US Women's BB Olympic Team Balance

[BlueSkyGLW]

Qs from the WNBA All-Star Game:

Does the guard-heavy (7) USWBB Olympic Team badly need Napheesa to be ready to improve the balance of the team?

Was A. Thomas underused in this game?

What happened to the perimeter defense that allowed Ogunbowale to go off? Sure, she has a chip on her shoulder against the US Selection Committee, but those 7 guards are supposed to be good, some of them should have been able to slow her down.

Hmmm....Lloyd and Young just had a bad night, right? Right?

If Napheesa can't go, who would they bring in from the alternates. Will the alternates be practicing with the team? Were they with the team at the AS Event?

I do hope Napheesa gets healthy in the very short time left before the Olympics. 3 minutes running around during the game is not encouraging.

 

[fomalhaut]

I know those all-star games are a joke (you can tell, because Caitlin Clark only had two turnovers), but Team USA better start learning to play defense when they play real games.

 

[JellyBean]

1). It was an All-Star game. The level of competition was high but not too overly competitive.

2). Team USA will be fine in the Olympic games. For every flaw we have, other teams will have more. It is like boxing. We have counters for other teams counters. Other nations just have not figured out our counters yet and that is to our favor.

3). Arike is a wonderful player but we all know that she is streaky. When she is on. She is ON. When she is off. She is off. Team USA will be fine. Years ago when Team Australia was at its peak. Folks were going on and on about how Australia was going to take down Team USA. We all know how that turned out. Like I said every team has a weakness. We are just lucky that nobody has figured out ours yet.

4). A. Thomas. It was an all-star game moment. I think she was played properly and I am not going to overreact just because she played X amount of minutes or only did a few things out there on the floor. I have zero problem how she was utilized out there.

5). Jewell and Jackie are like Arike. They will give you X when it matters. You might get a lot or you might get very little but both are valuable players and will help when it matters.

6). Napheesa is the X factor. I would rather her stay here in Minnesota and get healthy for the final phase of the season. I am not Napheesa or a member of the coaching staff, so they want her on the team and she feels like she can help the team, that is all that matters. Will she get minutes out there? We will find out. If she plays, she is a huge plus because of her versatility. A lot just depends on the coaching staff and how they view the rotations and how things develop in game situations.

We got Brittney Griner and A'ja. We are good.

 

[BlueSkyGLW]

1). It was an All-Star game. The level of competition was high but not too overly competitive.

2). Team USA will be fine in the Olympic games. For every flaw we have, other teams will have more. It is like boxing. We have counters for other teams counters. Other nations just have not figured out our counters yet and that is to our favor.

3). Arike is a wonderful player but we all know that she is streaky. When she is on. She is ON. When she is off. She is off. Team USA will be fine. Years ago when Team Australia was at its peak. Folks were going on and on about how Australia was going to take down Team USA. We all know how that turned out. Like I said every team has a weakness. We are just lucky that nobody has figured out ours yet.

4). A. Thomas. It was an all-star game moment. I think she was played properly and I am not going to overreact just because she played X amount of minutes or only did a few things out there on the floor. I have zero problem how she was utilized out there.

5). Jewell and Jackie are like Arike. They will give you X when it matters. You might get a lot or you might get very little but both are valuable players and will help when it matters.

6). Napheesa is the X factor. I would rather her stay here in Minnesota and get healthy for the final phase of the season. I am not Napheesa or a member of the coaching staff, so they want her on the team and she feels like she can help the team, that is all that matters. Will she get minutes out there? We will find out. If she plays, she is a huge plus because of her versatility. A lot just depends on the coaching staff and how they view the rotations and how things develop in game situations.

We got Brittney Griner and A'ja. We are good

No problem with the All-Star context of the game but key puzzles remain. In that context, why play Breanna and Aja as many minutes as they did?.....and risk possible injury in a meaningless (?), showpiece game. In the same context, spreading the minutes should have been easy....with more given to Brittney and Alyssa. Choosing Wilson, Gray, Plum and Young for their qualities and chemistry - especially on defense - was purposeful but I guess this was a meaningless exhibition, not an opportunity for coming together as a team......

And, I guess Lloyd and Young gave the fellow Notre Dame alum, Ogunbowale, her day in the sun???

Fine, it was a show.....how many days do they have to train together before their first game? It's OK to feel confident but I hope they heed Diana's uneasiness expressed well before this game. She ain't beating up her body for a medal other than gold.

