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GEF34
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GEF34
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GEF34
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SPD
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ChiSky54
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 Posted: 11/05/23 7:23 pm ::: |
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At start of 4Q - USA 72 - Tenn 39
It's actually on YouTubeTV
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Ex-Ref
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mercfan3
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readyAIMfire53
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readyAIMfire53
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| Posted: 11/12/23 10:46 pm ::: |
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Some US women soccer stars boldly stated that late retirement of aging former stars is holding them back on the international stage. I dread to think of which deserving young speedster will be left off the Olympic basketball team so Taurasi can get gold medal #6.
I will say this - the Rapinoe at this year's World Cup was nowhere near the player who delivered us the World Cup over France. What used to be perfect services into the box were a little off - and that's the difference between a goal and a goalie save. US players receiving her services were not in position to shoot the ball past the goalie's reach. The most effective players in the NWSL this season were under 25 - including MVP Kerolin (23 yrs old).
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Luuuc
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Joined: 10 Feb 2005
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| Posted: 11/12/23 11:11 pm ::: |
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| Go get that 6th Olympic gold medal, DT!
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J-Spoon
Joined: 31 Jan 2009
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| Posted: 11/13/23 5:29 am ::: |
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This is my guess for now
I reserve the right to change options
this is a prediction of the Olympic team not necessarily what I think should happen
C. Gray/Plum
DT/Loyd/Ionescu
Stewart/J. Young/Howard
Wilson/Collier
Griner/Boston
The starters are a little weird but I can't see any of Stewart, Wilson or Griner coming off the bench. DT will probably get less minutes than most of the other players but will probably start (Minutes-wise and impact Loyd is the first option at the 2). Also Stewart will play most of her minutes at the 4 so a post rotation of Griner, Wilson, Stewart, Boston and sometimes Collier (or even sometimes Howard depending on match ups) allows Team US to go with a heavier Wing and Guard core outside of the starters.
A. Thomas will be the most f'ed over of the final cuts (It will probably come down to a decision between her and Collier and Collier has the youth and maybe political edge)
Atkins has the Olympic team alumni angle so could make it over Plum, J. Young or Ionescu but I think the Aces connection comes through as well as Ionescu connection with Stewart and seeming like an inevitable National team member for the next decade (Maybe a little more politics)
Copper and Ogunbowale will both have very legit reasons to make the final cut but lose out to Young, Plum and Ionescu for same reason as stated above
Like Ionescu I see Howard and Boston as the next multiple Olympics core team members so I think they get the nod over some of the more experienced players on this list.
Of the people I have making the final roster I think J. Young is probably the one who is most likely to get bumped for someone else. Not because she is not deserving but I think she has the quietest or lowest profile of the candidates. Working in her favor besides the instant chemistry with the other Aces on the team is being a true small forward and a strong defender.
With Howard, Boston and Ionescu getting the youth spots Clark will have to for the Worlds in 26 or the Olympics in 28 to get her National team career under way.
Besides the players above who are the brutal final cuts two other curve balls is a healthy Diggins-Smith or EDD joining later camps and doing all that is required to get their spots back, both have strong alumni status and are high profile players if they are truly in the mix they will be in the mix if not on the team. My read right now is neither is going to be fully healthy enough or interested enough in doing all the politics and time commitments it will take to maintain their spot.
Maybe B. Jones gets back in the picture and Boston has to wait four more years?
Could A. Gray compete for the J. Young spot or push her Atl teammate in Howard out while also beating out Copper and Ogunbowale?
there are a lot of possibilities and as always some great players are going to miss out but I am content with my prediction for now.
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snlMINAJ
Joined: 21 Jan 2010
Posts: 1217
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| Posted: 11/13/23 1:55 pm ::: |
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| J-Spoon wrote: |
This is my guess for now
I reserve the right to change options
this is a prediction of the Olympic team not necessarily what I think should happen
C. Gray/Plum
DT/Loyd/Ionescu
Stewart/J. Young/Howard
Wilson/Collier
Griner/Boston
The starters are a little weird but I can't see any of Stewart, Wilson or Griner coming off the bench. DT will probably get less minutes than most of the other players but will probably start (Minutes-wise and impact Loyd is the first option at the 2). Also Stewart will play most of her minutes at the 4 so a post rotation of Griner, Wilson, Stewart, Boston and sometimes Collier (or even sometimes Howard depending on match ups) allows Team US to go with a heavier Wing and Guard core outside of the starters.
