem that Spain was heads and above all the others. I would be curious to learn about the makeup and background of that team, players, etc. especially since, if as stated, this 3x3 program will be in the upcoming Olympics.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

I just checked (May 25th). 3X3 basketball is an Olympic Sport. The next
Olympic Games is in Los Angeles in 2028. The USA participating in
these events is probably an attempt to get our Women's 3X3 team
some experience before the actual "BIG DANCE"!! As we noticed this
weekend there were many "national" teams in this Marseille competition
as well as City (e.g. "Madrid") and other regional teams. As Mayor
Ed Koch said, years ago: "You can't win it... if you're not in it". ("Ed"
was the major of New York City for those members of the Boneyard from other regions of the USA.").

I understand the argument and most of us are all for it until one of our team leaders goes down. Part of my problem has to do with my total lack of regard for the game called 3X3. Don't fool around and call it basketball. It isn't. And the rules and clock accentuate the potential for injury as due the lack of pregame routine in many of these shoestring "basketball" festivals. Unrivaled is just a bunch of people finding another way to cash in, primarily of TV rights Ed was colorful and a good mayor despite being a Dem but he wasn't talking sports.