Various thoughts about the Opals Olympics squad (also known as listening to pop mp3s REALLY LOUD on Winamp can dull the pain... for a little while)

Tuesday 20 July 2004

Link to announcement here

* Tranquilli and Fallon - WHY?! Yes, Trish is captain but WHY? She has seniority but that's all she has. Both Trish and Alison can knock down the occasional perimeter shot when they're open but it's not as if they're hard to defend. They don't do anything else and the team already has enough vet leadership in Harrower, Brondello, LJ and Sporn.

* I wouldn't mind seeing Poto on the team... if she was the fifth guard. BA have treated Tully with contempt in the past but this is the worst of their transgressions. Tully has proven herself to be a solid backup in the WNBA (which is the best competition in the world) in the last couple of years. Poto has been a starter on one of Europe's top teams but has had rather unremarkable numbers and seeing her perform in person does not enhance one's opinion of her. She's a better shooter than Tully but Tully has toughness and experience and would be much better at running the team. Tully did all of Jan's stupid criteria and still got robbed. Maybe Jan punished her for going to the WNBA.

I'm sure the usual suspects will cry "Jodie Datson" but I'd rather have Annie Burgess on the team than Jodie.

* Three players over 6'1" - I know Jan finds the concept of a post with size puzzling (Tracey Braithwaite anyone?) but this is just ridiculous. LJ and Suzy are going to have to do all the hard work in the paint (Trish Fallon is a quite useless 6'2") - maybe Seattle fans do have a right to be worried...

Hollie Grima should have been picked. She's raw but she has size and can rebound and she will probably be a mainstay on future Opals squads.

* I don't really see the purpose of Nat Porter. She looked ok in the lead-up tournaments but it's obvious someone like Grima or Shelley Hammonds has a lot more upside than her.

* The twelve I would have picked?

Kristi Harrower
Tully Bevilaqua
Belinda Snell
Sandy Brondello
Penny Taylor
Rachael Sporn
Lauren Jackson
Laura Summerton
Suzy Batkovic
Hollie Grima
Shelley Hammonds
Jae Kingi-Cross (would've gone for Veal if she was healthy)

Some might be wondering why I'd go for Jae. Well she's versatile and could be useful down the road. This is assuming she's in decent shape and form (well she probably wouldn't be on a WNBA roster if she wasn't).

* Hmm positives. Well Snelly made the team but that was a given. Jan also said that LJ and Penny were a "vital part of the equation". Hopefully that means she'll design the offence around them (i.e give them the ball and let them work their magic).

Nah, I don't think so. It's never happened before so why should it happen now? Far too sensible for a Jan idea. More likely the offence will consist of Fallon and Tranquilli jacking up low percentage contested shots and having Suzy touch the ball no closer than 30 feet away from the basket.

MP3 Playlist which helped ease the pain of crappy Opals selection

Sugababes - Freak Like Me
Britney Spears - Stronger
ABBA - Gimme Gimme Gime (A Man After Midnight)
Shapeshifters - Lola's Theme (extended vocal mix)
Jameila - Superstar
Soulsearcher - Can't Get Enough
Mis-Teeq - Scandalous
Rachel Stevens - Some Girls
Jamiroqual - Love Foolosophy
Alcazar - This Is The World We Live In (go Euro trash go!)