A. Thomas will be the most f'ed over of the final cuts (It will probably come down to a decision between her and Collier and Collier has the youth and maybe political edge)
Atkins has the Olympic team alumni angle so could make it over Plum, J. Young or Ionescu but I think the Aces connection comes through as well as Ionescu connection with Stewart and seeming like an inevitable National team member for the next decade (Maybe a little more politics)
Copper and Ogunbowale will both have very legit reasons to make the final cut but lose out to Young, Plum and Ionescu for same reason as stated above
Like Ionescu I see Howard and Boston as the next multiple Olympics core team members so I think they get the nod over some of the more experienced players on this list.
Of the people I have making the final roster I think J. Young is probably the one who is most likely to get bumped for someone else. Not because she is not deserving but I think she has the quietest or lowest profile of the candidates. Working in her favor besides the instant chemistry with the other Aces on the team is being a true small forward and a strong defender.
With Howard, Boston and Ionescu getting the youth spots Clark will have to for the Worlds in 26 or the Olympics in 28 to get her National team career under way.
Besides the players above who are the brutal final cuts two other curve balls is a healthy Diggins-Smith or EDD joining later camps and doing all that is required to get their spots back, both have strong alumni status and are high profile players if they are truly in the mix they will be in the mix if not on the team. My read right now is neither is going to be fully healthy enough or interested enough in doing all the politics and time commitments it will take to maintain their spot.
Maybe B. Jones gets back in the picture and Boston has to wait four more years?
Could A. Gray compete for the J. Young spot or push her Atl teammate in Howard out while also beating out Copper and Ogunbowale?
there are a lot of possibilities and as always some great players are going to miss out but I am content with my prediction for now. |
it aint gonna come down to alyssa thomas and napheesa collier. collier will make it and thomas will make it...
jackie young, rhyne howard, jewel loyd, and kelsey plum won't all make it. from your list those are the players who - IMO - would be last cut(s).
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snlMINAJ
Joined: 21 Jan 2010
Posts: 1217
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| Posted: 11/13/23 1:56 pm ::: |
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| J-Spoon wrote: |
This is my guess for now
I reserve the right to change options
this is a prediction of the Olympic team not necessarily what I think should happen
C. Gray/Plum
DT/Loyd/Ionescu
Stewart/J. Young/Howard
Wilson/Collier
Griner/Boston
The starters are a little weird but I can't see any of Stewart, Wilson or Griner coming off the bench. DT will probably get less minutes than most of the other players but will probably start (Minutes-wise and impact Loyd is the first option at the 2). Also Stewart will play most of her minutes at the 4 so a post rotation of Griner, Wilson, Stewart, Boston and sometimes Collier (or even sometimes Howard depending on match ups) allows Team US to go with a heavier Wing and Guard core outside of the starters.
A. Thomas will be the most f'ed over of the final cuts (It will probably come down to a decision between her and Collier and Collier has the youth and maybe political edge)
Atkins has the Olympic team alumni angle so could make it over Plum, J. Young or Ionescu but I think the Aces connection comes through as well as Ionescu connection with Stewart and seeming like an inevitable National team member for the next decade (Maybe a little more politics)
Copper and Ogunbowale will both have very legit reasons to make the final cut but lose out to Young, Plum and Ionescu for same reason as stated above
Like Ionescu I see Howard and Boston as the next multiple Olympics core team members so I think they get the nod over some of the more experienced players on this list.
Of the people I have making the final roster I think J. Young is probably the one who is most likely to get bumped for someone else. Not because she is not deserving but I think she has the quietest or lowest profile of the candidates. Working in her favor besides the instant chemistry with the other Aces on the team is being a true small forward and a strong defender.
With Howard, Boston and Ionescu getting the youth spots Clark will have to for the Worlds in 26 or the Olympics in 28 to get her National team career under way.
Besides the players above who are the brutal final cuts two other curve balls is a healthy Diggins-Smith or EDD joining later camps and doing all that is required to get their spots back, both have strong alumni status and are high profile players if they are truly in the mix they will be in the mix if not on the team. My read right now is neither is going to be fully healthy enough or interested enough in doing all the politics and time commitments it will take to maintain their spot.
Maybe B. Jones gets back in the picture and Boston has to wait four more years?
Could A. Gray compete for the J. Young spot or push her Atl teammate in Howard out while also beating out Copper and Ogunbowale?
there are a lot of possibilities and as always some great players are going to miss out but I am content with my prediction for now. |
it aint gonna come down to alyssa thomas and napheesa collier. collier will make it and thomas will make it...
jackie young, rhyne howard, jewel loyd, and kelsey plum won't all make it. from your list those are the players who - IMO - would be last cut(s).
