USA Basketball officials explain leaving Parker off Olympic team

[RockyMTblue2]

Tune back later in the summer.

I suspect you won't be tuning in then, when the gold is hanging on the necks of 12 proud young Americans. Flame on. Come back and eat crow, otherwise get under the bridge.

 

[EricSD]

it CLEARLY is an ultimatum if you consider the possibility that at least one of them might not make the team otherwise, for any reason. Let's see. Age. Need for younger guard(s) who can keep up with the flow? The bottom line is that if this team wins gold, it will be forgotten. If the team doesn't win gold, there will be H___ to pay. Tune back later in the summer.

Then clearly you need reading comprehension lessons too because you missed the very first paragraph.

Geno Auriemma doesn’t think he would have returned to coach the U.S. women’s basketball team at a second straight Olympics unless Sue Bird and Diana Taurasicame back, too.

So let's look at the opening line. He "doesn't think he would have returned to coach the team". His decision to return to coach the 2016 Olympic team was MADE BACK IN 2013. I don't know how to make it more clear. It's really simple and a reading comprehension issue. STOP accusing Geno of doing something he did not.

It was August 11, 2012 that Diana stated flat out that she was coming back for the 2016 Olympics and she dragged Sue Bird and Tamika Catchings along with her. That was when Dee and probably Sue made their decisions to play in 1 more Olympics. Geno made his decision to coach the team officially on September 5, 2013. To flat out state, never mind even imply, that Geno gave the committee some kind of ultimatum on putting Sue and Dee on the team would be so laughable if people didn't actually seem to believe it. Ludicrous. READ before you post.

 

[LesMis89]

it CLEARLY is an ultimatum if you consider the possibility that at least one of them might not make the team otherwise, for any reason. Let's see. Age. Need for younger guard(s) who can keep up with the flow? The bottom line is that if this team wins gold, it will be forgotten. If the team doesn't win gold, there will be H___ to pay. Tune back later in the summer.

When would Geno have given this alleged ultimatum? In 2013 when he agreed to return? Or April 2016 during the selection process?

 

[Ozzie Nelson]

This is how I see Geno. He sez…"Bring me 12, and I will bring you gold”.

 

[sarals24]

How do you know this? Do you specific inside info? Please provide specifics to support confidence. As for me, I have no idea.

Well, he's said he wouldn't come back if DT and Sue didn't make the team. And they asked him in an interview and he basically said that yes, he does have influence.

Again, I'm not saying Geno went in and demanded she be left off. But I sincerely doubt that he has absolutely no input into the team's makeup. It's just not plausible.

 

[easttexastrash]

'sides, if Geno didn't want Parker on the team, how on earth did she get on USA teams in previous years.

If I eat asparagus and I hate it, I choose not to eat it again. Just because I ate it once doesn't mean that I want to eat it again.

Sorry, Candace, for comparing you to asparagus.

 

[easttexastrash]

Thanks. Cash wasn't one of the final 25, was she? I think Griner and EDD make the 2012 team, if healthy. Am I right?

ETA: After winning the championship on 3 April 2012, Griner decided to withdraw her candidacy for a roster spot on the 2012 U.S. Olympic women's basketball team. A month later Griner broke her wrist after jumping off her skateboard when she was going down a ramp.[23]

During the 2012–13 season, Delle Donne again fought Lyme disease, missing four games due to the illness.

What does BG breaking her wrist after withdrawing her name have to do with anything?

 

[LesMis89]

What does BG breaking her wrist after withdrawing her name have to do with anything?

Didn't Griner take her name out of consideration for the 2012 team because of a family member's health? (Mom, IIRC?)

 

[baggerbob]

it CLEARLY is an ultimatum if you consider the possibility that at least one of them might not make the team otherwise, for any reason. Let's see. Age. Need for younger guard(s) who can keep up with the flow? The bottom line is that if this team wins gold, it will be forgotten. If the team doesn't win gold, there will be H___ to pay. Tune back later in the summer.

You obviously didn't bother to read Dawn's statements about the younger USA guards, she said they weren't ready to play at this level. Whether you like Dawn or not, she knows more about the international game, then you do.

