To begin with it is not really reliable to attempt to come to conclusions using comparative scores. All teams play varies from day today. If one is objective some information can be gleaned. Allot depends on how well we know the teams involved. Do we know them well enough to discern where on a sliding scale each effort reflected? Were their shots dropping? Were the misses a result of good defense or just cold shooting? We will just have to wait till Monday to find out the result.
I can and will point out some mistakes on your part. While the number of players remains the same the only constant is the core group of the USA team. Basically DT, Bird, Nneka. C. Gray, Diggins, Fowles, Augustus and Della Don. Della Don played in neither and is probably out because of injury. DT did not play at Uconn but played at Oregon. Augustus also played at Oregon. Other players are added according to availability. For the Uconn game the emphasis was on adding former Uconn players. Charles, Stewie ( who probably would not have played yet except for this game ) and KLS.
In respect to practice- The Oregon game was the last of three games in a row with basically the core group together except they lost Wilson. They had practiced for about a week before their first of three games so they were not really rusty. This group that played Uconn had not been together for a time and it was basically their first practice together as a group. It showed on defense more than offense.
In respect to shooting. Team USA did not shoot well and their percentage was pretty bad until the fourth Quarter. And it was not usually because Uconn played good defense.
Some things I noticed. It appeared that team USA had decided they would not attack Uconn at their weakness by taking the ball inside. Although they did so in the fourth quarter at will. They also gave Uconn a handicap from the very beginning. KLS was Uconn's most valuable player in the game. Her defense created most of the open looks that Uconn enjoyed in their 2nd Q comeback. Part of it was more than likely because she had never practiced with the team, but a major part was that she is just a weak defender. I can see why she did not get much time on the court with her team. Teams can usually compensate for defensive weaknesses via the defensive scheme, but the team really didn't have the time to do so. Even so, most players were eating her alive when she was one on one with them. Especially Anna.
I think I would have missed it.
