Voepel is hardly the only WNBA journalist filing color pieces from Beijing. Debbie Arrington has made the trip from Sacramento, and she hasn't only been watching Team USA: today she looks again at "Russian" star Becky Hammon.

Becky is still defending her decision; Monarchs Powell and Ticha defend her too. "If I played for a small country that nobody had ever heard of, it would be different," Hammon says. "I could either have gone home and sat on the couch and watched the Olympics on TV or come here and taken part."

Also in Beijing, Sue Bird says the Olympic schedule so far is like a vacation compared to the year-round pace of women's pro ball: there's no travel, and great accommodations. "Even on days we don't play, we're in our hotel," she continues. "We don't have to go that far unless we want to see other events."