In reply to: Skylar, Jewel & Kmac part of National team training program posted by RISteve
...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.