Tonight at 7 on espn Olympic team versus...
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They don't appear to be playing that hard. Dawn isn't doing a lot of coaching either. Chemistry is awkward too.
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Yeah. I suppose so. I was just hoping that, somebody (Team USA) was going to just be like "Look. I get that this is an exhibition game but I ain't taking no L. We winning tonight!" and just go out there and ball out! Yeah chemistry is definitely going to be interesting with this team.
Not enough. Very disappointed we never got to see the UConn squad on the floor together.
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Dawn needs to get a lot better play from the guards, as a group they were not very good. Dawn needs to play Stewie, and A'ja, together more with Griner, and Sylvia, Tina and Collier will get limited minutes. Sue was the only guard who showed up.
Loyd, Gray, Diggins Smith, and Atkins need to get a lot better. If DT is healthy she will start. This team needs a better backcourt group.
eebmg
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Pheesa had a disappointing game on offense but was strong on defense. I guess Dawn felt she needed more offense (outside shooting) from Atkins than defense from Pheesa.
msf22b
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When Arike is hot and Courtney is on her game,
its hard for anyone else to win.
The WNBA players had a big chip on their shoulder
amd showed (at least) that there are several WNBA teams
that could represent the USA.
There have been reasonable questions asked as to whether the elderly guards chosen
(UConn or not) are really the best choice.
Arike and Coutrney brought emphasis to that question.
its hard for anyone else to win.
The WNBA players had a big chip on their shoulder
amd showed (at least) that there are several WNBA teams
that could represent the USA.
There have been reasonable questions asked as to whether the elderly guards chosen
(UConn or not) are really the best choice.
Arike and Coutrney brought emphasis to that question.
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I’m a Mercury fan and I agree but I would say Tina. Tina’s had the best season out of every WNBA player and if anyone should start it should be her.
Have to disagree about Pheesa. She missed some shots, but she was one the few players that did things other than look for her shot. Disappointed with how Staley deployed her personnel. Still, it’s just the all star game.
EricSD
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Absolutely not. Courtney and Arike far outplayed Loyd, Gray and Diggins. Sue was really good. IF you really wanted to ask the question, it should be why weren't they selected over the younger players, not why weren't the selected over the older, uber-experienced players?
Wilson did not play well at all. Why aren't you suggesting she should have been left off the team?
Team USA is most often chosen for players who excel at team work. Dawn does have a LOT of guard work to do in getting Gray Diggins, and Loyd up to speed.
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eebmg
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Arike can then go 3-20 the next game. She is just so volatile. She better prove she can be more consistent if she wants to be on the National team. On the other hand, I will go out on a limb and say JJ is the best player on the planet.
Aluminny69
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More fuel to the fire of who should have made the National team. It's too bad they didn't play this game BEFORE they picked the USA squad. It would have put even more pressure on these players. Also, it's too bad we can't send two teams to the Olympics.
I can't prove it, but I have to believe there is some politics involved in the selection process.
Blue Huskie
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No they didn't , you summed it up well when you first mentioned the chip on the shoulder. Williams and Arike are exactly the players who play their best when they feel that way. These are players who felt they should have been on the USA team or wanted to prove they are better than those who were selected. If this game weren't an exhibition and was for the gold medal, IMO team USA would have won. They had nothing to prove against these other WNBA players, they were working on their stuff. Arike and Williams showed why they are not the players you want on the USA team. They can look great when the are hitting shots but when they aren't their teams can get buried. Especially Arike. She has shot her team out of games a number of times. Team USA is looking to insure that just one or two players don't have to carry the load.
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I don't know what the objective was for Dawn, but it wasn't winning. I assumed she was just trying to figure out who to play together and avoid a ton of minutes and injuries. Team USA just looked generally...uninterested. When they do get...interested...they better rebound better I'll tell you that.
I agree. Tina has more varied offensive moves to the basket and a better drive move. It showed tonight.
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So my take on it is we need more 3 point shooting with consistency which will be D's mission and a better secondary passer which is also D. The weaknesses are shooting from deep, lack of speed in the backcourt both offensively and defensively and ball handling by everyone. They can only get better.
UConnCat
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I know, right. Are All-Star exhibitions even real basketball games?
Reminds me of Team USA losing an exhibition game to France before the 2014 World Cup. We heard the same from the usual suspects: Geno blah, blah, blah, Bird/Taurasi blah, blah, blah. USA met France in the WC Quarterfinals (i.e., when it mattered) and won by 20+.
