2016 Olympic roster

[UConn79]

I know we just finished the 3 day camp for the Olympic team, but has anyone thought about the task of choosing the 12 players for the Olympic team ?

I looked at the 2014 World Championship team roster :

C Griner / Charles
F N. Ogwumike / Moore / Stewart / Dupree
G McCoughtry / Taurasi / Augustus / Sims
PG Bird / Whalen

Who do you add and subtract ?

They are all worthy of making the team, but I would consider dropping Dupree, Sims and Augustus, in order to make room for EDD , Parker and Vandersloot.

3 centers, 3 point guards too much ? Charles and Parker can also play F and Maya could see time at SG.

It's time for a changing of the guard. Thoughts ?

 

[Kaizen]

Saw this in the ESPN message: (one of the poster's 12)
Looks good for me except there are 6 UConners).
Sue Bird
Tamika Catchings
Tina Charles
Elena Delle Donne
Stefanie Dolson
Sylvia Fowles
Brittney Griner
Maya Moore
Nnemkadi Ogwumike
Candace Parker
Breanna Stewart
Diana Taurasi
*Dolson last one in over Whalen.

 

[Vowelguy]

Saw this in the ESPN message: (one of the poster's 12)
Looks good for me except there are 6 UConners).
Sue Bird
Tamika Catchings
Tina Charles
Elena Delle Donne
Stefanie Dolson
Sylvia Fowles
Brittney Griner
Maya Moore
Nnemkadi Ogwumike
Candace Parker
Breanna Stewart
Diana Taurasi
*Dolson last one in over Whalen.

Dolson?? That seems highly unlikely to me.

Bird, Taurasi, Whalen
Maya, EDD, Catchings, CP, Stewie
Griner, Tina

seem likely to me

I would guess Fowles and then one of the young guards for the last spots.

 

[SportsPageMike]

I would add McCoughtry over Dolson. Space opens up for the 2020 Olympics as Bird, Catchings, Fowles and Taurasi probably won't be playing any more.

 

[EricLA]

Ken (Milford) and I were chatting about this the other day. We sort of came up with the following:

Locks - Bird, Charles, Delle Donne, Griner, Moore, Parker, Taurasi, Catchings
Near Locks - Fowles

We weren't sure about including Whalen as a lock or near lock but we pretty much assumed that the above 9 would be on the team if they are healthy. After that you have 3 spots to fill. Most likely the list of the remaining players would come down to Whalen, Sims, Diggins, Vandersloot, Ogwumike, Stewart, McCaughtry and Augustus. Again assuming everyone is healthy, I think you have to give Whalen and Stewie an edge So the last spot would come down to a guard type - not needing a PG. I would think it would be between Augustus, Sims or Diggins.

It's not necessarily about the "best players", but rather about the best assemblage of players, in other words, the best "team".

 

[Fairfield Fan]

I know we just finished the 3 day camp for the Olympic team, but has anyone thought about the task of choosing the 12 players for the Olympic team ?

I looked at the 2014 World Championship team roster :

C Griner / Charles
F N. Ogwumike / Moore / Stewart / Dupree
G McCoughtry / Taurasi / Augustus / Sims
PG Bird / Whalen

Who do you add and subtract ?

They are all worthy of making the team, but I would consider dropping Dupree, Sims and Augustus, in order to make room for EDD , Parker and Vandersloot.

3 centers, 3 point guards too much ? Charles and Parker can also play F and Maya could see time at SG.

It's time for a changing of the guard. Thoughts ?

Coach Geno was once asked which player that didn't go to UConn he would have liked to coach. He named one player: Angel McCoughtry. So I have to think that Angel makes the roster.

 

[Vowelguy]

Coach Geno was once asked which player that didn't go to UConn he would have liked to coach. He named one player: Angel McCoughtry. So I have to think that Angel makes the roster.

Though Geno doesn't pick the team.

