USA BB announces Selection Committees

[UConnCat]

Senior National Team:

Carol Callan, Chair
Katie Smith
Jay Parry, WNBA
Ruthie Bolton
Jim Toomey
Geno Auriemma, Special Advisor

Junior National Team Committee

Jennifer Rizzotti, Chair
Kara Lawson Barling
Tonya Cardoza
Karen Aston
Wes Moore

Developmental National Team Committee

Carol Callan, Chair
Tamika Catchings
Delisha Milton-Jones
Jill Rankin Schnieder, Monterey HS
Kiersten Moore, Westmont College
Mia Smith, Illinois Wesleyan Univ
Kevin Lynch, AAU

http://elmcitytoeaglevillenhr.blogspot.com/2017/04/plenty-of-uconn-connections-on-usa.html

 

[DavidinNaples]

Actually Geno's full title is "Special Advisor in charge of making sure UConn players make the team."

 

[UConnCat]

Special advisor for dancing too.

 

[UConnCat]

Actually Geno's full title is "Special Advisor in charge of making sure UConn players make the team."

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That's how a certain fan base sees it. Right on cue they're already complaining to Mechelle Voepel on twitter. Just so we're all clear, now it's no longer the coach (Staley) who picks the team, nor the Committee members who vote on the team, it's the special advisor who picks the team. It's hard to keep up.

 

[nwhoopfan]

PLEASE, some new blood for the Olympic team next go around. They should be turning over at least 3-4 roster spots I think. At least.

 

[Plebe]

That's how a certain fan base sees it. Right on cue they're already complaining to Mechelle Voepel on twitter. Just so we're all clear, now it's no longer the coach (Staley) who picks the team, nor the Committee members who vote on the team, it's the special advisor who picks the team. It's hard to keep up.

"A certain fan base." I love how you put that so tactfully.

 

[MilfordHusky]

Some may argue that Sue and Diana are too old. That may be the case in 2018 or 2020, but it sure wasn't true in 2016. I think Sue's A/TO ratio or totals and Diana's 3-point shooting stats probably were Olympic records.

Any reasonable person would agree that Tina, Maya, and Stewie belong on the team. Some may prefer Skylar or Odyssey at the PG spot, but Moriah is building a case for being the best PG around.

 

[HoopsFan21]

PLEASE, some new blood for the Olympic team next go around. They should be turning over at least 3-4 roster spots I think. At least.

Turning over roster spots just to turn them over with potentially less skilled or less team oriented players, or do you have some candidates in mind?

 

[nwhoopfan]

Turning over roster spots just to turn them over with potentially less skilled or less team oriented players, or do you have some candidates in mind?

It's nearly 3 1/2 years til the next Olympics. That's an eternity. Some younger players are going to continue to develop and improve. Some veteran players are going to decline, maybe significantly. I'm not gonna go thru the current roster one by one and say who I think should be in or out. The most glaring to me I'd have to say is Whalen. Somebody among Diggins, Sims, Jefferson or Sloot (and maybe even Plum, it will be interesting to see how she develops) has to be a better option by '20. A few of the current team members almost certainly will be retired from playing professionally before then, that might be somewhat of a factor. I'd love to see one or both of the Ogwumike's make the Olympic team roster at some point.

 

[MilfordHusky]

It's nearly 3 1/2 years til the next Olympics. That's an eternity. Some younger players are going to continue to develop and improve. Some veteran players are going to decline, maybe significantly. I'm not gonna go thru the current roster one by one and say who I think should be in or out. The most glaring to me I'd have to say is Whalen. Somebody among Diggins, Sims, Jefferson or Sloot (and maybe even Plum, it will be interesting to see how she develops) has to be a better option by '20. A few of the current team members almost certainly will be retired from playing professionally before then, that might be somewhat of a factor. I'd love to see one or both of the Ogwumike's make the Olympic team roster at some point.

The Olympics start in exactly 3 years and 3 months. My guess is that the team will be selected about 3 months in advance, so just about 3 years from now.

Lindsay struggled in the WNBA playoffs in 2015 due to injury, but played well in 2016. That said, she is basically the same age as Diana (both were class of 2004). If either one of them plays in 2020, I think it would be Diana for her leadership and shooting.

It will be interesting to see how Plum develops. I need to look up her history with USA Basketball.

USA Basketball seems to prefer a traditional point guard, not a scoring point guard, which may not help Odyssey or Skylar. In terms of the skill set and running a team, I think Lindsay and Sue may be the only ones better than Moriah right now. Keep in mind that Moriah is an outstanding defender.

Nneka could have been on the team last year. She looked good in Istanbul in the FIBA tourney in 2014. I think she has separated herself further from Chiney, who is still dealing with injuries. I see Nneka as a lock for the 2018 FIBA tourney. She deserved the WNBA MVP last year. Chiney is a possible in 2020.

 

[stwainfan]

 

[UConnCat]

Geno reportedly wanted Nneka on the 2016 Olympic team but the Committee couldn't make it work. It may have come down to Nneka vs Catchings and the Committee wasn't going to include Sue and Diana on the team and not Catchings. The Parker decision was enough controversy for USA BB.

