Women's Hoops Blog

Inane commentary on a game that deserves far better


Friday, September 01, 2006

While the US Women's national team continues to prepare for the 2006 FIBA Women's World Championships, today's big news will be all about the Men's National team's loss to Greece in the men's semis.
"Team USA lost," says ESPN's Chris Sheridan, "because it keeps changing its roster, never developing the chemistry and familiarity that the best international teams have developed. The Greeks had two or three plays that worked over and over and over again, just like Argentina's plays worked two years ago in Athens, and Team USA didn't have the cohesion a team needs to play the halfcourt defense required to win in these tournaments.
Yeah, I know it's sort of spitting in to the wind, but is it too much to ask that Sheridan, or any reporter who writes about the USA teams, use the qualifier "men's" or "women's" in front of "team"? 'Cause if you were to look at Team USA (the women) you'd see a roster with a ton of consistency, chemistry and familiarity and a clear eye to the future.

No doubt the international women's game is getting better -- the game between the US and Australia September 7th ought to be a doozy -- so nothing should be taken for granted, but if Sheridan and company want to watch a team that has the cohesion it takes to play halfcourt defense to win "these" tournaments, he and his colleagues should get on the next plane to Raleigh. Or, Brazil. Or find a way to get his cable company to offer NBAtv and FSN.