Is USA basketball asleep at the switch, just like the WNBA seemed to be during the All Star game? Team USA (represented by WNBA players) had a chance to show the world the quality of its team at the FIBA World Cup in Germany. At this juncture, the Us played 3 games against China, Italy, and Chechia. The coach Kara Lawson (coach at Duke) was emphasizing veterans in her starting line-up. While younger stars, including Caitlin Clark, Paige Bueckers, and Angel Reese, are getting some playing time, the coach was still placing the spotlight on older and more experienced players, apparently due to their sophistication in international play and their reliability toward the end of games. After the third game, I heard commentary from 5 knowledgeable sports commentators and podcasters: Three black men, one white fellow, and one white woman. They agreed strongly that Caitlan Clark, and possibly Paige Bueckers, should be starting at point guard ahead of veteran Chelsea Gray. While they described Chelsea as a good shooter who can bring stability and sophistication at crunch time, they viewed Caitlan and Paige as providing a quicker pace, creating more scoring opportunities, taking better advantage of open players, and as more versatile scorers. There were feelings that Kara Lawson, the coach, undervalues Caitlian’s play and potential contribution by describing her as a “young player who is feeling her way through.” This description is contrary to Caitlin’s record going into the tournament, and her actual tournament play, particularly in two of the three games. Paradoxically, after one game, Kara described Caitan as markedly picking up the pace and enabling the team to capture a big and lasting lead. (contrary to a young player feeling her way through) In the game against Italy, there was criticism that 3 veteran players were freezing Caitlan out when they should have been feeding her the ball. These pundits all agreed that there should be a more optimal mix of veterans and younger bench players in the starting lineup to max scoring, sustain defensive pressure, and optimize excitement.