 

[nwhoopfan]

Lindsay struggled in the WNBA playoffs in 2015 due to injury, but played well in 2016.

I thought many of the Minnesota players showed their age in the playoffs this past year, especially the Finals. Seemed like Whalen, Augustus and McCarville weren't capable of stringing 2 consecutive good games together. Maya is obviously in the prime of her career right now so that doesn't apply to her.

USA Basketball seems to prefer a traditional point guard, not a scoring point guard, which may not help Odyssey or Skylar. In terms of the skill set and running a team, I think Lindsay and Sue may be the only ones better than Moriah right now. Keep in mind that Moriah is an outstanding defender.

What do you think about Sloot? Definitely not in the scoring PG mold, has been among the WNBA leaders in assists the last several years. Not sure about her leadership qualities but it seemed like the Sky were on the verge of being championship contenders before Big Syl and Elena forced trades, and she was the PG, so that's worth something.

Nneka could have been on the team last year. She looked good in Istanbul in the FIBA tourney in 2014. I think she has separated herself further from Chiney, who is still dealing with injuries. I see Nneka as a lock for the 2018 FIBA tourney. She deserved the WNBA MVP last year.

She had a fantastic season for the Sparks last year. I always thought she was the better of the 2, but then Chiney was so dominant her Sr. year at Stanford, more so than Nneka ever had been. Chiney is definitely still trying to catch up as far as pro careers go.

 

[MilfordHusky]

Geno reportedly wanted Nneka on the 2016 Olympic team but the Committee couldn't make it work. It may have come down to Nneka vs Catchings and the Committee wasn't going to include Sue and Diana on the team and not Catchings. The Parker decision was enough controversy for USA BB.

Our country is in the fortunate situation of having to leave off a handful of very, very good players. I think controversy over 2 or 3 players is almost inevitable, though not always to the level of last year.

 

[MilfordHusky]

I thought many of the Minnesota players showed their age in the playoffs this past year, especially the Finals. Seemed like Whalen, Augustus and McCarville weren't capable of stringing 2 consecutive good games together. Maya is obviously in the prime of her career right now so that doesn't apply to her.



What do you think about Sloot? Definitely not in the scoring PG mold, has been among the WNBA leaders in assists the last several years. Not sure about her leadership qualities but it seemed like the Sky were on the verge of being championship contenders before Big Syl and Elena forced trades, and she was the PG, so that's worth something.



She had a fantastic season for the Sparks last year. I always thought she was the better of the 2, but then Chiney was so dominant her Sr. year at Stanford, more so than Nneka ever had been. Chiney is definitely still trying to catch up as far as pro careers go.

Whalen and Seimone were clearly hurt in the 2015 playoffs. I think they were healthy in 2016, but were inconsistent. Both have played better. It's clear that the Lynx are now Maya's team, but I was expecting to see more support from the others. The Lynx are an old team. Are they too old? I hope not.

I think Sloot is a possibility. She's a good passer and can hit shots when needed. She's not Dawn Staley or Sue Bird, but those iconic players are few and far between. I've liked Sloot since she was in college. I see Moriah as being the successor to Sue Bird, whether that is next year or later.

Nneka led L.A. to the championship and had an outstanding regular season by shooting nearly 70%. We knew that Chiney was going to be a star. I saw her in a high school All-American game in San Antonio in 2010. I think she didn't start, but when she came in, her energy level was noticeable. She also hit a 3-pointer from the top of the key. I thought she had the potential to be better than Nneka. Her intensity might be slightly higher than Nneka's, and she might be a slightly better rebounder. But Nneka has a better offensive repertoire, especially the midrange jumper. Nneka is older and has continued to improve, while Chiney has had to deal with injuries. If she gets healthy, I'd say she's about 3-4 years behind Nneka in her development. If Chiney is never quite as good as Nneka, that's still pretty darn good.

 

[KnightBridgeAZ]

Who is Jim Toomey? Can't place him. Know the rest of the committee folks, except the high school and AAU folks (except I do know who Jill Rankin Schneider is).

 

[meyers7]

Senior National Team:

Carol Callan, Chair
Katie Smith
Jay Parry, WNBA
Ruthie Bolton
Jim Toomey
Geno Auriemma, Special Advisor

Junior National Team Committee

Jennifer Rizzotti, Chair
Kara Lawson Barling
Tonya Cardoza
Karen Aston
Wes Moore

Developmental National Team Committee

Carol Callan, Chair
Tamika Catchings
Delisha Milton-Jones
Jill Rankin Schnieder, Monterey HS
Kiersten Moore, Westmont College
Mia Smith, Illinois Wesleyan Univ
Kevin Lynch, AAU

http://elmcitytoeaglevillenhr.blogspot.com/2017/04/plenty-of-UConn-connections-on-usa.html

Hmmmm, interesting. I don't see my name on there.

