USA Women's national team

[carlo]

15 players left, after Harris, Hebard, Shepard and (unexpectedly) Ogunbowale were cut and E. Williams joining the camp. There are still several other players expected to join the team from WNBA playoffs.

https://www.usab.com/news-events/news/2018/09/wnt-roster-for-nyc.aspx

[JGX]

Weakened team, I know, but nearly a monumental embarrassment against Canada. Going to the US-Japan game on Monday, hoping to see a better showing.

[carlo]

After late addition of six WNBA playoff players and the cut of five invitees, the finalists roster is now 16:

Bird *, Clarendon, Plum
Taurasi, Loyd *, T. Mitchell, K. Mitchell
Delle Donne *, Tuck, Collier
Stewart *, Wilson, Ogwumike
Griner, Charles, Williams

* WNBA finalists, still to join the team

https://www.usab.com/news-events/news/2018/09/wwc-16-finalists.aspx

Next exhibition games are scheduled 15-17 Sept in Antibes with Canada, Senegal and host France.

First two exhibitions quite disappointing.

[JGX]

Not sure what to take from the US-Japan game. US mostly just let Japan run their offense, and constantly ended up with a big isolated on a Japanese guard with predictable results. Whether that is something to be concerned about or just an indication that they don't really gameplan for exhibitions I don't know. I'm sure things will look more cohesive if they add some veterans. Both teams rotated a lot of players.

On the plus side, they've raised their game when needed in both exhibitions, and Wilson is ready to be a dominant international center.

[carlo]

Finalists roster pared to 13, a mix of old and young:

Sue Bird
Tina Charles
Layshia Clarendon
Elena Delle Donne
Brittney Griner
Jewell Loyd
Nneka Ogwumike
Kelsey Plum
Breanna Stewart
Diana Taurasi
Morgan Tuck
Elizabeth Williams
A’ja Wilson

Bird, Delle Donne, Loyd and Stewart dnp at the recent Antibes tournament won by team USA over France after pulling away in the last quarter.

https://www.usab.com/news-events/news/2018/09/wwc-13-finalists.aspx

[carlo]

Last cut is Williams and the WC team will therefore be:

Bird, Clarendon, Plum
Taurasi, Loyd
Delle Donne, Tuck
Stewart, Wilson, Ogwumike
Griner, Charles

The team edged Australia 70-60 in an unofficial and last exhibition.

https://www.usab.com/news-events/news/2018/09/wwc-team-named.aspx

https://www.usab.com/news-events/news/2018/09/wnt-scr-aus-9-19.aspx

[carlo]

2020 Olympic team training plans include NCAA college exhibition tour and the participation in the 2019 Fiba AmeriCup (Sept 22-29). For its preparation US team will take advantage of the two Olympic qualifying windows set up by Fiba, Nov 10-18 and Feb 2-10, 2020, when overseas competition will be shut down.

Details and initial roster: https://www.usab.com/news-events/new...r-2019-20.aspx

[JGX]

2020 Olympic team training plans include NCAA college exhibition tour and the participation in the 2019 Fiba AmeriCup (Sept 22-29). For its preparation US team will take advantage of the two Olympic qualifying windows set up by Fiba, Nov 10-18 and Feb 2-10, 2020, when overseas competition will be shut down.

Details and initial roster: https://www.usab.com/news-events/new...r-2019-20.aspx

The core group of players will get $2,000 a day for the training camps and tours. Apparently Bird and Taurasi were the ones who came up with the idea. Seems like a good way of keeping a group available for the FIBA windows and getting additional publicity before the Olympics, but I wonder how it affects the team dynamic if only some of the players are getting paid.

[cagney]

The core group of players will get $2,000 a day for the training camps and tours. Apparently Bird and Taurasi were the ones who came up with the idea. Seems like a good way of keeping a group available for the FIBA windows and getting additional publicity before the Olympics, but I wonder how it affects the team dynamic if only some of the players are getting paid.

The few other locks for the Olympic team that aren’t part of this probably decided they could earn more playing overseas, no? I’ve figured Bird and Taurasi were looking for a way to continue to earn while skipping such an option and potentially risking injury. It’d make sense if the others participating felt the economics worked for them and were interested in having a leg up over any competition for spots on the Olympic team as well.

[JGX]

The few other locks for the Olympic team that aren’t part of this probably decided they could earn more playing overseas, no? I’ve figured Bird and Taurasi were looking for a way to continue to earn while skipping such an option and potentially risking injury. It’d make sense if the others participating felt the economics worked for them and were interested in having a leg up over any competition for spots on the Olympic team as well.

Yeah, most of these eight are older players that have been cutting back their overseas play or younger players that haven't gone overseas in the first place. I'm assuming that the other top players won't be available for training camps and NCAA tours (and maybe not for the tournaments, since the US doesn't have anything on the line?), so I'm just wondering how it will work out with eight players on decent salaries and the rest of the team made up of fringe players getting whatever per diem USA Basketball hands out. I wonder if there will be any pressure on the second-tier players to forego at least part of the overseas season and participate if they want a shot at making the Olympic team.

OTOH the national team has always had core players and fringe players and the players don't all get paid the same with their club teams, so maybe it's no big deal.