USA BB Announces Roster for Training Camp

[UConnCat]

Here's the list of those who were invited and accepted. Some will not be able to attend because of the WNBA playoffs. Nneka will be there but no Chiney. I have to believe Chiney declined the invitation as she had to be among the college players invited.

Sue Bird
Tamika Catchings
Diana Taurasi
Seimone Augustus
Sylvia Fowles
Candace Parker
Tina Charles
Angel McCoughtry
Maya Moore
Lindsay Whalen
Cappie Pondexter
Jayne Appel
Candice Dupree
DeWanna Bonner
Elena Delle Donne
Skylar Diggins
Stefanie Dolson
Brittney Griner
Lindsey Harding
Bria Hartley
Briann January
Glory Johnson
Jantel Lavender
Kayla McBride
Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis
Nnemkadi Ogwumike
Danielle Robinson
Odyssey Sims
Breanna Stewart
Alyssa Thomas
Courtney Vandersloot
Monica Wright
Sophia Young

http://www.usab.com/womens/national/13_wnt_vegas_athletes.html

 

[meyers7]

Cool, I have been waiting for this. I count 8 UCONN grads/future grads. Bird, Taurasi, Moore, Charles, Dolson, Hartley, KML and Stewart.

Couple names I had not thought about, McBride, Wright, January.

 

[VAMike23]

Nice to have 4 collegiate Huskies on the list

 

[johnnyc]

Cool, I have been waiting for this. I count 8 UCONN grads/future grads. Bird, Taurasi, Moore, Charles, Dolson, Hartley, KML and Stewart.

I wonder who the other four players will be that will make the team?

 

[Wbbfan1]

I'm surprised no Elizabeth Williams or Chelsea Gray of Duke. Would think at least one if not both would have been invited.

While I can understand why some College Coaches/Players might not want to participate due to academic and/or training requirements, it seems the benefits would outweigh the cost. The chance to play against the best players in the world has got to help.

 

[UConnCat]

I'm surprised no Elizabeth Williams or Chelsea Gray of Duke. Would think at least one if not both would have been invited.

While I can understand why some College Coaches/Players might not want to participate due to academic and/or training requirements, it seems the benefits would outweigh the cost. The chance to play against the best players in the world has got to help.

We don't know for sure that they weren't invited. I have to believe Chiney was invited so perhaps Williams and/or Gray were as well. Then again, maybe not. Per a NCAA rule change a few years ago, teams can start practicing earlier than mid-October. Some teams take advantage of the rule change while others (e.g., UConn) do not. It could be that Chiney doesn't want to miss team practices, particularly since she spent time in Nigeria over the summer. The same could be true for Williams and Gray, especially with Gray coming off a serious injury.

 

[UcMiami]

College players with travel will also be missing 2 plus days of school at a time when courses are just getting into their stride and the demands of practice are about to kick in so academic considerations might be involved for them. Interesting that Thomas is the only collegiate with no USA experience.
And very interesting that the collegiate ranks are 4 Uconn and 1 each from Baylor, ND, and MD - I do suspect there were a few others invited but 4 out of 7 attending is a pretty good advertisement. I think part of it is also that the Uconn players will know the system so while still developmental will have a leg up on the non-uconn alum that haven't been in national team camps over the last 4 years. And it helps that the Uconn HC will be off campus at the same time so he probably will not notice they are missing workouts.

Wonder who else from college ranks might have been invited:
Williams and Gray as mentioned above (Gray probably not just because of her rehab process)
Chiney also mentioned above
Graves - young, but very impressive this summer
Bradford? Ellenberg? Plaisance? Harberts? Massengale? Shimmel? Hooper?

 

[UConnCat]

Bradford? Ellenberg? Plaisance? Harberts? Massengale? Shimmel? Hooper?

No, no, no, no, no, no and no.

 

[UcMiami]

No, no, no, no, no, no and no.

Was just trying not to make it too Uconn centric!

 

[winlots]

UcM: not sure what is wrong with having it be very Uconcentric?

 

[UcMiami]

Also - a little sad that Lawson's time has passed with the national team. She is my favorite thing associated with TN (except maybe JackD)

 

[UcMiami]

UcM: not sure what is wrong with having it be very Uconcentric?

I like keeping our visitors happy (or at least in the dark about our evil machinations! - JonnyC actually has the right idea!)

 

[winlots]

UcM: not sure what is wrong with having it be very Uconcentric?

 

[CBus13]

Since Sophia Young was invited and accepted her invite does that mean she is all healed from her ACL tear?

I have to believe Sims has a pretty good chance of at least making it to the final cuts if not the team...am I off based?

