Bite me!
Sincerely yours, The DCBasketCases
Yesterday, USA Basketball added four more players to the National Team pool from which the teams that will compete in this fall's World Championship and the 2012 Olympics will be selected -- Rebekkah Brunson, Ebony Hoffman, Jayne Appel and Kia Vaughn.
Wait a minute . . . did we read that right? They added WNBA bench players Kia Vaughn and Jayne Appel, but not Crystal Langhorne? Lang, who is in the WNBA's top ten in so many categories it would make your head spin -- including scoring (10th), rebounding (5th), double-doubles (4th), field goal percentage (2nd), and efficiency (8th) -- that Lang? Snubbed in favor of Kia Vaughn and Jayne Appel? The same Lang who has already had such success playing for USA Basketball in international competition on the national age-group teams? (See, e.g., Exhibit A here and Exhibit B here.) And is now an even better player?
Are . . . you . . . kidding . . . us?
So glaring was this omission of Crystal Langhorne -- particularly given the inclusion of Appel and Vaughn -- that Mechelle Voepel immediately tweeted that USA Basketball had "whiffed" on this selection. Mechelle has followed up that tweet with a MUST READ column posted on ESPN.com (link here) wondering (in far more than 140 characters) what's wrong with this picture.
What's wrong indeed? Representing your country is a BIG deal. Crystal has done everything USA Basketball's ever asked of her. Shame on them.
* * * * * *Update . . . In case you may be wondering what Mystics GM Angela Taylor thinks of all this (in 140 characters or less), she tweeted the following this morning: "For the record, Crystal Langhorne should ABSOLUTELY be in the USAB pool. I respect the committee, but they missed the ball on this one." And, citing Mechelle Voepel's column, Angela added that "She's spot on in her thoughts!!"
posted by BasketCases @ 7:09 AM
13 comments
13 Comments:
Shame on them is right. This makes absolutely no sense. Vaugg and JA will not make the team. Did they just add players knowing they wouldn't make the team? Did they think crystal might and therefore could threatened someone else spot that they wanted to make the team? I just don't understand this at all.
It is shameful. Mechelle's piece was spot-on. I hope this fires up Crystal and the Mystics for a BIG play-off run, starting with wiping the floor with New York on Friday!!!
He's just worried that Crystal will out play one of his beloved UConn players. Never like him, never will, but he is a great coach.
I'm actually going to the WCs next month so as a Terp and Mystic fan, I am also quite disappointed that Lang is not at least being given a chance to be there. I will be sure to wear my Mystics Lang jersey over there and maybe find the fans who have the 'got lang?' shirts and get one of those to show Geno what he's missing!
So glad others are noticing this outrage. BCs, are you sure you made yourselves clear? (ha ha)
I'm in no way supporting this ridiculous oversight, but maybe they have fallen into the "we need a big body" thinking. A big body that is not productive only takes up space!! But maybe that's the point! Crystal is truly amazing. I was lucky enough to be at the San Antonio game and on one play Crystal was triple teamed, hit, and still made the basket-no foul called. A San Antonio fan hollered "you've got to stop that shot" I had to holla back - you can't stop that! :) Fans in San Antonio were really nice to us-so shame on those at Verizon Center with no class!!
That is by far the funniest headline I've ever seen, BCs. And as for this "we need a big body" mess they're throwing out, I have two words: Wes Unseld! Well, this will just fire her up for what I hope is a nice, long playoff run! Go Mystics!
Ms. Langhorne, there's a call for you on Line 2. Something about "Team Guyana?"
One more thing that needs to be mentioned is the fact that Crystal was named the player of the year for USA Basketball in 2007.
It's just a travesty and I beleive once again that CLang will use this slight to prove all the doubters wrong.
I was at the San Antonio game on Tuesday, also and Crystal was cleaning the floor against The Silver Starz (JA was no match). She couldn't be stopped. Several times, I had to pick my jaw off the floor after she powered up a basket while double and triple teamed. How'd she do that?
Krystal Vaughn, Jayne Appel, and Ebony HOffman over Crystal Langhorne...these are the craziest selections I have ever heard of. They DO NOT deserve it. They haven't earned their spots. Crystal has. Brunson...not a bad selection but the others...WTH. I am dumb founded by this...really. I have lost all respect for the USABB selection committee. all respect.
geno auriemma has hated brenda frese since the laura harper recruitment.
and crystal has always always played bigger than she is
wasn't crystal's size questioned when she entered the wnba
guess she'll just prove them wrong again
So how come the Mystics didn't have any cards for Lang at the season ticket event at Lucky Strike? Why isn't Lang's picture on the fan appreciation T shirt?
Correction. I was wrong about the fan appreciation t shirt. There she is, front and center.
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