Could Candace Parker Play For Another National Team?

[Amb3096]

I think that is a reasonable inference given that CP3 and Stewart bring a similar skill set to the game. If Candace were say 34 and in the waning stages of her career, you could almost justify this decision. But Candace is still a prime time performer with 8 years of professional and international experience. There is no way Stewart--player fresh out of college--is at CP3's level.

This dropping Michael Jordan to make room for the 18 year old Kobe.

I don't think that having Stewart on the team is that unusual. They did the same thing for Candace when she was fresh out of college, and it's all but written in the stars that Stewart will be a star in the WNBA.

The problem is that they left the best PF off the team in favor of the rookie, a player in the twilight of her career, and a PF who is surpassed by Parker in all aspects of the game. It's that last one that is a headscratcher.

If any player should have been left off the team to make room for Stewart and Catchings, it should have been Tina Charles. The fact that she was a prized pupil for Geno at UConn and that she's on the Olympic team over Candace is not a coincidence.

 

[Coffy73]

I don't think that having Stewart on the team is that unusual. They did the same thing for Candace when she was fresh out of college, and it's all but written in the stars that Stewart will be a star in the WNBA.

The problem is that they left the best PF off the team in favor of the rookie, a player in the twilight of her career, and a PF who is surpassed by Parker in all aspects of the game. It's that last one that is a headscratcher.

If any player should have been left off the team to make room for Stewart and Catchings, it should have been Tina Charles. The fact that she was a prized pupil for Geno at UConn and that she's on the Olympic team over Candace is not a coincidence.

No way, not Tina Charles, I say they should have left off McCoughtry or Augustus. Just the fact that Angel is still on the team shows Candace's snub had nothing to do with any attitude problem. Angel gets angry at teammates all the time when she doesn't get her way. Not saying she would do that with this group, but she does it a lot!

 

[Amb3096]

No way, not Tina Charles, I say they should have left off McCoughtry or Augustus. Just the fact that Angel is still on the team shows Candace's snub had nothing to do with any attitude problem. Angel gets angry at teammates all the time when she doesn't get her way. Not saying she would do that with this group, but she does it a lot!

I say Charles, not because I don't think she's a great player (she is), but because her and Candace are position rivals, and Parker is better at everything. Plus, they already committed to two players that probably don't earn it on their own merit at this stage in their careers (Catchings and Stewart), but were given roster spots as a reward for the past and investment in the future.

At least Angel brings a different dimension to the game than Maya Moore or Elena Delle Donne; Charles does not bring anything to the table that Candace can't already do better. So if one of the PFs should have been left off the team to make space for Catchings/Stewart, it should have been Charles. There is no sound argument to say otherwise.