Also, weren't there grumbling that Griner hadn't accepted the invite?

This was a very Baylor post by me...ETT I'm sorry for coming into your territory

 

[RockyMTblue2]

Would it be out of place or outside the paint to suggest that some invites are "developmental"? In other words, invites to people whose game may not measure up now but are seen as players with big upsides going forward to 2016?

 

[UConnCat]

BTW, USA BB extends invitations to players chosen by its player selection committee which consists of the following individuals:

Carol Callan, USA Basketball Women’s National Team Director
Reneé Brown, WNBA Chief of Basketball Operations and Player Relations
Dan Hughes, San Antonio Silver Stars Head Coach and General Manager
Chris Sienko, Connecticut Sun Vice President and General Manager
Katie Smith, three-time Olympic and two-time FIBA World Championship gold medalist

 

[meyers7]

Interesting that they are having Pondexter back. Guess she's served her time.

 

[UcMiami]

There are a number of invitees who didn't play at the end of the season in the WNBA so I wonder if they will be full participants. I suspect Bird for example may be there in a 'limited' capacity. Same thing happened at the beginning four years ago when Appel was still recovering from her ankle injury but attended to learn as much as she could from the bench.

 

[reno tony]

Since Sophia Young was invited and accepted her invite does that mean she is all healed from her ACL tear?

I have to believe Sims has a pretty good chance of at least making it to the final cuts if not the team...am I off based?

Also, weren't there grumbling that Griner hadn't accepted the invite?

This was a very Baylor post by me...ETT I'm sorry for coming into your territory

Well, Sims is the best collegiate point guard right now but there are some great WNBA guards on the roster. I don't care if BG didn't accept, that's her business. She might think she doesn't have a chance to make the team.

 

[jsloanjr]

Too bad this training camp is not on TV like the Men's was in July......

 

[UcMiami]

Interesting that they are having Pondexter back. Guess she's served her time.

She was in the pool last time around, just not selected.

 

[EricLA]

UcM: not sure what is wrong with having it be very Uconcentric?

True. Last time that happened only those with orange glasses cried and complained - while Team USA took home the gold medal.

 

[EricLA]

Is it only a team of 12? Bird, Catch, DT, Augustus, Fowles, Parker, Charles, Angel, Moore to me seem locks. I can't imagine them not taking Whalen as well. That's 10. Add in Griner and EDD and there you have your team. I'd like to think some of the newbies have a shot, but it seems doubtful until players like Bird, Catch and DT retire.

BTW since Moore and Catch are such similar players, I think it's clear that Maya has surpassed Catch as the better player. Maya this season averaged better numbers across the board than Tamika did. While I could never see the committee dropping Catch for a youngster like Stewie, it's great to see Maya becoming one of the best in the world.

 

[KnightBridgeAZ]

Well, Sims is the best collegiate point guard right now but there are some great WNBA guards on the roster. I don't care if BG didn't accept, that's her business. She might think she doesn't have a chance to make the team.

According to the original poster, these players (Griner included) accepted. Although she is one of the WNBA folks still playing, of course.

Griner not accepting refers I think to the last Olympic team.

 

[UcMiami]

Is it only a team of 12? Bird, Catch, DT, Augustus, Fowles, Parker, Charles, Angel, Moore to me seem locks. I can't imagine them not taking Whalen as well. That's 10. Add in Griner and EDD and there you have your team. I'd like to think some of the newbies have a shot, but it seems doubtful until players like Bird, Catch and DT retire.

BTW since Moore and Catch are such similar players, I think it's clear that Maya has surpassed Catch as the better player. Maya this season averaged better numbers across the board than Tamika did. While I could never see the committee dropping Catch for a youngster like Stewie, it's great to see Maya becoming one of the best in the world.

I think there are some of the old guard that will not be on the Olympic team and the change over may happen between WC and Olympics. Injuries and age are catching up with some of these players so of your 'locks' I would say Catch and Bird, and even Augustus Fowles, DT and Whalen might not be solid locks. in 2016: Catch will be 37, Bird 36, DT and Lindsey 35, Augustus 32 and Sylvia 31 - while the last two would not be considered 'old' they have both had some problems with their wheels and with body type probably put more stress on them than do the guards.
With USA basketball needing to start the transition by 'blooding' some younger players I sort of expect Catch to retire from the team after the WC in 2014 and suspect only one of Whalen or Bird to make the team and with Sue's age and recent injury history wouldn't be surprised if she didn't do the same. The schedules that these women maintain ages them more quickly in terms of their athletic careers than it did for the older generations who didn't have as much/any chance to play 12 months a year. That is somewhat offset by the improved focus on nutrition and training, but ...