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readyAIMfire53
Joined: 20 Nov 2004
Posts: 7372
Location: Durham, NC
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| Posted: 11/13/23 2:30 pm ::: |
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| J-Spoon wrote: |
This is my guess for now
I reserve the right to change options
this is a prediction of the Olympic team not necessarily what I think should happen
C. Gray/Plum
DT/Loyd/Ionescu
Stewart/J. Young/Howard
Wilson/Collier
Griner/Boston
The starters are a little weird but I can't see any of Stewart, Wilson or Griner coming off the bench. DT will probably get less minutes than most of the other players but will probably start (Minutes-wise and impact Loyd is the first option at the 2). Also Stewart will play most of her minutes at the 4 so a post rotation of Griner, Wilson, Stewart, Boston and sometimes Collier (or even sometimes Howard depending on match ups) allows Team US to go with a heavier Wing and Guard core outside of the starters.
A. Thomas will be the most f'ed over of the final cuts (It will probably come down to a decision between her and Collier and Collier has the youth and maybe political edge)
Atkins has the Olympic team alumni angle so could make it over Plum, J. Young or Ionescu but I think the Aces connection comes through as well as Ionescu connection with Stewart and seeming like an inevitable National team member for the next decade (Maybe a little more politics)
Copper and Ogunbowale will both have very legit reasons to make the final cut but lose out to Young, Plum and Ionescu for same reason as stated above
Like Ionescu I see Howard and Boston as the next multiple Olympics core team members so I think they get the nod over some of the more experienced players on this list.
Of the people I have making the final roster I think J. Young is probably the one who is most likely to get bumped for someone else. Not because she is not deserving but I think she has the quietest or lowest profile of the candidates. Working in her favor besides the instant chemistry with the other Aces on the team is being a true small forward and a strong defender.
With Howard, Boston and Ionescu getting the youth spots Clark will have to for the Worlds in 26 or the Olympics in 28 to get her National team career under way.
Besides the players above who are the brutal final cuts two other curve balls is a healthy Diggins-Smith or EDD joining later camps and doing all that is required to get their spots back, both have strong alumni status and are high profile players if they are truly in the mix they will be in the mix if not on the team. My read right now is neither is going to be fully healthy enough or interested enough in doing all the politics and time commitments it will take to maintain their spot.
Maybe B. Jones gets back in the picture and Boston has to wait four more years?
Could A. Gray compete for the J. Young spot or push her Atl teammate in Howard out while also beating out Copper and Ogunbowale?
there are a lot of possibilities and as always some great players are going to miss out but I am content with my prediction for now. |
Having just watched the national team (?) play Duke, Copper and Alisha Gray were head and shoulders beyond everyone else on the floor. It would be a crying shame or neither to make the team while Taurasi is there playing her statue defense and picking up an undeserved Gold after very much earning the first five Golds.
Ogunbowale in no way belongs on the Olympic squad. I just watched her. My close seatmates knew little about the makeup of the national team but very much agreed with my statement that it was clear who should make the team and who should not. This after watching Copper get and make any shot she wanted and Alisha Gray always being the player making plays all over the court on both offense and defense. Copper was burning and Taurasi was getting burned.
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willtalk
Joined: 13 Apr 2012
Posts: 1097
Location: NorCal
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| Posted: 11/14/23 6:31 pm ::: |
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What made the last Oympic team special was their emphasis on on defense. Are they going to throw that in the trash just so they can place DT on the Roster. I also believe that having her on the roster will interfere with the chemisty that the last team developed. DT has always been a super alpha and I doubt her decline in ability will impact her in that respect. She is not going to see herself as someone who sits on the end of the bench and shuts up. There are players available who are just as good at doing what DT was good at that present less of a defensive liability so why should they have her on the team.
I have never been a fan of the sense of entitlement that both her and Bird had in respect to a place on the National team. Bird was not even as bad of a defensive liability as DT, but even she was taken advantage of her last game.
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Shades
Joined: 10 Jul 2006
Posts: 63779
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| Posted: 11/14/23 8:37 pm ::: |
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| willtalk wrote: |
| What made the last Oympic team special was their emphasis on on defense. Are they going to throw that in the trash just so they can place DT on the Roster. |
Taurasi was on the last team, or was she hurt?
| willtalk wrote: |
| I also believe that having her on the roster will interfere with the chemisty that the last team developed. DT has always been a super alpha and I doubt her decline in ability will impact her in that respect. |
She has so much experience that hopefully she’s sharing that I would think this would more than overtake any perceived decline.
| willtalk wrote: |
| She is not going to see herself as someone who sits on the end of the bench and shuts up. |
She’s been doing that in All Star games lately, but I’m not sure why she needs to shut up.
| willtalk wrote: |
| There are players available who are just as good at doing what DT was good at that present less of a defensive liability so why should they have her on the team? |
Your points are repetitive so I’ll skip this one.
| willtalk wrote: |
| I have never been a fan of the sense of entitlement that both her and Bird had in respect to a place on the National team. Bird was not even as bad of a defensive liability as DT, but even she was taken advantage of her last game. |
I’m not the hugest fan of Taurasi going back to her petulant days of throwing medals on the ground, being one of the dirtiest players ever (mini Cambage) and, of course, her part of the Mercury Tanking of 2012 (proclaimed herself 100% for Olympics but played only 8 games during 2012 WNBA season). But, if people get too ridiculous, I’ll even defend Taurasi. 
