USA Basketball is now assembling the national team for the World Championships this fall in Brazil. What will they do for point guards?
Among the '04 Olympians, Staley is coming back as a coach, Shannon Johnson is near the end of her career, and Diana Taurasi does better as a shooting guard.
That leaves Sue Bird. The team will need somebody else, at least as a backup-- but Lindsay Whalen can't participate in tryouts, because she's still recovering from ankle surgery, and won't be 100% till sometime in May.
Joe Smith writes today in Full Court (subscription required) that America needs Lindsay anyway:
"Sue Bird is an excellent basketball player and a fine point guard, but she is not Lindsay Whalen. The fact that Whalen is the better point guard in the WNBA has been proven, but the difference in the international game would even be greater.... Lindsay Whalen must be on the national team for World Championships and the Olympics."
Among the '04 Olympians, Staley is coming back as a coach, Shannon Johnson is near the end of her career, and Diana Taurasi does better as a shooting guard.
That leaves Sue Bird. The team will need somebody else, at least as a backup-- but Lindsay Whalen can't participate in tryouts, because she's still recovering from ankle surgery, and won't be 100% till sometime in May.
Joe Smith writes today in Full Court (subscription required) that America needs Lindsay anyway:
"Sue Bird is an excellent basketball player and a fine point guard, but she is not Lindsay Whalen. The fact that Whalen is the better point guard in the WNBA has been proven, but the difference in the international game would even be greater.... Lindsay Whalen must be on the national team for World Championships and the Olympics."
posted by Jessie B at 10:14 AM