 

[Fairfield Fan]

Saw this in the ESPN message: (one of the poster's 12)
Looks good for me except there are 6 UConners).
Sue Bird
Tamika Catchings
Tina Charles
Elena Delle Donne
Stefanie Dolson
Sylvia Fowles
Brittney Griner
Maya Moore
Nnemkadi Ogwumike
Candace Parker
Breanna Stewart
Diana Taurasi
*Dolson last one in over Whalen.

Will Sue Bird really make the roster? I can't say that her last WNBA season suggested that she's one of The Twelve. One of the All-Time Greats? Absolutely. But for the 2016 Olympics? Not so sure.

 

[Dillon77]

Here's an article from Ms. Voepel that was posted today. Diana Taurasi is quoted extensively and has very good things to say about, well, everyone who was in camp, but specifically about Sue Bird (looking better than she's seen her in years) and two Domers who were in camp (K-Mac, Jewell) and one who wasn't.

http://espn.go.com/espnw/sports/art...linger-us-women-national-basketball-team-camp

The point Voepel raises about possibly just having two point guards (Bird, Whelan) and having DT be the third (if needed) is interesting: it might open another shooting guard/wing slot. Guess it depends on what the committee saw. If that was to come to pass, perhaps another shooting guard comes in. Sims was not in camp and who knows how Skylar is doing with rehab? Personally, I could see the physical nature of K-Mac being a positive.

Taking my Domer glasses off, I could see a lot of permutations but think having a lot of the younger players in (Dolson, Loyd, etc.) was a great way to go. Here's a shot:
Definites:
Center: Griner, Charles
Forwards: Moore, EDD, Catchings, Parker, Ogwunmike
Guards: Bird, Whelan, Taurasi

Possibilities:
Forward: Stewart
Guards: Vandersloot (if looking for third PG only), Augustus, McCoughtry or K-Mac (my long shot )

 

[HGN]

Saw this in the ESPN message: (one of the poster's 12)
Looks good for me except there are 6 UConners).
Sue Bird
Tamika Catchings
Tina Charles
Elena Delle Donne
Stefanie Dolson
Sylvia Fowles
Brittney Griner
Maya Moore
Nnemkadi Ogwumike
Candace Parker
Breanna Stewart
Diana Taurasi
*Dolson last one in over Whalen.

Kaizen , I would take out Dolson and Stewart..........And add in McCoughtry and Whalen. Fowles and Griner provides enough size , with EDD as a swing. Whalen gives them another ballhandler.
Besides , you don't want or need the roster to be too UConn heavy. Stewart and Dolson will be great additions for 2020.

 

[JoePgh]

I can't imagine any circumstances in which Lindsey Whalen and Candace Parker are not selected. I would say that they are locks, along with Griner / Charles / Moore / Taurasi. So that makes 6 "locks" (assuming no injuries, of course).

In the near-lock group, I would include EDD and Nneka. If I were the committee, I would choose both of them.

I'm thinking it may be the end of the line for some members of the "old guard", specifically Bird / Fowles / Catchings. I can see Sue being asked to travel with the squad as an honorary (and actual) assistant coach, if that can be arranged.

So that makes eight. There has to be a backup point guard, and I would think that Odyssey Sims has the inside track from being on the 2014 team. But Vandersloot is a possibility.

I think Stewie will make the team as a provision for the future, and of course because Geno is the coach.

That leaves three positions on the bubble: the three aforementioned members of the Old Guard plus McCoughtrey / Dupree / Augustus. I think choosing three from among those 6 will be the hard decision for Geno and the committee.

 

[VAMike23]

Coach Geno was once asked which player that didn't go to UConn he would have liked to coach. He named one player: Angel McCoughtry. So I have to think that Angel makes the roster.

I think the player he singled out when asked that question was Catchings --

 

[CocoHusky]

I think the player he singled out when asked that question was Catchings --

That's how I remembered it also.

 

[Ron and Vida]

Coach Geno was once asked which player that didn't go to UConn he would have liked to coach. He named one player: Angel McCoughtry. So I have to think that Angel makes the roster.