 

[EricLA]

Fine, it was a show.....how many days do they have to train together before their first game? It's OK to feel confident but I hope they heed Diana's uneasiness expressed well before this game. She ain't beating up her body for a medal other than gold.

I missed this... What did she say?

 

[BlueSkyGLW]

I missed this... What did she say?

It's about the short time to develop chemistry and cohesiveness:

"The Olympic summer is tricky to navigate," Taurasi said. "Everybody's on their own WNBA team, trying to get better, trying to win a championship, trying to win games.

"And then all of a sudden, you have to switch gears and you're all, you know, on this team and you have to find a way to work together cohesively in a short amount of time, and try to go and beat the world.

"And that's something that we're always taking great pride in to be able to do that as quickly as possible, you know, this team's going to be no different."

That's why they select teammates: 4 Aces, 3 Mercury, 2 Liberty, 2 UConn and 2 UND teammates, and a mix of teammates in overseas teams. The theory is that it is a shorter path to cohesive team building.....but we will have to see if it works with this team despite the well-intentioned selection. The noise about some popular players being excluded overlooks this big challenge for the team - it is not just an all-star team - it has to be a cohesive team very quickly. That's a contrast to the other countries that give their teams a lot of time to practice and play together in preparation for all International competition, including the Olympics.

 

[Skeets]

A couple of things:

1. don't read too much into this, no one is taking this as a must win game.
2. there's a lot of talent in the WNBA. They all can't be on the team.
3. Shame we can't field and "A" team and a "B" team and take silver and gold.

 

[Aluminny69]

Pay attention to "nagging" injuries. Most significant is Collier. But BG, DT and Chelsea Gray have missed playing time due to injuries. I doubt any of them will be 100%.

 

[JellyBean]

No problem with the All-Star context of the game but key puzzles remain. In that context, why play Breanna and Aja as many minutes as they did?.....and risk possible injury in a meaningless (?), showpiece game. In the same context, spreading the minutes should have been easy....with more given to Brittney and Alyssa. Choosing Wilson, Gray, Plum and Young for their qualities and chemistry - especially on defense - was purposeful but I guess this was a meaningless exhibition, not an opportunity for coming together as a team......

And, I guess Lloyd and Young gave the fellow Notre Dame alum, Ogunbowale, her day in the sun???

Fine, it was a show.....how many days do they have to train together before their first game? It's OK to feel confident but I hope they heed Diana's uneasiness expressed well before this game. She ain't beating up her body for a medal other than gold.

Who knows why coaches play players X amount of minutes in these types of games. That is on them and I just sit back and watch the game. Then after a loss or win, watch folks overreact. Team USA will be fine in the long run. Players will step up when it matters. As for Diana and her comments after the game. She was right to express those thoughts. She has skin in the game. Did you listen to A'ja and Stewie's post-game comments? Pretty much like they said, it's not time to hit the panic button after one game.

Arike had a great game and we all have seen where Arike has had those games where she goes cold. It happens. Not much more you can do. You salute her and move on. As for the Wilson, Gray, Plum, and Young comment, the team was put together by whatever measurements. You embrace it and move on. It is now Team USA. Not whatever WNBA team. You are playing for Team USA. The squad will be okay.

 

[cancontent]

A couple of things:

1. don't read too much into this, no one is taking this as a must win game.
2. there's a lot of talent in the WNBA. They all can't be on the team.
3. Shame we can't field and "A" team and a "B" team and take silver and gold.

Hey, let us other countries feel like we have a chance (even if it's faint).

 

[Skeets]

Hey, let us other countries feel like we have a chance (even if it's faint).

Shame we can't field and "A" team and a "B" team and take silver and gold. You could be a real contender for bronze.

 

[cancontent]

Shame we can't field and "A" team and a "B" team and take silver and gold. You could be a real contender for bronze.

We'll see in Paris. Personally, I think a medal opportunity is more realistic in 2028 for Canada.

 

[BBallF]

I remember that our last team had a hard time in the beginning as well. I worry about the composition though with a guard heavy lineup.

 

[Just.A.Fan]

I know those all-star games are a joke (you can tell, because Caitlin Clark only had two turnovers), but Team USA better start learning to play defense when they play real games.

Does it feel good to throw in an unnecessary dig regarding Clark? Except for the die hard haters, most people are beginning to see that CC has real talent and her future looks bright. Almost as bright as what she has done for the WNBA, women's basketball, and women's sports as a whole! I say these things because I was never a Caitlin Clark fan. I certainly recognized her potential as a freshman, and then her game began to gel and mushroom. Her teammates at Iowa over the years trusted her and she made sure they were involved. She struggled at the beginning of this WNBA season as a result of so many different factors. Perhaps more than any player, in any game of sports has faced? Yet, she has dealt with each of them as a professional. Her overall game is improving week by week, she is smart enough to realize that making her teammates happy is the biggest goal for this season. Next season she will begin to look for her shot more and more. The Indiana Fever are winning BB games. Did anyone expect that?

