of players that will attend all these segments. Given that she has not been on a senior-level U.S. Nat'l. Team competition of this ilk, this is a good move on Sky's part.
Interesting that Taurasi and Bird seeming precipitated this:
Headlining the program are longtime USA National Team members Sue Bird (Seattle Storm) and Diana Taurasi (Phoenix Mercury), who own a combined eight Olympic and seven FIBA World Cup gold medals and collaborated with USA Basketball on the expanded national team program.
“I’m very excited about this program,” said Bird. “It’s the right amount of training so we can gear up and get ready for the Olympics, and also it gives us the right amount of exposure where we can really create some momentum heading into the Olympics. It’s not only about trying to win another gold medal, it’s about trying to win our seventh in a row, that’s the story. It gives us a chance to do all of those things, but above all it gives us a chance to get together as potential Olympians and play.”
“As we know, every year it gets tougher,” said Taurasi, who first suited up for USA Basketball in 2000 on a U18 team. “Every competition gets a little bit harder. So, this is a great opportunity to train, play, be in competitive situations with a team that hopefully is going to Tokyo to win a gold medal."
And Sky appears to be part of the next group that Bird/Taurasi/U.S. Basketball reached out to:
Also committed to USA Basketball for the five segments are: three-time Olympic and 2010 World Cup gold medalist Sylvia Fowles (Minnesota Lynx), 2016 Olympic and 2018 World Cup gold medalist Elena Delle Donne (Washington Mystics), two-time World Cup gold medalist Nneka Ogwumike (Los Angeles Sparks), 2018 World Cup gold medalist A’ja Wilson (Las Vegas Aces) and USA National Team members Skylar Diggins-Smith (Dallas Wings) and Chelsea Gray (Los Angeles Sparks).
Jewell played on the World Cup team last year and was kind of Dawn Staley's "jack of all trades," who did everything from defend the other team's toughest guard, to rebound as a "big" guard to run the break early and often.
K-Mac's main calling card is her shooting, both three-point and those uncanny floaters she unleashes. I could see her spelling and being heir apparent to Taurasi.
...for these 8, as the Associated Press/NY Times reported.
"Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi, who have led the United States to gold medals in the last four Olympics, are among eight players who will be paid $2,000 a day at each of five training camps and games leading up to the Olympics, with a chance to earn bonuses.
"Sylvia Fowles, Elena Delle Donne, Nneka Ogwumike, A’ja Wilson, Skylar Diggins-Smith and Chelsea Gray are the others."
It looks as if U.S. Basketball had discussions with those players who do not want to go overseas after the WNBA season, which is when most players make the bulk of their earnings. (Not Brittany Griner is not among these 8.)
"Getting paid gives players, who want the option, to stay at home and not go overseas in the winter,” says Sue Bird.
“It’s legitimate, they knew they had to do it that way,” said Ogwumike, who has played in Russia and China in the W.N.B.A. off-season. “That investment is what the players want. It’s quite amazing to afford that type of opportunity. Not just the investment in us, but the strategic nature of hitting different markets. We’ll have traveling tournaments."
to make the national team. Our ND players did not show up despite starting. KMac was 5-15, JL even worse at 2-11. Too many 3's jacked up as the two were 5-20. Undrafted Erica Wheeler who played at Rutgers was the best baller, winning the MVP with 25 points and 7 3's, the only all-star to shoot above 50% from 3 point.
Overall I could only watch so much on the replay with the bad shooting except for the many uncontested lay-ups as the game was never really competitive between the two teams. It wasn't good that Wilson couldn't play on her own team she selected.
..for long stretches of time because of what it does to very good players: make them pedestrian.
Luckily, K-Mac is having a stellar shooting year in league play thus far. Jewell needs some time to rebound from her sprained ankle.
And that's saying something.
Very little defense played (I'm being generous)
Cambage wanted to show everyone she was a point guard trapped in a big's body - dribbling too much and jacking up 3s. It was pretty much get the ball and shoot.
While Jewell and Kayla shot awful, they did have some good assists in the game. Also 20 of the 26 shots the pair attempted were 3 pointers.
Very hard to tell the relative merits of any player watching that game - the top vote getter - Della Donne - only had 6 points
I watched because of the ND players in the game - I won't watch another All Star game
Somewhere in the late 3rd, early 4th they would suddenly get serious. Very competitive. I think Jordan started that.
For a while you would see world class basketball. Defense, sensible passes, everything. It was no longer Harlem Globetrotters, it was, "Ok, now let's really ball!"
The last few games though, not much anymore.