DOING IT RIGHT : THE U.S. OLYMPIC WOMEN'S BASKETBALL TEAM WAS UPSET IN 1992. THIS TIME, THE `DREAM GIRLS' ARE . . .Byline: Scott Fowler Scott Fowler was the baritone vocalist with the Cathedral Quartet from 1991 through 1999. After the retirement of the Cathedrals, he co-founded Legacy Five along with former Cathedral pianist Roger Bennett, in which he sings lead. Charlotte Observer They have a coach named for Scarlett O'Hara's mansion. A star player who dunks and poses for magazine fashion layouts. A 51-0 team record. The U.S. women's Olympic basketball team also has a golden opportunity in these Olympics. With the novelty fast disappearing from the men's basketball team - how many 60-point wins over Angola do you really want to see? - these women are poised to become stars. They are the female Dream Team, the Dream Girls, playing a recognizable form of basketball relying on hustle, good fundamentals and teamwork. They could be unforgettable in three weeks. Then again, they could fall flat on their faces. And if that happens, this $3 million experiment in women's hoops could evaporate like a 10-point first-quarter lead in the NBA NBA abbr. 1. National Basketball Association 2. National Boxing Association NBA (US) n abbr (= National Basketball Association) → Basketball-Dachverband (= . ``We don't want to even raise the question in our minds that we might not win the gold medal gold medal traditional first prize. [Western Cult: Misc.] See : Prize ,'' forward Katy Steding Katy Steding (born December 11, 1967 in Tualatin, Oregon) is a former collegiate and professional basketball player and current college basketball coach. Steding was recruited to Stanford University from Lake Oswego High School. said. ``That's what we're here for.'' The team has traveled more than 100,000 miles in the past year, promoting the gospel of women's basketball Women's basketball is one of the few games which developed in tandem with men's. It became popular, spreading from the east coast of the United States to the west coast, in large part via women's colleges. . Sandra Day O'Connor Sandra Day O'Connor (born March 26 1930) is an American jurist who served as the first female Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1981 to 2006. She was considered a strict constructionist. showed the team members around the Supreme Court, saying she made time to do it because ``what you're doing is important.'' President Clinton jogged with the team one morning. An Elvis impersonator An Elvis impersonator is someone who impersonates or copies famed American musician Elvis Presley, either as a hobby, a career in entertainment or occasionally for fun. Elvis impersonators can range in ethnic background, size and talent. in Russia danced with the players. Shoe companies lined up to sign them up - team member Sheryl Swoopes Sheryl Denise Swoopes (born March 25, 1971) is an American professional basketball player, currently playing for the Houston Comets in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). She has won three Olympic Gold Medals and is a three-time WNBA MVP. even has her own signature shoe, produced by Nike. The team was featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated's Olympic preview issue. All of the women took major pay cuts to bond together for this year, playing for $50,000 each rather than the $200,000-$300,000 most could have made overseas. Their mission is already complete in one sense. ``I think we've done a lot already,'' said Teresa Edwards Teresa Edwards (born July 19, 1964 in Cairo, Georgia) is a retired American basketball player. She is currently an assistant coach for the WNBA's Minnesota Lynx. College years Edwards began her career at the University of Georgia where she was a two time All-American. , who is playing on her fourth Olympic team - the most appearances by any U.S. player ever. ``We'll definitely be known as pioneers. . . . But personally, I'd be very disappointed if we don't have a gold medal.'' The women's Dream Team was created in direct response to the embarrassment of 1992. After winning golds in 1984 and 1988, the U.S. women were supposed to get their third straight in Barcelona, Spain. Instead, they were upset by the Russians and finished with a bronze medal. That American team - like every other U.S. women's team from the past - was cobbled cob·ble 1 n. 1. A cobblestone. 2. Geology A rock fragment between 64 and 256 millimeters in diameter, especially one that has been naturally rounded. 3. cobbles See cob coal. tr. together a couple of months before the Games. It was a group of all-stars who had been playing on different teams, usually overseas. And when the going got tough in 1992, the Americans turned out not to be tough enough. ``It was foolish for us to think as Americans that we can just enter international competitions without any preparation and win,'' said Tara VanDerveer Tara VanDerveer is the Stanford University women's basketball coach for most of the past two decades. She has led her Stanford team, known as The Cardinal, to two NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Championships in 1990 and 1992. , the women's Olympic coach. ``So this time we didn't wait until a month or two before the Games to put together a team.'' This time, the team was chosen a year ago. VanDerveer took a year off from her regular coaching job at Stanford to coach the squad. You may remember that Stanford got to the women's college Final Four anyway in Charlotte in March. VanDerveer was in Charlotte, N.C., already - the U.S. team had wo-manhandled the Ukraine in a nearby exhibition the same week. VanDerveer, earning the nickname the ``distant assistant,'' watched in the stands as Stanford lost to Georgia in the Final Four. VanDerveer's U.S. team, on the other hand, hasn't lost a game since its formation. The USA blasted through a schedule that has been a mixed bag of collegiate teams and international teams. It has trailed at halftime only four times in 51 games - although it won its last exhibition, against Russia, by a slim 80-79 margin. ``I think this team is great for basketball,'' said Grant Hill, who will play for the men's Olympic team in Atlanta. ``They've gotten a lot of exposure. I know they're going to win, and hopefully they'll do for women's basketball what the first Dream Team (in 1992) did for the men's.'' In a perfect situation, the women's Dream Team would finish 60-0 by winning an exhibition against Italy July 13 and then sweeping eight Olympic games. If that happens, expect 6-foot-5 Lisa Leslie to get as much TV time on NBC NBC in full National Broadcasting Co. Major U.S. commercial broadcasting company. It was formed in 1926 by RCA Corp., General Electric Co. (GE), and Westinghouse and was the first U.S. company to operate a broadcast network. as Jerry Seinfeld. Already taller than her elementary school teacher in second grade, she is this team's best player. Leslie, 24, can dunk off a running start and has been featured in numerous photo spreads in magazines, including Vogue and Newsweek. ``Modeling is easy,'' she said. ``You just look pretty and smile.'' On the basketball court, though, Leslie gets much more ornery or·ner·y adj. or·ner·i·er, or·ner·i·est Mean-spirited, disagreeable, and contrary in disposition; cantankerous. [Alteration of ordinary. . ``When I'm in regular clothes, I'm feminine, I don't like to sweat,'' she said. ``I'm a peacemaker in an argument. But when I put on basketball shorts, forget it.'' CAPTION(S): 3 Photos Photo: (1--color) U.S. Olympic women's basketball team f orward Lisa Leslie, who is 6-foot-5, has already appeared in Vogue and Newsweek. New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of Times (2) Tara VanDerveer took a year off from Stanford to coach the U.S. Olympic women's basketball team. (3) The U.S. women's basketball team, from left: Jennifer Azzi, Ruthie Bolton, Teresa Edwards, Venus Lacey, Lisa Leslie, Rebecca Lobo, Katrina McClain, Nikki McCray, Carla McGhee, Dawn Staley, Katy Steding and Sheryl Swoopes. Associated Press |
|
||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion