califan;842516394 said:
Canada played a great game and I thought that they were the better team from day 1. Lots of unselfish players, who share the ball. They also struggled with Cuba however. Canada is a great example of how you can play smart unselfish basketball and beat the US athletes who show no signs of basketball IQ. I also think the make up of the team was strange, Stewart and Jefferson were clearly the best and carried a heavy load but wore down and it shows you need a squad of good team players to win.
I have a really hard time imagining Breanna Stewart showing no bball IQ... Do she and Jefferson just tranform into geniuses when they put on the UConn uniform?
Assuming you just meant that the U.S. system didn't allow the players to display much bball IQ, it should be noted that the Canadian system helped its players' IQ (I have definitely seen Nirra Fields play a little more "selfish" bball in a different role at UCLA at times).
Bearinsocal's point that this was not really an upset is well taken. Most of Canada's players in this game were on that 2014 world chmpnshp team, so have had plenty of time to play and practice together - as opposed to the U.S., thrown together with a few weeks to prepare. Canada has several players who've played professionally and are much older, which gives them a big strength advantage in addition to the extra skill development. Stewart's talent is usually best contained by being physical (i don't see why speed would help her as much), especially when the refs call games very rough - as they were thru the whole tournament.
I don't disagree that the U.S. process could use some improving, but as far as just the PanAm gms, I don't think this loss necessarily triggers any uprising. The U.S. lost in the last PanAm gms as well, in 2011, and actually finished well back - I think 7th or so. That team was a much weaker entry than this, made up mostly of kids from mid-major colleges, with no really memorable names other than Breanna Stewart when she was still in HS. I think 2011 was the yr the WUG team had Delle Donne, Ogwumike and Diggins. This year the U.S. sent more talent to the PanAm gms - but still had to siphon off some of its best talent -- and still only drawing from the college pool.