That said, the guards are the weakness of the team and I'm not talking about the 2 oldest players. It's not exactly Augustus or Whalen in their prime coming off the bench. It is what it is. Will be good enough to win gold.
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TheFarmFan
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Man, there's no way Nneka could have done better than 2 pts going 1-5 or 5 pts going 1-4. Glad tonight's game put that questionable decision to rest...
UConnCat
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Nneka would not have been ready to play tonight so how could she have done better? Hasn't played in a game in weeks.
Was a medal lost tonight?
msf22b
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I always thought Arike was a chucker and depending upon her was a mistake.
But tonight Arike...and Courtney who was not chucking, hitting open. makable shots that she mainly manufactured herself...like 7 for 8!
Outplayed the varsity...big time.
To say that the so-called stars, were working on stuff is a load
They got beat...and beat pretty bad
and out-coached as well
As Geno says...Guard play prevails
As I said...I'm no Arike lover...far from it
But she and Courtney (who should have won the award)
were the class acts tonight
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Beat pretty bad? What game did you watch? They played TEN players. If they wanted to win...they would play maybe 7. Taurasi didn't even play.
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I've thought for a long time that the Olympics are largely a money-making scheme. Countries put themselves in debt for tens of billions. A big part of Greece's fiscal trouble started when they financed an Olympics. But nobody tells the citizens about the debt, it's all about patriotism and national pride.
The advertising revenue associated with the Games has to be monstrous and it would be highly naïve to think that an athlete's corporate ties aren't involved in some decisions. That would be any sport in which selection isn't 100% objective. There are official rankings in most individual sports but in team sports I wouldn't be surprised if some shoe company pays a premium to insure that a certain number of it's stars are in. In many parts of the world bribery is common and acceptable.
It's a wonderful experience for the athletes and I enjoy watching the actual contests but not the jingoistic tenor of American TV. Sorry for being a negafan
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It was an exhibition game with very little physicality. And with the outcome it only feeds the fire of outrage in some places.
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Team USA is fine. They arent going to be playing against another team with that caliber of talent at every position. They havent played together long, so they lack the chemistry. The All Star team is in the same boat, but they were trying to win.
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It was a game between two teams with entirely different agendas. One was an all-star team that only gets to play one time together: they were left off the other team, and perhaps have a chip on their shoulders and wanted to prove something to others. As not going to play any more games together, they were given the reins more by their coaches to play their style of play, perhaps a good bit of "hero" ball, which resulted in a more free-er play of doing it how THEY want to do it. And after all, they WERE all-star players in their own right.
The other team was also an all-star team that has to create a team identity quickly. They DO have more games to play, and far more important ones. They did NOT have a chip on their shoulders Wednesday night, and had nothing to prove at this time - that time comes later for them. They were also more constrained to playing within a team philosophy that their coaching staff expects from them, learning to play with new teammates and to playing within a system that may not reward such a free-er style of play.
So in summary, one team was using this exhibition as a learning tool for teamwork development and learning strengths and weaknesses, while the other team used this exhibition to beat the first team.....
The other team was also an all-star team that has to create a team identity quickly. They DO have more games to play, and far more important ones. They did NOT have a chip on their shoulders Wednesday night, and had nothing to prove at this time - that time comes later for them. They were also more constrained to playing within a team philosophy that their coaching staff expects from them, learning to play with new teammates and to playing within a system that may not reward such a free-er style of play.
So in summary, one team was using this exhibition as a learning tool for teamwork development and learning strengths and weaknesses, while the other team used this exhibition to beat the first team.....
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The outcome tonight is not an indictment of the Olympic team but should be used to show areas where they can improve. It can also show how much depth the US has in terms of talent that a different group of players, most of whom could play for the US, can get a win on a given night. Additionally, no EDD, Nneka, DT and that's three more Olympian/All Star level players who could have shown up tonight.
The US should be fine if everyone comes to play. There is a new head coach and a lot of new faces that will take some time to gel. I don't think any other country has the talent of the Americans from top to bottom but in single game situations anything can happen.
The US should be fine if everyone comes to play. There is a new head coach and a lot of new faces that will take some time to gel. I don't think any other country has the talent of the Americans from top to bottom but in single game situations anything can happen.
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