USA Olympic women's 3 on 3 basketball

W

wwhawk

Well-Known Member
Watching the USA women's Olympic 3 on 3 basketball game last night, featuring Hailey Van Lith at point guard, i had to wonder why she is in that role. Clark ate her lunch both when Van Lith played for Louisville, and again when she played for the worst dresser in sports history at LSU this past season. With CC's passing wizardry, there is no one who would be a better 3 on 3 point guard than her.

Fully realize the 5 on 5 team was the goal and gets all the media coverage, but to be a 2024 Olympian, her starring on the 3 on 3 team would make that team better, and would generate huge TV ratings.

Also accept the fact that getting a month's rest is a real plus for both CC and for the Fever's stretch run to keep a top 8 spot and make the WNBA playoffs.

But unless i missed it, no mention of Clark playing for the 3 on 3 Olympic team was ever made by anyone. Just wondering why.
 
wwhawk said:
Watching the USA women's Olympic 3 on 3 basketball game last night, featuring Hailey Van Lith at point guard, i had to wonder why she is in that role. Clark ate her lunch both when Van Lith played for Louisville, and again when she played for the worst dresser in sports history at LSU this past season. With CC's passing wizardry, there is no one who would be a better 3 on 3 point guard than her.

Fully realize the 5 on 5 team was the goal and gets all the media coverage, but to be a 2024 Olympian, her starring on the 3 on 3 team would make that team better, and would generate huge TV ratings.

Also accept the fact that getting a month's rest is a real plus for both CC and for the Fever's stretch run to keep a top 8 spot and make the WNBA playoffs.

But unless i missed it, no mention of Clark playing for the 3 on 3 Olympic team was ever made by anyone. Just wondering why.
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1. I dunno that 3x3 is suited to her game? I also know jacksquat about basketball. I once scored a winning bucket in a 3x3 game during an early round of a tournament in DSM when I worked in sports radio. One of the guys couldn't make the early game. I think I was left completely open because I sucked so bad and was not a threat all game. But, hey, anybody can make one from 3 feet when you're wide open. And I did.
2. There's really cumbersome eligibility for 3x3 requiring several official 3x3 games to have been played in order to qualify. And some shizznit about only 2 players above a certain ranking and so many below a certain ranking.

So, being that she had exactly 13 minutes off in the last 12 months, 3x3 was just unpossible even if the committee wanted her.
 
After losing it's first 3 games at the Olympics, the USA 3x3 women's team won its next 5 games in a row to make it into the SEMIFINALS, where they lost, in OT to Spain. The women again bounced back to beat Canada for the Bronze medal.

The women actually did much better than the USA 3x3 men's team., which finished 2-5 and in 7th place.

I would say both USA 3x3 rosters were poorly stocked. I don't what the rules are for making a roster, but they should just pick the best alternates from the 5x5 teams.
 
dagdaj said:
1. I dunno that 3x3 is suited to her game? I also know jacksquat about basketball. I once scored a winning bucket in a 3x3 game during an early round of a tournament in DSM when I worked in sports radio. One of the guys couldn't make the early game. I think I was left completely open because I sucked so bad and was not a threat all game. But, hey, anybody can make one from 3 feet when you're wide open. And I did.
2. There's really cumbersome eligibility for 3x3 requiring several official 3x3 games to have been played in order to qualify. And some shizznit about only 2 players above a certain ranking and so many below a certain ranking.

So, being that she had exactly 13 minutes off in the last 12 months, 3x3 was just unpossible even if the committee wanted her.
Click to expand...

It is difficult to watch 3X3 basketball

I imagine Caitlin is rather disinterested

She did decline a multimillion contract to
play in the WNBA

Might as well watch schoolyard basketball

Somewhat of a travesty
 
thedukeofearl said:
It is difficult to watch 3X3 basketball

I imagine Caitlin is rather disinterested

She did decline a multimillion contract to
play in the WNBA

Might as well watch schoolyard basketball

Somewhat of a travesty
Click to expand...
CC is best in transition basketball where the floor is spread out and she and her big can just outrun the D. Also, in 3X3 you can't just hide out on the weak side on D.
 
I wasn't sure about the 3x3 to start, but it definitely grew on me. Players had to play in a certain number of tournaments to qualify for the Olympics, so CC would not have been a possibility. I think her game would play well in 3x3 simply because it is all about pick and roll, and she is the best pick and roll player I have ever seen. On the down side, they foul like crazy (without it being called), but that is similar to the WNBA, and she has gotten used to that.

She will be on the USWNT in LA in 2028, so it doesn't really matter. I am looking forward to Hawkeye FB starting up here soon, but almost excited to see the Fever get back under way.
 
Thank you CP87 for that explanation of why CC couldn't pay on the US Olympic 3x3 team. She is ideally suited to it, but she certainly has been a bit too busy to play in a certain number of tournaments to quality.

2028 Olympics team in LA sounds great. And the way time flies, it'll be here all too soon!
 
wwhawk said:
And the way time flies, it'll be here all too soon!
Click to expand...

You must be getting older.
Just wait. You know how everybody hates Mondays? You get to a point where you look forward to them. Because you know the weekend is just a blink away.

Kinda like the early days of MTV when you'd turn it on and catch the end of Tom Petty's "You Got Lucky." They only had like 50 videos, so you knee if you kept watching you'd get to see the whole thing in about 3 hours if you kept watching.
 
It will be interesting to see what CC does this off season.

Most W players go overseas to supplement their incomes, but I sense CC doesn't have that same need.

She could play 3x3 if she wants but does she want?

Maybe she's stays in INdy and works on her game?

Maybe shegoes back to Iowa City or Des Moines and works on her game (or both)?

One thing for sure, she doesn't owe the W anything............
 
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