Other than these things, both Taurasi and Bird have been huge for women’s basketball and should be treated with such respect. If Taurasi was seen as a true deterrent to USA winning another Olympic gold medal, I could see maybe some action being taken to go in another direction. But let’s not kid ourselves. USA is in no danger of not getting another gold medal.
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Luuuc
#NATC
Joined: 10 Feb 2005
Posts: 21929
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| Posted: 11/15/23 9:29 am ::: |
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Here's a question: which was the last Olympic games in which all 12 Team USA players deserved their place purely on playing ability?
(meaning ability/form at the time of selection, not at some point many years prior)
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readyAIMfire53
Joined: 20 Nov 2004
Posts: 7372
Location: Durham, NC
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| Posted: 11/15/23 2:38 pm ::: |
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| Luuuc wrote: |
Here's a question: which was the last Olympic games in which all 12 Team USA players deserved their place purely on playing ability?
(meaning ability/form at the time of selection, not at some point many years prior) |
Well, with Geno no longer in charge, at least we will no longer have multiple UConn alums who have no business being gifted with a gold medal. Yes, the talent superiority of the USA squad meant we could squander spots for players who did not help the team win the medal they had the privilege of receiving.
If Taurasi somehow is not too injured when the Olympics are played and maintains "her" spot on the team, she will only be playing when USA has built a good lead and can afford the opponent going on a run when she's on the floor.
Anyone who thinks I'm exaggerating needs to watch this team in person. Yes it was great fun to watch our 18 yr olds repeatedly burning her. As a fan of USA winning another gold, not so fun to watch. And seriously, based on the # of WNBA games Taurasi now misses, the odds are not good she'll be available to play. That does not mean she won't be sitting on the bench and receive a medal, which is pretty ridiculous.
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willtalk
Joined: 13 Apr 2012
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Location: NorCal
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| Posted: 11/18/23 1:32 am ::: |
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| Shades --- I believe you are right about DT being on the last Olymic team. I was thinking about the World Championships against China with the National Team not the Olympics. China was a much better opponent than Japan. It was the World team that emphasized defense, not the Olympic team. My Bad.
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tfan
Joined: 31 May 2010
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Shades
Joined: 10 Jul 2006
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myrtle
Joined: 02 May 2008
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| Posted: 01/24/24 11:52 pm ::: |
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always some hard choices.
1)someone will likely get injured so that is one.
2)DT since she is well past her prime.
3) Dump one of Collier or AT as we don't need six posts
4) keep two of C.Gray, Plum, and Ionescu
5-6)Since all the rest are wings, keep five and dump two. My inclination would be Arike and Laney.
So PGs
C Gray and Plum with J Young as backup
wings: Loyd, J.Young, Howard, A. Gray, Copper, and Atkins
posts: Boston, Griner, Stewie, Wilson, and Collier or AT
minus whoever gets injured.
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Luuuc
#NATC
Joined: 10 Feb 2005
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| Posted: 01/25/24 12:08 am ::: |
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Do you pick the "best 12" right now, or do you include a couple of extra players who are on the fringe to compare the dynamics & help with the final decision-making for Paris?
The other teams will be giving their best effort so it's a good testing environment.
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Richyyy
Joined: 17 Nov 2005
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| Posted: 01/25/24 12:22 pm ::: |
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| myrtle wrote: |
3) Dump one of Collier or AT as we don't need six posts |
Leaving out either of those two seems unlikely as Thomas was the best player and driving force on the World Cup team and Reeve is the Lynx/USA head coach. More likely to me they either keep six or Boston continues to wait her turn on the outside. |
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eyevolley4
Joined: 27 Apr 2006
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| Posted: 01/25/24 12:46 pm ::: |
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No Brainers:
Breanna
Aja
Alyssa
Nepheesa
Chelsea
Likely:
Jewell
Aaliyah
Brittney
Probably:
Diana
That leaves three slots and I feel you need all perimeter and a huge question is who is the court general when Chelsea sits. Sabrina and Kelsey seem to be the candidates there. If I am betting, Sabrina, Kelsey, and Jackie get the final three slots.
Ariel, Allisha, Rhyne, Betnijah, and Kayleah are all more appealing to me than Diana but Diana becomes the nostalgic story like so many others in the past.
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