The U.S. averaged just over 100 ppg in the last four games, and gave up just 52 -- and the games weren’t even that close. Though Donovan started the same five each game, she spread the minutes around: Tina Thompson played the most (22 mpg) and Courtney Paris the least (9.2 mpg). Eight players, in fact, averaged between 14.8 mpg and 20.4 mpg as Donovan made it a priority to work on chemistry.
That seemed to work well, as the Americans cruised after that disappointing 85-79 in game one, and gave hope that perhaps Donovan has learned from her previous struggles and has the team on the right track heading to Beijing next summer. And winning in Chile also guaranteed a trip to the 2008 Olympics, and avoided the necessity of going to another qualifying tournament in Europe next June.
Of course, the team that played in Valdivia will not be the one that plays in Beijing. There is no requirement than any of the players on this roster be on the Olympic roster, and it is expected that Lisa Leslie, to name just one, will replace one of the players who won this tournament. That won’t be Candace Parker, who averaged 13.8 ppg in 17.6 mpg while shooting 61.7% from the field. She also had 12 steals, averaged 4.0 rpg and blocked four shots.
Thompson also played well, also averaging 13.8 ppg, but in 4.4 more minutes per game. Thompson made 17 of 18 free throws, but did turn the ball over 14 times -- still, she is expected to be a mainstay in Beijing. Diana Taurasi may have been the best player in Chile, shooting 47.4% from three-point distance, grabbing a team-high 5.8 rpg and handing out 17 assists to just five turnovers.
Of course, when a team wins by an average of 48.6 ppg, almost everyone is going to play well. Cappie Pondexter didn’t exactly light it up(26.7%) but had an amazing 24 assists to just four turnovers, and Sue Bird also handled the ball well, had 10 steals and shot 50% from the field. Rebekkah Brunson shot a blistering 73.7%, and to complete the statistical tour, Katie Smith had 15 assists and just three turnovers.
It would have been a stunning upset had the U.S. not won the tournament, but the other seven entrants had something to play for: the second through fourth place teams would advance to the Olympic qualifying tournament next June, when five of the 12 countries entered will move on to Beijing. Brazil and Cuba were expected to medal, and Cuba lost only to the United States (twice) and Brazil just once (to Cuba, by two).
Fourth place, however, was in doubt, and it came down to Argentina versus host Chile -- and the Argentinians outlasted Chile in overtime, 66-63, to earn the last ticket to Europe. Florencia Fernandez had 23 points and eight rebounds, and Argentina would have won easily had it not missed 15 free throws.
Not surprisingly, non-Americans were the statistical leaders. Simone Edwards, once with the Seattle Storm, was the top scorer at 18.8 ppg, and Mexico’s Fernanda Gutierrez was the leading rebounder (8/0 rpg). Pondexter was the assist leader (4.8 apg) and Brazil’s Jucimara Dantas led in steals (2.8 spg).
The story in the U.S., though, was the fact that the Americans were able to regroup after an ugly first game, and put the hammer down on overmatched opponents. Of course, it will be a different story getting past Australia and the other top teams at the Olympics, though Russia, which knocked off the U.S. in the 2006 World Championships, was upset in Eurobasket play by Serbia.
Still, Donovan and her team have to view the trip to Chile as a successful one, and certainly will have something to build on as they move through the fall college campaign, which begins Oct. 31.