USA Women's national team

[carlo]

USA-Italy 79-66, in a game closer than final result shows.
Five US players in double digits, led by McCoughtry with 19, while Parker scored another double-double. Chiara Consolini led Italy with 16.
US-team better in shooting and rebounding but with too many turnovers (21 vs Italy's 13).

CQu3ebtU8AAbWim.jpg

[carlo]

After easily beating Dike Naples 86-50, US NT will face on Saturday top European club USK Prague, 2015 EuroLeague reigning champ and recent winner of Supercup after beating archrival UMMC Ekaterinburg (see box score).

[JGX]

[carlo]

USA NT routed EuroLeague champ USK Prague 85-53, Candace Parker leading the way 20+11.

CQ-eulfUAAA5fwp.jpg

[carlo]

US Olympic NT 25 finalists named:

Seimone Augustus (Minnesota Lynx),
Sue Bird (Seattle Storm),
Tamika Catchings (Indiana Fever),
Tina Charles (New York Liberty),
Elena Delle Donne (Chicago Sky),
Skylar Diggins (Dallas Wings),
Stefanie Dolson (Washington Mystics),
Candice Dupree (Phoenix Mercury),
Sylvia Fowles (Minnesota Lynx),
Brittney Griner (Phoenix Mercury),
Briann January (Indiana Fever),
Jantel Lavender (Los Angeles Sparks),
Jewell Loyd (Seattle Storm)
Kayla McBride (San Antonio Stars),
Angel McCoughtry (Atlanta Dream),
Maya Moore (Minnesota Lynx),
Chiney Ogwumike (Connecticut Sun),
Nnemkadi Ogwumike (Los Angeles Sparks),
Candace Parker (Los Angeles Sparks),
Danielle Robinson (San Antonio Stars),
Odyssey Sims (Dallas Wings),
Breanna Stewart (University of Connecticut),
Diana Taurasi (Phoenix Mercury),
Courtney Vandersloot (Chicago Sky),
Lindsay Whalen (Minnesota Lynx).

Breanna Stewart is the only collegian.

http://www.usab.com/news-events/news/2016/01/25-us-womens-olympic-team-finalists-announced.aspx

[carlo]

A training minicamp is scheduled at the University of Connecticut Febr 21-23, with an expected participation of (just) 16 players:

Seimone Augustus,
Sue Bird,
Tamika Catchings
Elena Delle Donne
Stefanie Dolson
Brittney Griner
Jewell Loyd
Kayla McBride
Angel McCoughtry
Maya Moore
Nnemkadi Ogwumike
Danielle Robinson
Breanna Stewart
Diana Taurasi
Courtney Vandersloot
Lindsay Whalen

This ihould be the final training camp before the Olympic NT is selected.

Players active in Europe take advantage of Euro leagues action break and are allowed to participate. Just wondering why players currently without overseas engagements (i.e, Diggins, C. Ogwumike, Sims) are not in the list.

http://www.usab.com/news-events/news/2016/02/2016-wnt-minicamp-participants.aspx

[carlo]

According to ESPN source, two-time Olympic gold Candace Parker won't be among the 12 finalists USA Basketball is expected to officially announce Wednesday.

http://espn.go.com/olympics/basketball/story/_/id/15353813/leaving-candace-parker-rio-team-bad-call-usa-basketball

If true, this looks to be a really unexplicable bad move by USA Basketball.

[carlo]

"Surprised and disappointed", this was Candace Parker comment on being left off the NT, adding "but I wish all the members of the team GOODLUCK in Rio".

https://twitter.com/candace_parker

LA Sparks co-owner Magic Johnson had the same reaction on this nonsense decision.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/wnba/2016/04/26/candace-parker-disappointed-will-not-be-on-us-hoops-roster/83548214/

The 12 finalists are expected to be announced as early as tomorrow, another USA Basketball odd decision in the NT definition process.

[carlo]

USA Olympic NT unveiled (?):

Seimone Augustus (Minnesota Lynx)
Sue Bird (Seattle Storm)
Tamika Catchings (Indiana Fever)
Tina Charles (New York Liberty)
Elena Delle Donne (Chicago Sky)
Sylvia Fowles (Minnesota Lynx)
Brittney Griner (Phoenix Mercury)
Angel McCoughtry (Atlanta Dream)
Maya Moore (Minnesota Lynx)
Breanna Stewart (University of Connecticut/Seattle Storm)
Diana Taurasi (Phoenix Mercury)
Lindsay Whalen (Minnesota Lynx)

Not much new blood in this "experienced" team, WNBA MVP Delle Donne is the real new entry, and for Griner and Stewart it's their first Olympic NT.

http://www.usab.com/news-events/news/2016/04/2016-woly-team-named.aspx

[JGX]

According to ESPN source, two-time Olympic gold Candace Parker won't be among the 12 finalists USA Basketball is expected to officially announce Wednesday.

http://espn.go.com/olympics/basketball/story/_/id/15353813/leaving-candace-parker-rio-team-bad-call-usa-basketball

If true, this looks to be a really unexplicable bad move by USA Basketball.

Rumor seems to be that Auriemma and Parker didn't get along at the last Olympics. She's a great player, but there's enough talent available that everyone is expendable.

[carlo]

Rumor seems to be that Auriemma and Parker didn't get along at the last Olympics. She's a great player, but there's enough talent available that everyone is expendable.

It can't be a different way, in fact.
Parker was in USAB media activity just recently and she played really well with the team in last October tour. There's something intangible that didn't work with Auriemma, for sure.
On the other hand, it's clear that being an iconic player doesn't mean to automatically be picked for the NT selection, but the same applies to the other nine ex 2012 Olympians as well.
Unfortunately USAB selection committee looks to be just a "cover" of headcoach God decisions, and this is quite more evident in W-Bball.

[carlo]

USA Basketball Women's NT will host Australia, Canada and France in a preparation tournament to be held July 27-31 in various East Coast locations, including NY.

http://www.usab.com/news-events/news/2016/06/usa-wnt-to-host-four-team-tournament.aspx

[carlo]

1996-2016: Atlanta Olympic team members what they did then and where are now.

http://bigstory.ap.org/article/f63cc1d7a2d940839b62c3a11bc659c8/1996-team-players-big-olympic-moments-where-are-they-now

[JGX]

Ogwumike is having a great WNBA season and looks like a bigger omission than Parker at the moment.

[carlo]

USA National team will open its preparation for the Olympics on July 25 with an exhibition game against a USA Select team (t.b.n.) at the Galen Center, Los Angeles.

http://www.usab.com/news-events/news/2016/06/2016-usa-wnt-la-training-camp.aspx