USA v Japan 9/10/18 | Page 2 | The Boneyard

USA v Japan 9/10/18

eebmg said:
Mike Thibault being interviewed. Very good listen and really breaks down the game very well.
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Agree but we still have to miss a lot of the game action due to the talking. Whatcha gonna do...
 
Looks like USA Basketball said enough of this nonsense, we should be whipping up on Japan. USA leads 85-71 with 5 minutes left in the game.
 
Thank you Mike Thibault for saying what no ones seems willing to say publicly. Although he didn't mention names, he was critical of the 3 point guards who chose not to take advantage of the opportunity to earn a spot on USA BB for the world cup and he thinks they're going to regret it. He's right and they will.
 
I like Plum's game a lot. Some people are like "yeah but she's not a true PG". Some people also forget that coming out of HS, Bird was considered a combo guard. She became the starting PG at UCONN after in injury sidelined Kiersten Walters and the rest is history.

Give Plum her due - she can score when needed, but also can involve her teammates. Very similar to what Sue has been the best at doing for many years... For me, she's an easy choice to make the team (along with Wilson and Ogwumike thus far).
 
USA helped themselves by realizing that the wild 40-foot shots were not what was needed. Now, they are ramming the ball into post and fighting it out at close range where they have a major advantage.
 
UConnCat said:
Thank you Mike Thibault for saying what no ones seems willing to say publicly. Although he didn't mention names, he was critical of the 3 point guards who chose not to take advantage of the opportunity to earn a spot on USA BB for the world cup and he thinks they're going to regret it. He's right and they will.
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Totally agree. And well said by him. Some picked on Pondexter for missing 1 WC and on Parker for missing 2 WC's and many felt that contributed to her being left off the team (1 was for surgery after the WNBA season ended).

If we are going to hold them accountable, then the next generation should be held equally accountable. ANY player who declined to try out because they were tired (or any variation thereof), had other things they needed to do, or wanted to save themselves for their overseas seasons, or any other excuse not related to injury, should be written off as future Team USA members. Look at Dee, Sue, Catch, Leslie, and Edwards have all been on at least 4 Olympic teams (5 for Edwards) and I know Dee and Sue never missed a World Championship (Catch missed 1 with an injury).

I am betting all those players were exhausted, beat up, had nagging pains or injuries, etc etc. and yet they remained committed to Team USA for over 12 years. Their loyalty to the team and commitment regardless of what else was going on is the standard for all other players. Those who can't live up to it can step aside for others who can.
 
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Will be interesting to see the makeup of the Final Team Selection, especially if Stewie, Sue and DT decide not to play in the World Cup.
 
EricLA said:
Totally agree. And well said by him. Some picked on Pondexter for missing 1 WC and on Parker for missing 2 WC's and many felt that contributed to her being left off the team (1 was for surgery after the WNBA season ended).

If we are going to hold them accountable, then the next generation should be held equally accountable. ANY player who declined to try out because they were tired (or any variation thereof), had other things they needed to do, or wanted to save themselves for their overseas seasons, or any other excuse not related to injury, should be written off as future Team USA members. Look at Dee, Sue, Catch, Leslie, and Edwards have all been on at least 4 Olympic teams (5 for Edwards) and I know Dee, Sue and Catch never missed a World Championship.

I am betting all those players were exhausted, beat up, had nagging pains or injuries, etc etc. and yet they remained committed to Team USA for over 12 years. Their loyalty to the team and commitment regardless of what else was going on is the standard for all other players. Those who can't live up to it can step aside for others who can.
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Actually, Catchings did not play in 2014 in Istanbul (Eric you were there!) as she had a bad back.
 
VaMike23 and I were at the game. Some thoughts that may be a bit incoherent.

First, for only $35, we sat in the first row, about 4' off the floor and were definitely in play. I was 4 people down from Kara Lawson.

I chatted with Kara about 45 minutes before game time. She and I live in the same city. I told her I enjoy her work and that she was my favorite non-UConn announcer. She will be calling the medal round in Tenerife from Bristol. Kara was very cordial.

Geno was chatting while standing behind us for several minutes, but we couldn't get his attention without being rude. We did hear that he said Japan's style would make for an interesting game.

In addition to Geno, CD was there, as was Jen Rizzotti, of course. Jen addressed the crowd in her home arena before the game.