Sounded like a Genoism to me and he was saying of all the talented players on the team she was the one that needed the most to play smarter and would have if he had been able to coach her earlier in her career (or not)

 

[UConn79]

Saw this in the ESPN message: (one of the poster's 12)
Looks good for me except there are 6 UConners).
Sue Bird
Tamika Catchings
Tina Charles
Elena Delle Donne
Stefanie Dolson
Sylvia Fowles
Brittney Griner
Maya Moore
Nnemkadi Ogwumike
Candace Parker
Breanna Stewart
Diana Taurasi
*Dolson last one in over Whalen.

I love the idea of 6 former Huskies on the team like 2012, but that is not going to happen. I think we have to look at th breakdown of the 2014 roster. 1 C, 1 C/F, 4 F, 4 G, 2 PG. I love Steph as a player, but she is not versatile enought to play F. I think you need more guards for the up tempo, high pressuure game Geno will want to run.

I just felt Catchings @ 36, may be too old. McBride, Loyd, Dolson too young.

 

[Huskylove3]

I think the player he singled out when asked that question was Catchings --

I actually thought he said Whalen. hahaha

I would NOT want to be the selection committee.

Here's my best try...
Charles
Griner
Catchings
Moore
EDD
Parker
Stewie
Augustus
Bird
Whalen
Taurasi
Simms

 

[JordyG]

Though Geno doesn't pick the team.

Wink Wink.

 

[UcMiami]

Will Sue Bird really make the roster? I can't say that her last WNBA season suggested that she's one of The Twelve. One of the All-Time Greats? Absolutely. But for the 2016 Olympics? Not so sure.

Gets down to how you evaluate point guards, and USA basketball as Dawn says evaluate them on how they manage the team and not on any measurable statistics. They are often the last option on offense.

Eric - I think Whalen is a lock and Sylvia is definitely not of the list you provided, for the same reason that Sue is a lock - the committee and Geno both trust those two players more than any possible replacement. We talk of WCs and Olympics as sort of equally important, but they are not - the committee is much more willing to go to a WC with an inexperienced team than they would to the Olympics so 2018 is when the big changes will happen I think and both Whalen and Bird might not be included on that team. Otherwise I agree with your list which leave three openings.

I think Stewart gets included - loyalty and the future.

The other two:
One of Augustus or McCaughtry
And either Fowles or one of Vandersloot or Robinson depending how worried they are about international centers.

Sims and Diggins are possibles but I think this weekend was important to the committee and neither could make it. McBride has an outside shot if Augustus and McCaughtry are both dropped. i think Jewell is still in the future.

 

[EricLA]

Gets down to how you evaluate point guards, and USA basketball as Dawn says evaluate them on how they manage the team and not on any measurable statistics. They are often the last option on offense.

Eric - I think Whalen is a lock and Sylvia is definitely not of the list you provided, for the same reason that Sue is a lock - the committee and Geno both trust those two players more than any possible replacement. We talk of WCs and Olympics as sort of equally important, but they are not - the committee is much more willing to go to a WC with an inexperienced team than they would to the Olympics so 2018 is when the big changes will happen I think and both Whalen and Bird might not be included on that team. Otherwise I agree with your list which leave three openings.

I think Stewart gets included - loyalty and the future.

The other two:
One of Augustus or McCaughtry
And either Fowles or one of Vandersloot or Robinson depending how worried they are about international centers.

Sims and Diggins are possibles but I think this weekend was important to the committee and neither could make it. McBride has an outside shot if Augustus and McCaughtry are both dropped. i think Jewell is still in the future.

Good points. I included Fowles because Charles at 6'3" is undersized to play the 5 (although she can) and that leaves Griner as the only true 5. At 6'6", Fowles can be a beast and is monster strong. Also by including her, it's one reason I left Ogwumike off as any possible choice because you have Charles, who is better in every way, and Parker and possibly Stewie, who are both much more versatile. And i thought Sylvia played great at the end of last year, but honestly, I have no idea how she's playing right now. She certainly has been up and down...

 

[Farney]

There is a 0% chance Bird doesn't make the team. She's a lock. So is EDD. USA isn't going to the Olympics without a scorer like EDD.