 

[HardHatGuy#2]

Geno selects the team and the committee can either veto his decision or accept it. He already stated he would not have come back to coach unless DT and Sue were on the team. He gave the committee an ultimatum and they accepted his demands. How could he make those demands, if he had no say?

What is your source? Don't name the article linked above, as your statement is not in line with that; it does not quote him as saying "...he would not have come back to coach unless DT and Sue were on the team. ...".

Where is your proof?

Without this information, this is a slanderous post. Please post your backup to these statements.

 

[ScarlettB]

Parker's situation reminds me a little bit of 2012 when Cappie Pondexter wasn't selected despite being named one of the top 15 players to have ever played in the WNBA in 2011 and had played on the 2008 squad. Don't know if her omission was due to her relationship with Geno or if USA basketball was upset with her decision to split her focus between basketball and her fashion business, but USA basketball has made some choices over the years that seem biased, petty and very unfair to some of us wbb fans. I just can't think of a valid reason to leave Parker off the team. She is too great of a player.

 

[HuskyNan]

“I think the committee has a tough decision ahead of it,” said USA and Connecticut head coach Geno Auriemma, who has directed the USA National Team to an overall 23-0 record and gold medals at the 2012 Olympic Games and the 2010 and 2014 FIBA World Championships. “When I look at this list of athletes, we could split them down the middle and have two very competitive teams. We have a great mix of gold medalists and players who are hungry to play in their first Olympics. There is versatility at all positions. Our posts are the strongest we’ve seen in years, we have guys who can shoot, guys who can defend, and I’m just happy I don’t have to make the decision as to who will be playing in Rio.”

Finalists For 2016 U.S. Olympic Women’s Basketball Team

 

[Mdoggie]

Tyler Summit may have played a part in CP not making the team. Actually I have no facts to base that statement on. Much like most have no facts to blame Geno yet they continue to speculate.

 

[easttexastrash]

Didn't Griner take her name out of consideration for the 2012 team because of a family member's health? (Mom, IIRC?)

That is what she said at the time but if you read her book she admits that it was really due to more than that.

 

[wbbfan]

Kelsey Bone took to Twitter to express her thoughts:

Kelsey Bone (@kelseybone3) | Twitter

 

[j66kicker]

reading these posts it dawned on me that Candace has not said a word about this...could there be a reason she was not chosen...she is a great player no doubt...but first off Griner does more for this Olympic team with her defense...Della Donne and Stewart are the future so i can understand their selections...Bird and Taurasi's credentials speak for themselves...if you chose CP over Whalen then you go with a single point guard and that would not work in international up and down style basketball...maybe chose her in place of Augustus however when healthy she is the best mid range shooter in the game which again is a staple of successful international basketball...all in all for the most part USA basketball got the selections correct...you can't please everyone...that being said i can't wait to see this team play...

Yes she has. Monday she said she was surprised and disappointed.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

Kelsey, I think you know what I'm going to say:



Her career stats: Kelsey Bone - WNBA.com - Official Site of the WNBA

Seems there are a few who lack perspective and want to expose that to the world. Big surprise.

 

[UcMiami]

Parker's situation reminds me a little bit of 2012 when Cappie Pondexter wasn't selected despite being named one of the top 15 players to have ever played in the WNBA in 2011 and had played on the 2008 squad. Don't know if her omission was due to her relationship with Geno or if USA basketball was upset with her decision to split her focus between basketball and her fashion business, but USA basketball has made some choices over the years that seem biased, petty and very unfair to some of us wbb fans. I just can't think of a valid reason to leave Parker off the team. She is too great of a player.

With Cappy there was a specific NT team event (training camp or something) that she declined to attend because she was at NY fashion week or something - while she was not selected for that team (I believe it was Whalen's first selection) she was back in the pool for the following team.

 

[UcMiami]

Kelsey Bone took to Twitter to express her thoughts:

Kelsey Bone (@kelseybone3) | Twitter

Lets see - she dumps on Staley, dumps on her A&M assistant coach, and now dumps on USA basketball - OK.
What a lot of players do not realize is one they pass the age specific USA teams they are no longer just competing with their own age group and a few players a year older or younger than them - by PanAm and WUG games they are competing against a 4-5 year window of talent and once they leave school they are competing against a 12+ year universe of talent. She had her first decent year as a pro this past year but while she and Griner were trading the 1/2 position in their class in HS, Griner has quickly moved well ahead of her in college and as a pro.

