Is the fact that Team USA struggling in international competition a good thing for womens basketball overall?
I personally think it is. I think that other countries coming up and able to compete and beat Team USA says that womens basketball is going to a higher level.
Of course we, the Americans, love seeing Team USA win, but if there is no other competition in the world is there a reason to compete at all?
I think back to the 2006 winter Olympics and how the womens hockey always came down to Canada and the USA. The Olympic Committee was actually thinking about removing the sport from the Olympics until the competition was better. Well in 2006 Sweden upset the American team and won the silver medal as Canada took gold and the USA ended up with bronze. Needless to say, the competition picked up and womens hockey has remained an Olympic sport.
So with that being said, I think that Team USA's struggles and losses help womens basketball on every level. We want the womens game to gain popularity worldwide because then we as fans will get to see more basketball on tv, the players will start to get more opportunities to do commercials, tv spots, sponsors, etc.
I have heard a lot of people ask why there are american women going overseas to play ball......... money! For the most part most (maybe even none) of these women will play on a national team against the USA in the Olympics, but they are overseas because the money is good and what a better way to stay in shape for your WNBA season than playing ball during your offseason. The Americans will be facing some over their WNBA counter parts in the Olympics and Australia has become a powerhouse with Lauren Jackson and Penny Taylor. So we know that the USA will have competition in the Olympics in 2008.
I personally think it is. I think that other countries coming up and able to compete and beat Team USA says that womens basketball is going to a higher level.
Of course we, the Americans, love seeing Team USA win, but if there is no other competition in the world is there a reason to compete at all?
I think back to the 2006 winter Olympics and how the womens hockey always came down to Canada and the USA. The Olympic Committee was actually thinking about removing the sport from the Olympics until the competition was better. Well in 2006 Sweden upset the American team and won the silver medal as Canada took gold and the USA ended up with bronze. Needless to say, the competition picked up and womens hockey has remained an Olympic sport.
So with that being said, I think that Team USA's struggles and losses help womens basketball on every level. We want the womens game to gain popularity worldwide because then we as fans will get to see more basketball on tv, the players will start to get more opportunities to do commercials, tv spots, sponsors, etc.
I have heard a lot of people ask why there are american women going overseas to play ball......... money! For the most part most (maybe even none) of these women will play on a national team against the USA in the Olympics, but they are overseas because the money is good and what a better way to stay in shape for your WNBA season than playing ball during your offseason. The Americans will be facing some over their WNBA counter parts in the Olympics and Australia has become a powerhouse with Lauren Jackson and Penny Taylor. So we know that the USA will have competition in the Olympics in 2008.
