Hiatus hits teams differently
When asked what she’d be doing during the WNBA’s break in the season for the Olympics, veteran Katie Smith of the Seattle Storm answered candidly.
“Vacation,” Smith said. “I’m going to enjoy my Olympic break.”
After playing on three U.S. Olympic gold medal-winning teams (2000, 2004, 2008), Smith will get a rest when the WNBA takes a hiatus July 14 to Aug. 15 during the London Games. (The Olympic tournament begins July 28, and the gold medal game is Aug. 11.)
“The break is good for players not playing in the Olympics. With the length of time that they play overseas, it’s a good rest,” ESPN women’s basketball analyst Carolyn Peck said.
Three-time Olympian Diana Taurasi echoed the sentiment. She plays for the Phoenix Mercury in the summer and UMMC Ekaterinburg in Russia during the fall and spring. “I think more people are starting to realize that we play for (11 months) and it impacts us physically and mentally,” she said.
“It’s not ideal in any season to have a break to play for another team. But that’s the situation we’re in. The Olympics is an amazing sporting event. ... And then we come back to the grind of the WNBA.”
The WNBA season started two weeks ago, but teams are already preparing for the month-long break.
“It is a challenge, but the fact that we’ve experienced it before gives you an idea of what to expect,” Indiana Fever coach Lin Dunn said. “You have to look at the season as two parts. We’ve got 17 games before the break, and you just focus on that early. You rest and recover, then get ready for 17 more.”
The Seattle Storm’s Sue Bird said the layoff could be difficult for teams trying to establish momentum but noted the time off could also help.
“In my experience, there’s definitely a time period where it takes awhile to get back in sync after the break,” said Bird, who is playing on her third Olympic team. “I think sometimes people view the break as a negative. I think depending on the team, for some it can be beneficial. It gives some players a chance to recharge the battery.”
Bird, who plays overseas with Taurasi, said switching teams had become “second nature” but explained the difficulty in changing roles. “You have to be able to put on different hats,” she said. “My role with each team is different. When I play in the Olympics, I definitely have to change my mind-set. When I get back to the WNBA, it’s the same thing. . . . It’s kind of flipping a switch.”
For each team, it’s a different adjustment. The Minnesota Lynx have three players on the U.S. team: Seimone Augustus, Lindsay Whalen and Maya Moore. They aren’t scheduled to miss any games. But the Storm were hit hard, with three-time MVP Lauren Jackson missing the first half of the season training with the Australian team.
“When you don’t have somebody like Lauren Jackson, it does impact how you perform. So we have to do everything we can early to stay competitive,” Storm coach Brian Agler said. “All teams have that break and then come back for season number two. It’s a really condensed last half of basketball. It’s just how quickly you can regroup.”
The Games come as a priority for the 12 players on the U.S. roster, which has a distinct Connecticut flavor. Six players, including Bird and Taurasi, are UConn graduates, and Geno Auriemma is the U.S. coach.
“I always look forward to the first meeting in the hotel,” Taurasi said. “We pride ourselves in playing as a team. With USA Basketball, your individual accolades aren’t important.”