USA - Time flies for Olympic hopeful Fowles

ISTANBUL (Olympics) - Sylvia Fowles has already captured one trophy this season at Galatasaray.

The United States national team center had 25 points and 16 rebounds in a 76-72 triumph over rivals Fenerbahce in the Turkish Cup Final earlier this month.

Now Gala are taking aim at another championship, only Fowles will be watching and not playing.

The team is hosting the EuroLeague Women Final Eight this week in Istanbul, and there are only two non-Europeans allowed on each roster.

Those slots at Galatasaray are filled by Fowles' USA teammates, Diana Taurasi and Tina Charles.

A more significant event for Fowles will take place at the end of the week.

USA Basketball are going to name their Olympic squad and Fowles is expecting her place to be confirmed.

The 26-year-old made her Olympic bow in Beijing four years ago and played alongside the USA legend, Lisa Leslie, who was making her last appearance in a national team jersey.

The Americans won the gold for the fourth successive Summer Games.

"It’s been four years already?” Fowles said to FIBA.com.

“I feel like I'm getting old.”

Fowles, as she showed in the Turkish Cup, sure doesn’t look old.

Had she joined Galatasaray before December, then maybe she would have played in the EuroLeague Women this season.

The plus to not competing in EuroLeague Women is that Fowles, who has been bothered by injuries in her career, gets some time off.

"Health wise, I'm doing good,” she said.

“I'm getting all of the rest that I could possibly ask for.

“I don't play Euroleague, which is too bad, but at the same time it's a good thing for my body to recover.”

From China to the Czech Republic

In Beijing, Fowles was the biggest of the rising stars in the American team coached by Anne Donovan, not only in terms of her 1.98m height but also her performances on the court.

She averaged 13.4 points and 8.4 rebounds as the United States went unbeaten and won gold.

In eight games, she played 143 total minutes.

Two years later at the World Championship in the Czech Republic and the coach was not Donovan, but Geno Auriemma.

Fowles played a total of 125 minutes in nine games.

There were times in Ostrava and Karlovy Vary when Auriemma tore into Fowles and demanded more from the star.

"I'm quite familiar with that with (Chicago Sky coach) Pokey Chatman, with all the sarcasm and all that stuff,” Fowles said.

“But at the same time, he makes you go out there and work and you just have to appreciate it, that you are playing for a coach that wants to get the best out of you.”

Auriemma led the United States to the world title and Fowles expects this to be another golden summer for the team.

"We're going to be way better than the Czech Republic,” Fowles predicted.

That’s a frightening thought for all the teams that will go against the Americans.

FIBA