Who is the second best team in the world?

[Aluminny69]

When the Olympic Team was announced, I speculated that USA could field a silver metal team with the players not selected. Posters scoffed. Well, so far, the only team to give our Olympic team a contest was the Select team, who only lost by four points.

Here's some more speculation. I wonder why they didn't play a game between the Olympic Team and WNBA All-Stars. I know they have played that game before. I'm guessing they didn't play it because it was a "no win" situation for Team USA. If they won, well, that's to be expected. If they lost, well, then even more speculation about who was selected. It might not have been a "friendly" game like other All-Star games. Those who didn't make the team might be trying to prove a point, and play all out. So, there's the risk of injury (including egos).

So, as you might guess, my pick for second best team is USA 2.

 

[MilfordHusky]

I agree. I think Lindsay, Seimone, Sylvia, Elena, and Angel are better than the starting lineup for the Aussies.

 

[Orangutan]

Not only did the select team play the Olympic Team close but...



Sounds like plenty of people turned it down. We could definitely round up a 2nd medal winning team. Might not be too far from having three at least in terms of talent. I think we definitely would if it weren't for players who have chosen to play for other countries knowing that USA spots aren't open.

 

[Aluminny69]

I agree. I think Lindsay, Seimone, Sylvia, Elena, and Angel are better than the starting lineup for the Aussies.

I was thinking more along the lines of Parker, Stokes, Howard, Loyd and Sims. Plus another seven that would give USA 2 a lot more depth than any other country.

 

[JoePgh]

After the 2012 Olympics, Sue Bird said publicly that the best competition that the USA team could have would be the 2nd-best 12 players from the US. Having seen several of the other teams, I don't think there is any doubt about that. I'm not sure that the outcome of the first exhibition game is definitive, since the Olympic team had practiced for all of one day before that game, and the Select Team was being coached by two of the Olympic assistants. But even without those special factors, if a second team from the US practiced and played together as much as the actual US Olympic team, I think it could easily beat any other team in the Olympic tourney.

A more interesting question is this: Could any of the Olympic teams from other countries, if it competed in the WNBA, make the playoffs? I doubt it. Could any of these teams even make the Final Four in WCBB? Maybe Spain and Australia, but probably no one else.

For example: Canada appears to be an above-average Olympic team. It has only one player in the WNBA (Natalie Achonwa), two good US college players (Kia and Nirra Fields of UCLA), two twin sisters who had played US college basketball without really distinguishing themselves (the Plouffes), and those are among their best players. Could that team make the Final Four? I wonder.

 

[bballnut90]

USA teams would win Gold, Silver and Bronze if they put together 3 rosters. Outside of the current roster, they could field the following 2 teams of:

Team B:
C-Parker
C-E. Williams
F-C. Ogwumike
F-N. Ogwumike
F-Bonner
G-Loyd
G-Toliver
G-Sims
G-Hayes
G-Diggins
G-McBride
G-Jefferson

This team would surely win silver, if not gold over the current team with all of that talent.

Team C:
C-Stokes
F-Brunson
F-Lavender
F-Glory Johnson
F-Alyssa Thomas
F-Christmas
G-Rogers
G-January
G-Pondexter
G-Beard
G-Hill
G-Bentley

Doesn't appear as star powered at first glance, but put together a lineup of Stokes/Johnson/Lavender/Rogers/January and you have a really solid team. They might struggle against more competitive teams like Australia, but outside of Cambage and possibly Taylor, this team should have an advantage in every position and also boasts more depth. I'd put money on this team over the Aussies.

 

[UcMiami]

Lets not go overboard - could the Aussie team compete in the WNBA - absolutely they would make the playoffs and could compete for a finals. Spain, and maybe France would make the playoffs. After that ...

I am not taking anything away from the select team, or a team that comprised those who declined to play on the select team, but the Olympic team after ten days of practice would blow out any select team that got the same ten days to practice.
A USA second team could certainly compete in the Olympics and would be in the hunt for a medal, but you only have to go back to 2012 semi-final to see that Aussie would likely be favored for the Silver. And you only have to go back to 2006 when the USA won Bronze at the worlds to see what happens when a couple of the stars are not on a NT (Lisa Leslie and a few others NT stalwarts were not on that team but returned for 2008.)

The USA NT steamrolls teams not unlike the way the Uconn team steamrolls college teams, and in a tournament like the WC or Olympics, teams have a tendency in the pool play to conserve energy when playing the USA - why expend your players over 4 quarters, when the next few games are more important than the inevitable loss to the USA. Make the score 5 points in the third quarter and you would see a very different level of competition.

(Also - don't forget what has just happened to U16 and U17 teams. It is a shifting landscape.)

 

[CocoHusky]

Regardless of the composition of USA Team II success (Silver Medal) would be highly dependent on the coach and his or her ability to prepare them for international Olympic level basketball. As much as I like @bballnut90 first propose team more than half that team has not played international ball at the Olympic level yet. Tara is the only coach I can think of that would fit the bill. It has been more than a minute since Tara has coached in that capacity. Dawn??

 

[Checkmate]

When the Olympic Team was announced, I speculated that USA could field a silver metal team with the players not selected. Posters scoffed. Well, so far, the only team to give our Olympic team a contest was the Select team, who only lost by four points.

Here's some more speculation. I wonder why they didn't play a game between the Olympic Team and WNBA All-Stars. I know they have played that game before. I'm guessing they didn't play it because it was a "no win" situation for Team USA. If they won, well, that's to be expected. If they lost, well, then even more speculation about who was selected. It might not have been a "friendly" game like other All-Star games. Those who didn't make the team might be trying to prove a point, and play all out. So, there's the risk of injury (including egos).

