UConn/USA win gold vs Japan...

[DavidinNaples]

UConn supplied the Gold medal winning Women's Olympic basketball team with 41% of their roster & 60% of their starters (Dee, Sue & Stewie). If follows that many of the stats in the Gold Medal game were provided by Huskies as well. Consider:

1. Dee, Sue and Stewie logged a combined 87 minutes of playing time against Japan.
2. Those three made 3 of the 4 three point shots for USA. The team was 4-13 or 31%.
3. UConn guards led the team in assists against Japan, but it wasn't Sue Bird (3). Taurasi had 8 and Stewie 5 as UConn recorded 16 of the 28 total dimes.
4. Stewie had a game high 14 rebounds and Dee added the 3rd highest with 6 boards.
5. The five UConn players were on the court a combined 100+ minutes for the game. (Half the 200 minutes total.)
6. Sue (7), Dee (7) and Stewie (14) totaled 28 points of the USA's 90 point explosion in the victory.
7. The combined stat line for the UConn starters was 28 points, 23 rebounds, 16 assists, 5 steals, 3 blocks and 6 turnovers.
8. Stewie was the tournament MVP. (Of course... )

There were several non-UConn stats that were impressive as well.
1. Brittney Griner scored a record 30 points on 14-18 shooting. Japan had no answer for her size and ability in the paint.
2. Aja Wilson scored 19 points, blocked 5 shots and grabbed 7 rebounds.
3. Japan had an amazing 12 shots blocked. That was 16% of their 77 tries from the field.
4. Japan's normally great three point shooting went cold, 8-31 or 26%.

Sue and Dee now have a record 5 straight Gold medals in basketball. Sue indicated she is done, but Taurasi promised, "See you in Paris in 2024."

Congrats to UConn and USA..!!

 

[msf22b]

Wonderful stats David, many thanks.

It was clear to me, that (somewhat unusually).
Diana had better control of the throttle against Japan
especially in the 2nd half when they pressed.

Stewie's boards and assists, and the huge contribution of
Aja and Brit were the nails in the coffin...Japan had no possible answers to that size
experience (Brittney) and talent.

 

[EricLA]

Haven't heard much of the complaining and whining that went on early when the team was announced, but a few things to add to the comments...

Sue and Dee were absolutely essential to the gold medal. For all the "over the hill" and "give the younger guards a chance", there was absolutely no one in the US pool , or even outside the pool, who would have been better choices to replace them with.

I thought Jewell had a really solid first Olympics and Chelsea got stronger as the games went on, but I don't see this team winning without Sue or Dee. The offense would often grind to a halt, or the other team would make a run, when Sue and Dee were off the court.

Skylar, Pheesa, Ariel and Sylvia all looked overwhelmed for the most part. Syl less than the others, but as the games progressed, Tina got more and more of Syl's PT. Without Cambage, Syl was an extra and just didn't perform that well.

There literally was no spot on the roster for Nneka. Again, for all the hysteria after her omission from the team, it was clear during the games that her spot was taken by Wilson and Charles. To take Nneka would have meant leaving one of those 2 off the team, and both are light years better, especially Wilson who had a really good Olympics.

Stewie was the MVP IMHO, but Sue was the MIP (Most Important Player). She, and to a lesser extent Dee, had an incredible calming effect when on the floor. You could tell the players were more relaxed and less stressed about runs an opposing team would be making during a game. Both were put in even late in games to help the newbies run offense more efficiently. The 2 of them are the GOATS of the US Women's National Team.

For Stewie, being the MVP was even more amazing given she was asked to play out of position. The only time she got to play the 4 was when she was on the floor with 3 guards and A'ja.

 

[JoePgh]

... Skylar, Pheesa, Ariel and Sylvia all looked overwhelmed for the most part. Syl less than the others, but as the games progressed, Tina got more and more of Syl's PT. Without Cambage, Syl was an extra and just didn't perform that well.

