USA Basketball officials explain leaving Parker off Olympic team

[Icebear]

Breanna Stewart has won national titles with USA Basketball across the many varying age groups she has played for internationally.

 

[mkwstar23]

I agree with Cat. I also believe that Candace commented on it on Monday. Even if she hadn't leaked it, she shouldn't have commented until Wednesday. Here's the point, which is true at UConn and in USA Basketball: BEING A TEAM PLAYER TRUMPS TALENT. Candace has plenty of talent, but that was not the primary criterion. Get over it, folks!

very well said...concentrate on player going and root for USA basketball

 

[pacific 44]

Bottom line:If Geno had total influence over the selection committee then the vote to include/exclude certain players wouldn't be 3-2,they would be 5-0 for or against a given player.A 3-2 vote by a group of people would seem to indicate some sort of deliberation to determine an outcome. Geno may have a macro opinion as to the makeup of the team but the micro determinations are made by an organization that sits a group of people in a room for however long it takes to deliver a cohesive group of players to whomever has volunteered to coach the team.The fact that Candace only got two of the five people to vote for her i find perplexing but this committee weighs information that probably is only known by the people in that room.

 

[meyers7]

Breanna Stewart has won national titles with USA Basketball across the many varying age groups she has played for internationally.

Yep, Stewart is not the rookie, EDD is.

 

[Alydar]

This just tells me you have zero idea what you're talking about when it comes to Candace Parker. Perhaps look up Alberta Auguste's post regarding Parker. Paints a pretty different picture than yours. She was an excellent defender in college. She often guarded the 3 spot at 6'4 and at the top of the press. Spencer and Anosike guarded the 4 and 5 spot quite a bit. Tennessee held opponents under 60ppg for her career. She struggled versus Cambage in the first half but as another UConn fan said, Sue Bird could've guarded her in the second half. Cambage lost every ounce of energy in that first half. Charles couldn't guard her either. Fowles was injured and didn't play. Parker openly stated her disappointment and then came back with a 21 point 10 rebound gold medal game. She lead the team in blocks and rebounds for the tourney and was third in scoring. She was 3rd in FG% behind Angel and Sylvia and was 6th in assists.

Anyways, she got suspended for a half for a 3 minute curfew violation at her homecoming game against DePaul. She never missed a practice in her career and as everyone who played with her at Tennessee has said, she was the first one in the gym and last one out. At Tennessee, a missed practice would've been a 2 game suspension, regardless of which player it was.

I'll be waiting the rest of my life for an actual logical and respectful reason as the why she was cut... especially after doing their marketing for the last few months. "Hey, you are the face of the team but you can't come to Rio."

Look, I base my opinion on what I saw. I have also read posts on other boards that Parker wasn't the most popular teammate at Tennessee, that she was given privileges not extended to the rest of team. I do remember that she spent a weekend in Florida with her then boyfriend and missed an entire practice for which she sat a half against a cupcake opponent. Now I admit that is all hearsay. But I've read it from posters I respect that have no allegiance to either UConn or Tenn. But as a LV fan you know all about rumors and hearsay being used against Geno and his player(s) so I needn't go there. I'll be waiting the rest of my life for an actual logical and respectful reason for the attacks on Geno from Knoxville.

Maybe Geno lobbied for her to be left off. I doubt that but let's say he did. Shouldn't the best coach in women's basketball be allowed to name his team? And since when have coaches been required to explain their rosters?

Logical and respectful reason? Tell me this. How is it that so many are up in arms that Parker isn't on the team because they have the conviction that the best players deserve to be on the team and yet many of these same people are saying that the best coach should step aside and "give someone else a chance". Shouldn't Geno be the coach until someone else comes along and proves themselves better?

 

[HuskyNan]

Look, I base my opinion on what I saw. I have also read posts on other boards that Parker wasn't the most popular teammate at Tennessee, that she was given privileges not extended to the rest of team. I do remember that she spent a weekend in Florida with her then boyfriend and missed an entire practice for which she sat a half against a cupcake opponent. Now I admit that is all hearsay.

Parker has been married to former Duke player Shelden Williams since 2008 so that should tell you what you need to know about the validity of this "hearsay" which is NOT allowed here when it's harmful speculation.

 

[HuskyNan]

Got to lock another thread that's gone way too far down the wrong road.

Stick to facts, good people.