As far as being true to yourself - always good advice, but being harsh and public in your criticism of others is not a great way to win friends and influence people.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

Kelsey, I think you know what I'm going to say:



Her career stats: Kelsey Bone - WNBA.com - Official Site of the WNBA

Seems there are a few who lack perspective and want to expose that to the world. Big surprise.

'Course, maybe she's just saying (rather late) I wanna be traded? Sun, Tuck, ...? Geno/ Geno friend as coach? WNBA looking like NBA w/o the $$.

 

[HuskyNan]

Parker's situation reminds me a little bit of 2012 when Cappie Pondexter wasn't selected despite being named one of the top 15 players to have ever played in the WNBA in 2011 and had played on the 2008 squad. Don't know if her omission was due to her relationship with Geno or if USA basketball was upset with her decision to split her focus between basketball and her fashion business, but USA basketball has made some choices over the years that seem biased, petty and very unfair to some of us wbb fans. I just can't think of a valid reason to leave Parker off the team. She is too great of a player.

Geno and Cappie have had a freiendship going back to when he recruited her. The below article has more info on the 2012 team selection.

Will Cappie Pondexter have shot to make 2012 Olympic team?

Hmmm, this qutoe is in that article:

As Auriemma said, "When you're picking this team, the committee is trying to take in consideration so many things. When we went to the World Championships two Octobers ago, that team we took there had an unbelievable run. That was a phenomenal team. We played tremendous basketball and won a gold medal against the Czech Republic on their home court.

"If the committee had asked me, 'What do you want the Olympic team to be, I would have said, 'Hey, give me that [World Championship] team back.' And I think the changes that the committee made to that team have made the team better".

 

[Phillyconn]

reading these posts it dawned on me that Candace has not said a word about this...could there be a reason she was not chosen...she is a great player no doubt...but first off Griner does more for this Olympic team with her defense...Della Donne and Stewart are the future so i can understand their selections...Bird and Taurasi's credentials speak for themselves...if you chose CP over Whalen then you go with a single point guard and that would not work in international up and down style basketball...maybe chose her in place of Augustus however when healthy she is the best mid range shooter in the game which again is a staple of successful international basketball...all in all for the most part USA basketball got the selections correct...you can't please everyone...that being said i can't wait to see this team play...

YOU CAN'T LEAVE ONE OF THE TOP 5 PLAYERS IN THE WORLD, OFF THE TEAM. PERIOD!!!! This is not a McD's AA team. Whoever is responsible for this slight, should be ashamed of themselves. Absolutely, Ridiculous.

 

[johnnyc]

but you and I both know this will not deter the UConn haters from blaming the absence of CP on Geno. I don't have to remind you who the majority of those folks root for.

And who cares. Besides.....they have another coach they need to worry about.

 

[johnnyc]

Kelsey Bone took to Twitter to express her thoughts:

Kelsey Bone (@kelseybone3) | Twitter

She's right about it's not who the best player is. It's about what players make the best team.

 

[Swishball]

I posted this in another thread but it seems everyone's moved on from that one so I'll repost it here for some thoughts:

I'll start off by saying personally I would have picked Parker over a couple of the vets but there is a credible argument for leaving her off the team and it's purely tactical.

Floor Spacing- Think about it. Candace operates out of the post and generally doesn't have much outside range (About a 30% 3pt shooter). This issue is compounded by the fact that she can't really guard opposing 5s. Which leads to the necessity that she plays next to one of Griner, Fowles, or Charles. This limits the space for those bigs to operate and get their touches in as well as the overall team spacing in general. This has been a recurring issue with the Sparks and led to talk of them trading Ogwumike because of it

Instead by having stretch bigs (Delle Donne, Stewart and to a somewhat lesser extent Catchings) the team has ideal floor spacing with one big in the post and the rest on the floor having outside shooting without any sacrifices to the team's defense. In addition those three stretch bigs are exceptional shot blockers and help defenders. I also imagine Team USA plenty teams spreading them out with multiple shooters which makes having 2 post players not as comfortable guarding on the perimeter less than ideal.