 

[RSHERMVIKES]

Not to worry!
In a couple weeks the USA WBB team will have worked out all those troublesome kinks and play to their norm!
Yes the the World competition is better, but the USA has talent 1 to 12 and will outlast teams that have good starting 5's but as they go deeper into their bench they have weaknesses our women will exploit!

 

[cancontent]

Does it feel good to throw in an unnecessary dig regarding Clark? Except for the die hard haters, most people are beginning to see that CC has real talent and her future looks bright. Almost as bright as what she has done for the WNBA, women's basketball, and women's sports as a whole! I say these things because I was never a Caitlin Clark fan. I certainly recognized her potential as a freshman, and then her game began to gel and mushroom. Her teammates at Iowa over the years trusted her and she made sure they were involved. She struggled at the beginning of this WNBA season as a result of so many different factors. Perhaps more than any player, in any game of sports has faced? Yet, she has dealt with each of them as a professional. Her overall game is improving week by week, she is smart enough to realize that making her teammates happy is the biggest goal for this season. Next season she will begin to look for her shot more and more. The Indiana Fever are winning BB games. Did anyone expect that?

Some did after that hellish first part of their season was over with. To where they are in contention for the playoffs? Maybe not, but there were several posters who thought it would take some time for Indiana to figure things out.

 

[ochoopsfan]

Pay attention to "nagging" injuries. Most significant is Collier. But BG, DT and Chelsea Gray have missed playing time due to injuries. I doubt any of them will be 100%.

Phee will be ready!!

 

[cancontent]

Phee will be ready!!

And apparently she's got a chip on her shoulder from the trash talk of her team mates. Hopefully she hasn't read this thread. Then again, maybe it would be a good thing as that chip would be bigger.

 

[Bigboote]

Phee will be ready!!

So who on the Lynx will be playing for other countries at the Olympics. I know Bridget Carleton, I’m pretty sure Alana Smith. How about Sika Kone or Olivia Epoupa?

 

[cancontent]

So who on the Lynx will be playing for other countries at the Olympics. I know Bridget Carleton, I’m pretty sure Alana Smith. How about Sika Kone or Olivia Epoupa?

Basketball at the 2024 Summer Olympics – Women's team rosters - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

No to Kone or Epoupa. Mali didn't qualify and I didn't see Epoupa's name on the roster for France per Wikipedia.

 

[HopJim]

Deep breaths. Olympic Team clearly did not scout and played generic offense and defense. Most of these ladies play a physical brand of basketball, very little of which showed up in this game. With Stewie, Griner, Plum, etc. I have few concerns about the US Olympic team.

 

[CajunHusky]

It's about the short time to develop chemistry and cohesiveness:

"The Olympic summer is tricky to navigate," Taurasi said. "Everybody's on their own WNBA team, trying to get better, trying to win a championship, trying to win games.

"And then all of a sudden, you have to switch gears and you're all, you know, on this team and you have to find a way to work together cohesively in a short amount of time, and try to go and beat the world.

"And that's something that we're always taking great pride in to be able to do that as quickly as possible, you know, this team's going to be no different."

That's why they select teammates: 4 Aces, 3 Mercury, 2 Liberty, 2 UConn and 2 UND teammates, and a mix of teammates in overseas teams. The theory is that it is a shorter path to cohesive team building.....but we will have to see if it works with this team despite the well-intentioned selection. The noise about some popular players being excluded overlooks this big challenge for the team - it is not just an all-star team - it has to be a cohesive team very quickly. That's a contrast to the other countries that give their teams a lot of time to practice and play together in preparation for all International competition, including the Olympics.

This interesting ... I would like the context..

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[nwhoopfan]

Deep breaths. Olympic Team clearly did not scout and played generic offense and defense. Most of these ladies play a physical brand of basketball, very little of which showed up in this game. With Stewie, Griner, Plum, etc. I have few concerns about the US Olympic team.

Guard play wasn't exactly stellar for team USA in the previous Olympics, but the rest of the world simply had no answer for Wilson/Stewie/Griner. I don't see why it would be any different this time. While the US wasn't always dominant in the Olympics in Tokyo, they were in the FIBA World Cup that followed it shortly.