So, as you might guess, my pick for second best team is USA 2.

 

[bballnut90]

Lets not go overboard - could the Aussie team compete in the WNBA - absolutely they would make the playoffs and could compete for a finals. Spain, and maybe France would make the playoffs. After that ...

I am not taking anything away from the select team, or a team that comprised those who declined to play on the select team, but the Olympic team after ten days of practice would blow out any select team that got the same ten days to practice.
A USA second team could certainly compete in the Olympics and would be in the hunt for a medal, but you only have to go back to 2012 semi-final to see that Aussie would likely be favored for the Silver. And you only have to go back to 2006 when the USA won Bronze at the worlds to see what happens when a couple of the stars are not on a NT (Lisa Leslie and a few others NT stalwarts were not on that team but returned for 2008.)

The USA NT steamrolls teams not unlike the way the Uconn team steamrolls college teams, and in a tournament like the WC or Olympics, teams have a tendency in the pool play to conserve energy when playing the USA - why expend your players over 4 quarters, when the next few games are more important than the inevitable loss to the USA. Make the score 5 points in the third quarter and you would see a very different level of competition.

(Also - don't forget what has just happened to U16 and U17 teams. It is a shifting landscape.)

Not buying for a minute that Australia makes the playoffs and competes for a finals, or that France/Spain would field a team that could make the playoffs. Cambage is a beast inside, and Taylor at this point is a nice player on the wing, but after that it's slim pickings. You have Leilani Mitchell who was a role player in the W last year, Erin Phillips who is another consistent backup PG in the W, Rachel Jarry barely played in 2013....that's about it. Cambage would be an All-WNBA caliber post and Taylor is a 4th option on a team that is at risk of not making the playoffs. Spain and France? No way are they playoff teams.

Much has to be said for experience playing together, which gives the edge to Australia and foreign teams, but talent wise there is no way they stack up against a USA A, B or C team.

 

[Kaizen]

I think 2015-2016 UConn women team is the second best team next to USA National Team

 

[JoePgh]

Lets not go overboard - could the Aussie team compete in the WNBA - absolutely they would make the playoffs and could compete for a finals. Spain, and maybe France would make the playoffs. After that ...

I am not so sure about that. I have now observed this Aussie team twice in person (at Bridgeport and at MSG last week) and on TV once against Brazil. I am also a Connecticut Sun season ticket holder, so I have seen them play quite a bit. It will be amazing if they are a playoff team this year.

Based on my comparative "eye test", I think that if a 5-game series were scheduled between the Sun and the Aussies, the Sun would win 3 games to 1. Australia has two legitimate big-time players (WNBA all-star quality): Liz Cambage and Penny Taylor. They have two other players who are bench players in the WNBA: Erin Phillips and Marianne Tolo (their second-best post player after Cambage). They have Leilani Mitchell, who played effectively for the NY Liberty for several years.

I can't see how Australia has any guards (except maybe Mitchell) who could keep up with Jasmine Thomas, Alex Bentley, or USF's Courtney Williams -- the Sun's three top guards. Even less do I see how their forwards could stop Chiney Ogwumike or Alyssa Thomas. It is true that the Sun do not have anyone who could stop Cambage, but she does not appear to be in shape to play major minutes and is prone to foul trouble. I don't see bench players on the Aussie team who are at the level of Shekinna Stricklen, Jonquel Jones, or Camille Little.

The Aussies are a smart team but not a really fast or athletic team. In the WNBA, fast and athletic usually beats smart and disciplined -- ask Kelly Faris (who is actually quite similar to many of the lesser players on the Aussie team).

And if the Aussies can't beat the Sun reliably, they wouldn't make the playoffs in the WNBA.

 

[cbraarj]

Regardless of the composition of USA Team II success (Silver Medal) would be highly dependent on the coach and his or her ability to prepare them for international Olympic level basketball. As much as I like @bballnut90 first propose team more than half that team has not played international ball at the Olympic level yet. Tara is the only coach I can think of that would fit the bill. It has been more than a minute since Tara has coached in that capacity. Dawn??

Coco, you brought up an interesting 2 questions. IF Geno steps away after the Rio Games. Who takes over as Head Coach of the WNT? Who is ready to make that jump to Head Coach? I like Reeves before anyone else but I agree about Tara and she would be a great choice. She might like another opportunity seeing that she would not have to take a year off from her program to run the team.

 

[UcMiami]

Coco, you brought up an interesting 2 questions. IF Geno steps away after the Rio Games. Who takes over as Head Coach of the WNT? Who is ready to make that jump to Head Coach? I like Reeves before anyone else but I agree about Tara and she would be a great choice. She might like another opportunity seeing that she would not have to take a year off from her program to run the team.

I think it is likely either Reeves or Staley. Tara seems to have stepped away from USA basketball and I suspect she is at a point where Stanford is her 'world.' My preference is Reeves, I think Staley could do it but I think Reeves would be better.

 

[cbraarj]

I think it is likely either Reeves or Staley. Tara seems to have stepped away from USA basketball and I suspect she is at a point where Stanford is her 'world.' My preference is Reeves, I think Staley could do it but I think Reeves would be better.

Reeves is my choice too. I think Tara is a great coach and I was thinking being away from her program was hard for her and the Stanford players that year. It would be interesting to hear her thoughts about it.

 

[UcMiami]

Just wondering if anyone is watching the men? And if anyone wants to talk about NBA stats and how none of the Australian players would make a USA team?
Same thing showed up today with all those non-WNBA type players on Serbia shooting 60% from three.