 

[UConnCat]

Who is Jim Toomey? Can't place him. Know the rest of the committee folks, except the high school and AAU folks (except I do know who Jill Rankin Schneider is).

Jim Toomey is CEO of USA Basketball. He was the Director of the Men's National Team back in the 1990s. He was for the men what Carol Callan is today for the women.

The AAU rep for the Developmental team, Kevin Lynch, is from the Philly Belles.

 

[nwhoopfan]

I've liked Sloot since she was in college.

She was fun to watch. They weren't on tv that much but I caught a few games. Her level of play during their Elite 8 run was phenomenal, I think she averaged about 30 points/10 assists/8 rebounds/5 steals per game over 4 games. Can't remember any other player doing anything like that during the Tourney. Also first player in D1 history--woman or man--to record 2000 points and 1000 assists in a career. Had much more of a scorer's mentality in college compared to her pro career.

Side tracking a bit, but she's a case in point why national recruiting rankings need to be taken with a large grain of salt. She was in the same recruiting class as Angie Bjorklund from Spokane. Bjorklund was the #2 (or maybe even #1 according to some) overall recruit that year. Sloot was off the radar. But people in Washington that follow HS hoops kept saying Sloot was just as good or better. They were right, and it wasn't even close. Also surprising was that the entire Pac 10 Conference (that was pre-expansion I think) ignored her, particularly the 2 Washington schools. That was a big mistake, but Gonzaga's gain.

 

[DishNSwish]

Vandersloot is now Hungarian and no longer eligible for USA Basketball.

 

[Dillon77]

It's nearly 3 1/2 years til the next Olympics. That's an eternity. Some younger players are going to continue to develop and improve. Some veteran players are going to decline, maybe significantly. I'm not gonna go thru the current roster one by one and say who I think should be in or out. The most glaring to me I'd have to say is Whalen. Somebody among Diggins, Sims, Jefferson or Sloot (and maybe even Plum, it will be interesting to see how she develops) has to be a better option by '20. A few of the current team members almost certainly will be retired from playing professionally before then, that might be somewhat of a factor. I'd love to see one or both of the Ogwumike's make the Olympic team roster at some point.

Yes, the Olympics are in 2020 but the FIBA World Cup will take place in 2018 (Sept. 22-30 in Spain) and that will be the first major competition that this committee and the new coaching staff will take the helm of.
USA Team Selection Committees In Place For 2017-20

There were some post-Olympic discussions in which people thought the tryouts for the World Cup might constitute a transition from (some of) the established players to including (some of the) up-and-coming players in the WNBA and elsewhere. It will be interesting to see who in included in the World Cup tryouts, who makes it and how that process is communicated.

As for whom, I think a full 2017 WNBA season will be worth paying attention to for all concerned.

 

[UConnCat]

The WNBA season matters of course, but roles and expectations for USA BB and WNBA teams can be very different.

I expect there will be a mini-camp in September, probably during the WNBA finals.

 

[Dillon77]

The WNBA season matters of course, but roles and expectations for USA BB and WNBA teams can be very different.

I expect there will be a mini-camp in September, probably during the WNBA finals.

The WNBA season is a good opportunity to see how some of the younger players are doing and might influence who gets an invitation to camp. Of course, as your say, putting together who forms the team is a much more involved and intricate process (one hopes)...

That said, wouldn't it make sense to have a mini-camp after the WNBA playoffs, given that the FIBA World Cup is a full year off? It would seem to make sense to have as many WNBA players as you want there, particularly for the chemistry/mix and match elements that are critical for making up a team. Also, I don't know if the senior national selection committees come to all mini-camps, but if they do, Jay Barry might want to be at his day job with the WNBA during the finals and -- who knows? -- Katie Smith might still be coaching the Liberty.

 

[UConnCat]

The WNBA season is a good opportunity to see how some of the younger players are doing and might influence who gets an invitation to camp. Of course, as your say, putting together who forms the team is a much more involved and intricate process (one hopes)...

That said, wouldn't it make sense to have a mini-camp after the WNBA playoffs, given that the FIBA World Cup is a full year off? It would seem to make sense to have as many WNBA players as you want there, particularly for the chemistry/mix and match elements that are critical for making up a team. Also, I don't know if the senior national selection committees come to all mini-camps, but if they do, Jay Barry might want to be at his day job with the WNBA during the finals and -- who knows? -- Katie Smith might still be coaching the Liberty.

Well sure, it would be nice to wait until after the WNBA finals but last year the finals concluded on October 20. As you know, college teams are practicing by then and Dawn will be busy with the job that pays her a lot of money. Also, many overseas commitments begin in October. That's why the last mini-camp ahead of the world championships (in 2013) was held in early October around the time of the WNBA finals. No one is going to lose sleep if a few players miss a 3-day camp because they're playing in the finals. Camps like this are typically used to identify players who will be part of the pool and to check out some of the young players.

 

[MilfordHusky]

Vandersloot is now Hungarian and no longer eligible for USA Basketball.

She's playing for Hungary??