The five-time reigning USA Olympic Women’s Basketball team squares off against Senegal at 11 a.m. for an early Sunday showdown to start the expected run to the eventual sixth gold medal 14 days from now. This is expected by everyone who follows women’s college or professional basketball, thousands of high school female basketball player across America and even the competition after sweeping their main competitors in a three-game series prior to their departure for Rio. The only expectation is will people pay attention to this obvious journey?
“What I hope happens is that us, if we were fortunate enough to win a gold medal, that that’s a big deal. Instead of, you know what the big deal is, if we lose. Which is unfortunate, because this team, these players, these women have accomplished so much.” said USA Women’s Head Coach Geno Auriemma prior to departing for the trip to Rio. “And maybe because they’ve won so much, they probably don’t get the respect they truly deserve for how dominant they have been.”
2016 USA Basketball Women’s National Team
This is the fourth generation of US Women’s Basketball and the third to compete at the Olympic levels. The first short-lived one started in the 70s with Immaculata star center Thersea Grentz through to the first Olympic team in Montreal in 1976 with such basketball luminaries Ann Meyers, Nancy Lieberman, Luisa Harris, Pat Roberts, Juilene Simpson and Pat Head (Summit). The second group started the gold rush in 1984 with Teresa Edwards, Anne Donovan, Lynette Woodard and Cheryl Miller with 1988 adding Cynthia Cooper, Teresa Witherspoon, Katrina McClain and Suzi McConnell. Edwards, McClain returned again for Atlanta gold in ’96 which saw the end of this generation and the start of the third with now USA Women’s Assistant and South Carolina Head Coach Dawn Staley along with Lisa Leslie, Sheryl Swoopes, Nikki McCray and Edwards going for her fifth medal (four gold, one bronze). These women became the most decorated USA Women’s teams getting gold in 1996 and 2000. The 2004 Athens Olympics saw the end of the third with Staley, Swoopes and Leslie and the arrival of this even more decorated fourth generation of Sue Bird, Tamika Catchings, Diana Taurasi getting gold in 2004, 2008, 2012 and now 2016 in Rio. No other USA Women’s Basketball Teams have dominated as long and as well as this group.
2004 USA Basketball Women’s National Team
“Each one is different. It really is. I understand that right now we are standing at five gold medals in a row, hopefully going for our sixth, and yeah, that’s a lot of time,” said Bird discussing the historic implications of Rio. “People see that streak, and they view it as dominant, which it is, but each team has its own journey, its own path through this entire experience. And contrary to what the scoreboard might tell you, it’s really not that easy. It can be stressful at times trying to come together with these other players and figure it out and make it work. Yeah, we might make it look easy with some of the ways that we play and some of the teams that we’ve dominated, but it’s really not. There is some stress involved there, and with that being said, like I was trying to get to: each team has its own journey and that’s all we are focused on. And yes, have we been dominant, the U.S. as a whole? Absolutely, but there are no guarantees. And I’ve been on a team at the 2006 World Championship that lost. I know what that’s like. And to be honest … for those that were on that team, that’s a driving force. That’s in the back of our heads, whether we admit it or not. It’s there. So, that’s a driving force. We just want to put ourselves in a position to be successful, and that’s what we focus on.”
The focus starts with Senegal today. After a successful home tour and victories over predicted finalist Australia (2012 Bronze) 104-89, France (2012 Silver) 84-62 from Pool A and neighboring Canada 83-43 from their Pool B group it’s easy to see how dominate the USA team has been. Yesterday these three contenders won games by double digits in the opening round. The USA Women will play back to back days in Rio with Senegal and Spain both at 11 a,m. (EDT).
2016 USA Women’s Basketball National Team practice in Rio prior to first game with Senegal.
“That’s one thing they’re really anxious to do (start play). It’s the only back-to-backs that we have, the first two (games) and then it’s every other day. I think they would prefer back-to-backs every day, so they wouldn’t have to come over and practice, “laughed Auriemma. “There’s only so much watching film you can do, so much practice, they’re ready for the games and they want to start playing. I’m glad we’re playing back-to-back, because we need to be in game mode and I think that’s going to get us there.”
“Obviously, we are excited to be here, as every other team is, I’m sure,” said Bird discussing the history of the Rio games. “This is what they train for. This is what they prepare for. Whether they are playing overseas, or whether they are playing in the WNBA, this is always something that is in the back of their mind – that they want to be ready for the Olympic Games. Whether it is their first time, or their fourth time. But, I’ve been around this national team since 2009, and this is probably the most prepared team, the most anxious team to get started that I’ve been around. This weekend can’t come fast enough.”
It all starts, the expected journey to gold, with Senegal in Rio.
(Team quotes courtesy of USA Basketball Media Staff) (2016 Team Photo credit: Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE/Getty Images) (2004 Team Photo credit: USA Basketball)