I felt the need to post this somewhere as I saw nobody looking beyond the immediate hot take and the "She's a star" argument which is fair and expected. Again I still would have picked her over a few vets like Augustus or Catchings but there is some rationale behind leaving her off the team.

 

[UConnCat]

Kelsey Bone took to Twitter to express her thoughts:

Kelsey Bone (@kelseybone3) | Twitter

Great. Kelsey Bone weighs in. Next to Alberta Auguste, it's Kelsey Bone who everyone wants to hear from.

 

[UConnCat]

Parker's situation reminds me a little bit of 2012 when Cappie Pondexter wasn't selected despite being named one of the top 15 players to have ever played in the WNBA in 2011 and had played on the 2008 squad. Don't know if her omission was due to her relationship with Geno or if USA basketball was upset with her decision to split her focus between basketball and her fashion business, but USA basketball has made some choices over the years that seem biased, petty and very unfair to some of us wbb fans. I just can't think of a valid reason to leave Parker off the team. She is too great of a player.

Parker's situation doesn't remind me of Cappie's at all, but nice attempt to pile on make that all about Geno. Her relationship with Geno was just fine; if anything, Geno was pretty supportive of Cappie after the World Championship fiasco. It was Cappie's choice to pass on the World Championships in 2010, citing fatigue after the WNBA season and then showing up soon thereafter at fashion week. If that decision caused her to be left off the Olympic team in 2012, then I say oh well. USA BB moved on to Lindsay Whalen and that has turned out quite well. I doubt many people noticed or cared that Cappie wasn't on the 2012 team. I suspect the same will be true of Parker and the 2016 team.

 

[UConnCat]

it CLEARLY is an ultimatum if you consider the possibility that at least one of them might not make the team otherwise, for any reason. Let's see. Age. Need for younger guard(s) who can keep up with the flow? The bottom line is that if this team wins gold, it will be forgotten. If the team doesn't win gold, there will be H___ to pay. Tune back later in the summer.

Saying there was an ultimatum based on what was said in that article is beyond ridiculous.

Oh my, there may be hell to pay later in the summer. Forget curing cancer, solving world hunger or achieving peace in the middle east. What if Team USA without Candace Parker doesn't win gold? Well, by golly, there will be hell to pay. May God be with us all.

 

[bbsamjj]

Parker's situation doesn't remind me of Cappie's at all, but nice attempt to pile on make that all about Geno. Her relationship with Geno was just fine; if anything, Geno was pretty supportive of Cappie after the World Championship fiasco. It was Cappie's choice to pass on the World Championships in 2010, citing fatigue after the WNBA season and then showing up soon thereafter at fashion week. If that decision caused her to be left off the Olympic team in 2012, then I say oh well. USA BB moved on to Lindsay Whalen and that has turned out quite well. I doubt many people noticed or cared that Cappie wasn't on the 2012 team. I suspect the same will be true of Parker and the 2016 team.

As an RU fan I agree with you this is nothing like Cappie in 2012. And the USA team will likely win gold no matter which 12 players they picked out of 25 finalists. But given the more than 400 posts on just this board alone on the topic, not to mentioned the many national headlines, I think you are very wrong that people aren't noticing Parker isn't on the team.

 

[UConnCat]

As an RU fan I agree with you this is nothing like Cappie in 2012. And the USA team will likely win gold no matter which 12 players they picked out of 25 finalists. But given the more than 400 posts on just this board alone on the topic, not to mentioned the many national headlines, I think you are very wrong that people aren't noticing Parker isn't on the team.

I'm not talking about now, I'm talking about once the Olympic games take place and are over. I never said that people aren't noticing now; I've noticed the number of posts just like you have. I don't understand why people care so much that she's not on the team. Team USA has done fine without her in the past 2 world championships and will do fine without her at the Olympic games in Rio. Even when she played for Team USA (e.g., London Olympics), they had to win without her. I have no problem that she's not on the team.