Some VIPs we saw other than Geno, CD, Kara, and Deb: Mike Thibault, Val Ackerman, Lisa Borders, Brenda Freese, and Mel Greenberg. As noted, Sue and Stewie showed up. Chiney was there as well, sitting next to Stewie, though there wasn't much interaction. CD and Sue chatted a lot and laughed as well.

The recruits included the 3 x 3 team of Boston, Bueckers, Brunelle, and Van Lith. They sat in that order from my right to left. Later, Azzi Fudd, mom, and dad showed up. Azzi sat with her friends. Tim did not have an air horn. For the second half, Paige and Azzi sat next to each other and chatted, and the others didn't interact much. I think the closest bond in that group is between Paige and Azzi. There were 1 or 2 other players there, but I couldn't recognize them from a distance. I thought one might be Shakira Austin, because she is local and looked very tall. Horston may have been there, but I'm not sure. The recruits stuck around after we left. Sue and Stewie signed autographs near the exit for a while. During the game, a small group started a chant of "MVP MVP."

Game thoughts coming up a little later.
 
MilfordHusky said:
The recruits included the 3 x 3 team of Boston, Bueckers, Brunelle, and Van Lith. They sat in that order from my right to left. Later, Azzi Fudd, mom, and dad showed up. Azzi sat with her friends. Tim did not have an air horn. For the second half, Paige and Azzi sat next to each other and chatted, and the others didn't interact much. I think the closest bond in that group is between Paige and Azzi. There were 1 or 2 other players there, but I couldn't recognize them from a distance.
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upload_2018-9-10_23-0-3.png


In this picture (clipped from Brunelle's instagram story) working left to right: I believe the blonde in the red shirt is Van Lith. Behind Van Lith, I think that's Malu Tshitenge-Mutumbo. Then clearly it's Sam B waving, Boston next to her, and Fudd at the right of the picture.
 
A few basketball thoughts for tonight, with more to come tomorrow. Does anyone know if there is a replay available online?

In terms of the game, for large portions, the "no autopsy, no foul" rule was in effect. The amount of body contact allowed was phenomenal. The USA seemed to adjust to that fairly well over the course of the game. On three occasions, there was a pass to a Japan guard beyond the top of the key when Tiffany Mitchell went flying at her like a free safety to cause a turnover. All of the plays looked like fouls, but no fouls were called. I think, once Tiffany saw how things were being called, she decided "why not?"

Nneka did her human pogo stick impersonation. She didn't show much with her jumper, but she is a beast inside and gets up as fast as anyone not named Gabby Williams. She got at least a few hoops off nice feeds from Tina. She looks taller than Tina and jumped center. Tina looks ever so slightly hobbled, as she grimaced in pain at least a couple of times. I bet her knees are tired and sore.

A'ja Wilson is like Shaq with a mid-range shooting touch. On at least two occasions, she was surrounded by 2 or 3 defenders. I was yelling to kick the ball out. Instead, she went straight up through contact, made the shot, and also got and made the FT. It doesn't look like a smart play, but it sure works. She is bigger and stronger than anyone I've seen except for Fowles and Cambage. A'ja and Nneka looked like the designated shooters, based on either the game plan or their natural aggressiveness.

The USA shot 1-5 from the arc. The make was from Plum very early in the game. Maybe with Sue, Dee, Maya, Elena, and Stewie missing, we won't shoot many threes. All but Maya should be in Tenerife, which should change things.

Just one thought on the roster for tonight: Based on Saturday's game, I thought that Elizabeth Williams might make the team. She played very little tonight. Sylvia appears to be out, but the USA might have enough height with the following players: Griner, Nneka, Tina, Stewie, and EDD.

More tomorrow.
 
Orangutan said:
View attachment 34310

In this picture (clipped from Brunelle's instagram story) working left to right: I believe the blonde in the red shirt is Van Lith. Behind Van Lith, I think that's Malu Tshitenge-Mutumbo. Then clearly it's Sam B waving, Boston next to her, and Fudd at the right of the picture.
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I'm not sure about Malu, but that's probably right. I was trying to figure out who that was. The others are correct. Aliyah must be hanging out with Stef, because she changed her hair color to grey.
 
eebmg said:
The difference is Thibault discusses different things while Deb repeats the same thing 50 times.
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Sounds like Thibault would be an excellent "color" commentator if he could be coerced into doing a game or two. The man knows the game. He's a player's coach. Mike Francis Thibault (born September 28, 1950) became the WNBA's all time winning-est coach season with 212 victories. ;)
 
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