The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
Vandersloot made tough decision to play for Hungary
UNCASVILLE » The dream of representing the United States at the Olympics was a dream of Courtney Vandersloot’s as long as she can remember.
Shortly after wrapping up a brilliant collegiate career at Gonzaga in 2011, Vandersloot couldn’t believe her good fortune when she received an invitation to the U.S. national team training camp in Las Vegas. Four years later she donned the U.S. uniform for a four-game European tour and last year she was a finalist for the Olympic team.
Vandersloot didn’t make the 12-player roster for the U.S. 2016 Olympic team and her national team aspirations arrived at a crossroads.
The 28-year-old point guard for the Chicago Sky made the difficult decision to bid adieu to her goal of playing for the U.S. at the 2020 Olympics when she agreed to play for Hungary’s national team after becoming a Hungarian citizen in November.
Vandersloot finished as Hungary’s second leading scorer at the recent EuroBasket Women event in the Czech Republic. After beating the host Czech Republic team in pool play, Hungary lost 49-48 to Italy in the Round of 16.
“It was very difficult for me, it was something that I thought about and really took my time with, I am talking years,” Vandersloot saidbeforeTuesday’sWNBA game at Mohegan Sun Arena. “I had opportunities, I knew what it would do for my career overseas but USA was always No. 1, no matter what. I kind of always had in my mind from the beginning of my career that if the 2016 Olympics didn’t happen, that was something I was going to (address) because of the timing career wise. The next Olympics are in four years and I am not young anymore so it was a difficult decision and that didn’t make it any easier. It was the right decision for me and my career but of course I am always going to have that, ‘what if?’ feeling.”
This is an interesting time for USA Basketball. Four-time Olympic gold medalists and former UConn stars Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi as well as former Connecticut Sun star Lindsay Whalen were the primary ball handlers on the 2016 Olympic championship team but all three will be approaching their 40th birthday by the time the 2020 Olympics arrive.
The feeling was that 2016 would be the Olympic swan song for the three of them although none of them have announced their retirement from the national team. When Bird injured her knee in the 2016 quarterfinals, there were fears that Bird’s remarkable international career was over.
“Anything that happens to you is alarming,” Bird said. “As it turned out, it was nothing and I had to move on. I am coming to the point where you can’t be too high or too low. At that moment, there is a tendency at my age especially if, ‘oh this is something really bad, oh this is it, there goes my career’ versus ‘oh, I am playing another five years, You don’t want those highs and lows; you just have to keep it even keel so that is why I like to keep it one day, one year at a time.”
If Bird, Whalen and Taurasi aren’t in the mix, there will be opportunities for a new batch of guards to run the show for a U.S. team now coached by former U.S. Olympic point guard Dawn Staley.
The recent WNBA AllStar Game featured players like Skylar Diggins-Smith, Chelsea Gray, Layshia Clarendon and Jasmine Thomas who could play their way into contention for national team consideration much like Whalen did during her run as a WNBA all-star.
“It was something I said from the beginning, they weren’t missing out on anything,” Vandersloot said. “They have a plethora of people who can step in with no hesitation so that is what is great about USA Basketball, you just have people jumping at the bit.”
Danielle Robinson has a history with USA Basketball while former UConn star Moriah Jefferson is another potential point guard candidate for the U.S. national team.
“It would be a dream of mine to play for the U.S. national team so I am just going to keep myself ready, be prepared if my name is called,” Jefferson said.
Vandersloot had a pretty good idea what she was getting into when she suited up forHungary’snationalteam. Allie Quigley, her teammate with the Chicago Sky, has suited up for the team in recent years while Hungary’s national team coach Stefan Svitek has been her club coach overseas on a couple of occasions. While there was never a question of the United States qualifying for a major international competition, Hungary hasn’t played in the Olympics since finishing fourth in 1980 and has played in two of the last 10 World Championships so can Hungary qualify for the 2020 Olympics?
“It is tough to say,” Vandersloot said. “I have only played with the team for a total of four games so it is really hard. I know we have some good talent, it is about who stays and who can stay together. I think the European championship was a big step for them because that was one of the goals. If I can do anything to help that happen, I would be happy to do it.”
Vandersloot didn’t hesitate in reflecting on her best memory with USA Basketball.
“The European tour in 2015,” Vandersloot said. “We played club teams, played national teams so that was by far my fondest memories. Usually with camps, you are in and out, they are in between seasons but that was a solid two weeks so I really got to know the staff around USA Basketball.”
Angel McCoughtry, Elena Delle Donne and Brittney Griner, all members of the 2016 Olympic team, were top three scorers as the U.S. defeated Italy and three European club teams by an average of 29.5 points during October, 2015. Vandersloot averaged 4.8 points, 1.5 assists and 1.5 steals in the tournament.