USA - Whalen left off U.S. Olympic team
Lindsay Whalen has established herself as a player worthy of being chosen to the U.S. Olympic women's basketball team. But life kept getting in the way. A combination of injuries, overseas commitments and marriage prevented the Connecticut Sun point guard from spending much time with Team USA in the the past two years. And she was not one of the three players named Thursday to fill out the roster. There is a chance she'll be named an alternate, however.
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Lindsay Whalen has established herself as a player worthy of being chosen to the U.S. Olympic women's basketball team.
But life kept getting in the way.
A combination of injuries, overseas commitments and marriage prevented the Connecticut Sun point guard from spending much time with Team USA in the the past two years. And she was not one of the three players named Thursday to fill out the roster. There is a chance she'll be named an alternate, however.
”It would've been a great honor, but it's the way it is,” Whalen said after Thursday's practice at Connecticut College. “It's the way they (the USA Basketball Committee) decided to go. It's not my decision. I'm happy for the people that made it. I'm not really thinking about it a whole lot.
”It's really a great honor (to be named an alternate). Growing up, you're always thinking, '(Playing in) the Olympics, that would be awesome.' I would have obviously been honored and excited (to have been selected), but I'm not too down about it. I'm still playing and have things to work on here.”
Tamika Catchings, DeLisha Milton-Jones and Kara Lawson, all of whom played for Team USA at the 2007 FIBA America's Championship, were chosen to round out the 12-player roster.
“(Whalen has) had a great season,” said Connecticut coach Mike Thibault, who is also an assistant for Team USA. “She's deserving of being in that top group. She'll tell you that it hurts her a little bit the last two years between injuries and her contract overseas and her wedding, so it's been very difficult for her to attend much of the training sessions. That works against her. We're trying to foster an environment where we can get players to be more regular participants.”
Renee Brown, who chaired the selection committee, said, “The committee had a difficult time with these final three names because of the level of talent in our pool. However, ultimately we feel that the experience and leadership that we've added to the team in Tamika Catchings, DeLisha Milton-Jones and Kara Lawson are the final pieces to this puzzle.
”Tamika and DeLisha both know what it takes to be Olympic champions and will help this team defensively. Kara is a tremendous team player who made the most of her opportunities during the FIBA Americas Championship and over the past year has proven herself as a member of this team.”
Whalen suffered a non-displaced fracture of her left knee in late August of 2005 and spent that offseason rehabilitating. She played overseas between the previous two WNBA seasons and was married in October of 2007.
Whalen is having her best professional season, averaging 14.7 points, 5.9 rebounds and 5.7 assists per game.
”She's not only among the top point guards but she's in the top players in this league right now,” Thibault said. “She's flirting with triple-doubles a lot. ... I don't know how many guards who are playing better than her. There are some playing as well, but not better.”
Lisa Leslie, Katie Smith, Sue Bird , Diana Taurasi, Tina Thompson, Seimone Augustus, Sylvia Fowles, Candace Parker and Cappie Pondexter were named to the U.S. Olympic team in late May.