There literally was no spot on the roster for Nneka. Again, for all the hysteria after her omission from the team, it was clear during the games that her spot was taken by Wilson and Charles. To take Nneka would have meant leaving one of those 2 off the team, and both are light years better, especially Wilson who had a really good Olympics.

I agree with much of what you said, but not with the part quoted above. It is a leap of logic to say that "There was literally no spot on the roster for Nneka." She could have taken the spot of one of those who (I agree) "looked overwhelmed". Since Nneka is a forward, that would probably have been either Napheesa or Sylvia Fowles.

I presume you are looking at this with a strict positional lens, and (you assume) since Nneka is a 4, she is only substitutable for another 4. But really, these athletes are more versatile than that. Nneka could have played on the wing as a backup to Stewie, or she could have played the 4 as a backup and A'ja could have taken Sylvia's minutes at the 5.

I think that the real reason why Ariel and Napheesa were included is that the US Olympic team has traditionally always included one or two younger players who were seen as future Olympic stars, even while recognizing that they weren't ready for that role yet. Sue and Diana were in that role in 2004 (their first Olympics), as were Stewie in 2016 and Maya in 2012. I think Napheesa will step into that role equally well.

I think Paige will make the 2024 Olympic team in that role, but not as the starting PG. If I had to guess, I would say Sabrina Ionescu is most likely to fill that role in 2024.

 

[msf22b]

I agree with much of what you said, but not with the part quoted above. It is a leap of logic to say that "There was literally no spot on the roster for Nneka."

My very thought when I read Erik's submissison.
Nneka's vet smarts, poise and aggressiveness would have been perfectly suited to and would have improved the team...Without a doubt.

 

[BlueDolphin]

And to top all this off Sue made it into this morning's NY Times Crossword Puzzle.

 

[UConnCat]

View attachment 68995

UConn supplied the Gold medal winning Women's Olympic basketball team with 41% of their roster & 60% of their starters (Dee, Sue & Stewie). If follows that many of the stats in the Gold Medal game were provided by Huskies as well. Consider:

1. Dee, Sue and Stewie logged a combined 87 minutes of playing time against Japan.
2. Those three made 3 of the 4 three point shots for USA. The team was 4-13 or 31%.
3. UConn guards led the team in assists against Japan, but it wasn't Sue Bird (3). Taurasi had 8 and Stewie 5 as UConn recorded 16 of the 28 total dimes.
4. Stewie had a game high 14 rebounds and Dee added the 3rd highest with 6 boards.
5. The five UConn players were on the court a combined 100+ minutes for the game. (Half the 200 minutes total.)
6. Sue (7), Dee (7) and Stewie (14) totaled 28 points of the USA's 90 point explosion in the victory.
7. The combined stat line for the UConn starters was 28 points, 23 rebounds, 16 assists, 5 steals, 3 blocks and 6 turnovers.
8. Stewie was the tournament MVP. (Of course... )

There were several non-UConn stats that were impressive as well.
1. Brittney Griner scored a record 30 points on 14-18 shooting. Japan had no answer for her size and ability in the paint.
2. Aja Wilson scored 19 points, blocked 5 shots and grabbed 7 rebounds.
3. Japan had an amazing 12 shots blocked. That was 16% of their 77 tries from the field.
4. Japan's normally great three point shooting went cold, 8-31 or 26%.

Sue and Dee now have a record 5 straight Gold medals in basketball. Sue indicated she is done, but Taurasi promised, "See you in Paris in 2024."

Congrats to UConn and USA..!!

Great stuff. A few additional stats:

• Team USA didn't make a lot of threes (39) but the UConn players accounted for 29 or 74% of the team's made three-pointers. Sue and Stewie led the team with 9 each while Dee made 7, Tina made 3 and Pheesa made 1.
• Team USA had 156 assists in its 6 Olympic games. The UConn players accounted for 94 or 60% of the Team's assists. Again, Sue and Stewie led the team with 35 and 28 assists, respectively, while Dee had 21 assists and Tina had 10.