Kelsey Plum

And then Jack was jacking.

Like, Jackie Young, for me and this FIBA player, world cup experience was kelsey plum in paris like just that automatic you need a basket i get you a basket like she was the most consistent scorer for team usa in the tournament and she was fantastic in the gold medal game and then stewie put on her captain america gear and finished with the double double led the team with 22 and was mop and so it was our mvp of the uh So it just, it all came together, but it was the punch in the face delivered defensively that just left France on the canvas.

They didn't wait for the 10 count.

They were out.

Um, and then it said, uh, These are, I'm going to quote it.

The really fascinating question is who gets squeezed out of the 12? Oh, okay.

And it mentions Kelsey Plum, Kalia Copper, Chelsea Grace, Sabrina Inescu, Rekia Jackson.

I guess you didn't know that she was injured.

Yeah, it's fun because going into the break, I was thinking, you know, the Mystics were going to be one of the teams that had most of their key players able to kind of rest and rejuvenate during this break, which it's always hard to know how useful that is or if that's even useful at all, right? There's mixed results in those kinds of situations.

But due to, you know, last-minute injury to Aja Wilson and Kelsey Plum, Sonia Citron and Kiki Ruffin both end up getting called up to the World Cup team.

They win gold yesterday.

We're recording this on Monday afternoon.

I'm getting that at a minus 110 here.

Phoenix, ever since Kelsey Plum's been out for the season, kind of like with the Sparks, they're just not the same team without Kelsey Plum.

They've really, really struggled offensively here.

Dawana Bonner... has a lot of off the court stuff going on and she really has been playing her best i know she is getting up there in age but she's usually really solid down low but she's been struggling for them uh kalia copper played on team usa actually started for team usa pay she had a really nice show in there in the fiba tournament but she's gonna be coming off that coming off that too so it's kind of questionable how she's gonna be doing but portland's kind of surprised me for uh expansion team this year.

Who's top four?

Uh, Caitlin Clark, Kelsey Plum, and Dyaisha Fair.

Okay.

So she's fourth all-time in women...

Now I want to talk about Team USA itself, and I want to go through each individual player.

Sonya Centrone and Kiki Ariafan, I lumped them together, being that they were the replacements for Kelsey Plum and Aja Wilson, respectively.

Didn't see a lot of time, but they're the youngsters, if you will.

Although a lot of these players, this is their first time playing for Team USA, but they were considered the youngsters.

And then lastly, Breonna Stewart.

Now my good buddy in podcasting, DJ Treecey Treece said this, and I'm in full agreeance.

This tournament here, now that you had Aja Wilson at home, you had Kelsey Plum at home, you needed somebody to lead the way, to be the leader on the offense and on the defense.

And that is Breonna Stewart.

say on paper you'd expect it? I know.

The Kelsey Plum thing is crazy.

It's random.

You spend a pick on that and then she basically locks it up for the year and you're

...trades I've ever...

And I'm not a Kel...

This is, like, not as a Kelsey Plum hater, either.

Like...

There was a point where Aaliyah Boston turned the ball over in the third quarter.

USA was up three usa was up five alia boston turned the turn the ball over and i i had to walk away i was like oh my god i can't watch this and about seven real life minutes later maybe three game minutes later but seven real life minutes later uh they were the usa was up double digits No Asia Wilson, no Kelsey Plum, and an 18-point win against the team who was best suited to compete against you in L.A. in 2028 is a good look for Kara Lawson and this U.S. women's national team.

That team, by the way, is France.

They beat France in the gold medal game.

But the U.S. finally found another gear in the fourth quarter and outscored him 18 to 8, pulled away to win it 76 to 66.

And remember, this was all without two of our top stars, Asia Wilson and Kelsey Plum.

who pulled out last minute due to health reasons.

So the final was set, the U.S. versus France on Sunday.