These questions clouded the rosters for the (pre-COVID) Team USA training camp and exhibition games. Should a proven commitment to USA Basketball most determine who makes the Olympic team, rewarding players for their longterm dedication? Or, should the Olympic team be more future facing, with priority given to up-and-coming players regardless of their prior experience with USA Basketball? The approach to Ogwumike is reflective of the contradictory, or at least unclear, ethos of USA Basketball. Should вЂњloyaltyвЂќ or вЂњthe futureвЂќ be the No. Instead, the selection committee decided to evaluate Ogwumike with extreme caution. And while she is not a four-time Olympian, her experiences with USA Basketball and in the WNBA, as highlighted above, suggest she deserves similar treatment.

It can be assumed that Taurasi and Bird would be given every benefit of the doubt regarding their readiness for the Olympics Ogwumike was not. In short, if there was such skepticism about OgwumikeвЂ™s ability to be prepared to play, even as her recovery timeline indicated otherwise, shouldnвЂ™t the prospect of an untimely injury to older players with recent injury histories also have been cause for pause?Д¬onsidering the history that Taurasi and Bird are poised to make in Tokyo, it seems impossible to imagine their exclusion. Although both have been fit and fantastic in 2021, their ages, like TaurasiвЂ™s, does make the possibility of injury a real concern. Team USAвЂ™s other elder stateswomen - Sue Bird and Sylvia Fowles - also endured injury-marred 2020 seasons.

Nevertheless, not only did Taurasi suffer a sternum fracture earlier this season, but her last two WNBA seasons have been interrupted by injuries. Her play on Sunday, her first game since May 21, alleviated any doubts. While she returned to the court this past weekend, Diana TaurasiвЂ™s condition was in question when the team was named last week. It also should be noted that Ogwumike was not the only prospective Olympian with injury concerns. But no way you can tell me you put a team together and leave Nneka off of it, and try to say it makes sense and adds up, because it doesnвЂ™t. We respect other players, happy for the ones that made it. The timeline doesnвЂ™t add up for her being unavailable to play during the Olympics. You can try to throw the injury out there if you want to IвЂ™m calling BS on that, too. As Los Angeles Sparks head coach Derek Fisher put it in a press conference: However, many have emphasized that OgwumikeвЂ™s expected recovery timeline would allow her to participate without problem. I mean, if we had to make a decision a month from now.

It really breaks my heart that Nneka is not on this team. Head coach Dawn Staley, who did not have a say in the team selection, suggested that OgwumikeвЂ™s knee injury significantly factored into her being left of Team USA. Regarding her injury, Ogwumike deserved the benefit of the doubt The contradictory ethos of Team USA, in combination with questions about the relationship between the 3x3 and 5x5 teams, also contributed to the Ogwumike controversy. It appears that more than concerns about OgwumikeвЂ™s knee injury resulted in her snub. Per USA Basketball policy, the national team director does not comment on the specifics of the selection process.ДЄs it seems a satisfying explanation for OgwumikeвЂ™s exclusion will not be provided, the best we can do is try to understand how Ogwumike ended up on the outside of Team USA. When asked about the team selection process, Miller demurred, suggesting Callan should address any questions. The selection committee is composed of national team director Carol Callan, former Team USA head coach and longtime UConn head coach Geno Auriemma, former Olympian and current Minnesota Lynx assistant coach Katie Smith, Connecticut Sun head coach Curt Miller and WNBA league operations head Bethany Donaphin. The opaque selection process has inspired both consternation and conspiratorial thinking.

вњ”пёЏoh, and she is one of few who went to every Team USA camp the last 5 years /iEzDduj4Kj- Chiney Ogwumike June 21, 2021 вњ”пёЏWNBA MVP & Champion in 2016 (last Olympic year)

Team swish