[Baez87]

Getting away from the name calling, I wonder if there is a theory about why Nneka keeps being snubbed?  Is it that American women's basketball is so far ahead of the world that the selectors know they can win gold with less than the best, and so they pick on some other basis?  And is that basis pure collegiate prejudice?  Is it that Nneka is a player advocate and is being punished for this?  Do some players draw better TV ratings than others?  Is Nneka not one of them?  Are they truly skeptical of her abilities despite all of her awards?  Is it really an old-girls club?

Maybe the best thing that could happen would be for some other nation to beat team USA, provoking intense scrutiny about how we picked our team.  Didn't Oregon just do that two years ago?  What if instead of Oregon it was Australia or Russia or Serbia or Spain?

This is exactly what happened after the US Men lost in 1988, provoking the organization of the "Dream Team" in 1992.  It sounds like the women may need this to happen.  A team of aging stars and collegiate patronage positions might wind up not being our best, and maybe less-than-the-best won't be good enough.

I’m wondering if Nneka's consistent "team oriented" approach has kept her out of the spotlight. Players with attitude (like Taurasi) or players who insert themselves into a game in flamboyant ways by shooting a lot get more attention. Nneka has excelled by being a team player and by making the players around her stand out. Consider the way that she coexisted with Candace Parker on the Sparks for several years without any apparent ego conflict. She has always exuded a humble presence and may not have gotten her due simply because so-called all stars often achieve that status by appearing bigger than life.

[Baez87]

Getting away from the name calling, I wonder if there is a theory about why Nneka keeps being snubbed?  Is it that American women's basketball is so far ahead of the world that the selectors know they can win gold with less than the best, and so they pick on some other basis?  And is that basis pure collegiate prejudice?  Is it that Nneka is a player advocate and is being punished for this?  Do some players draw better TV ratings than others?  Is Nneka not one of them?  Are they truly skeptical of her abilities despite all of her awards?  Is it really an old-girls club?

Maybe the best thing that could happen would be for some other nation to beat team USA, provoking intense scrutiny about how we picked our team.  Didn't Oregon just do that two years ago?  What if instead of Oregon it was Australia or Russia or Serbia or Spain?

This is exactly what happened after the US Men lost in 1988, provoking the organization of the "Dream Team" in 1992.  It sounds like the women may need this to happen.  A team of aging stars and collegiate patronage positions might wind up not being our best, and maybe less-than-the-best won't be good enough.

I’m wondering if Nneka's consistent "team oriented" approach has kept her out of the spotlight. Players with attitude (like Taurasi) or players who insert themselves into a game in flamboyant ways by shooting a lot get more attention. Nneka has excelled by being a team player and by making the players around her stand out. Consider the way that she coexisted with Candace Parker on the Sparks for several years without any apparent ego conflict. She has always exuded a humble presence and may not have gotten her due simply because so-called all stars often achieve that status by appearing bigger than life.