Kristen Forristall Alexis Hornbuckle Natasha Humphrey Courtney Paris Wanisha Smith Mel Thomas
The selection process for my "All-Camp" team would make the elections in Communist China look fair and well balanced by comparison. They are totally subjective and biased, and on top of that, there were 20 or so girls that I did not even consider as I never saw them play. So this could more accurately be called the "All-Camp except for the players on the Sparks or Monarchs" team. Having said that, the six players on my team were the ones that impressed me in the following ways:
Maturity: They played within themselves and they never (or at least rarely) gave into the urge to dazzle and attract attention by forcing things on the court. Hand in hand with this was a high basketball IQ. The players knew were they were all the court at all times and had a good sense of how to play the game.
Athleticism: The players have the physical tools to compete. The players were able to translate their natural jumping, running, reaction time, and eye-hand coordination talents into the ability to rebound, dribble, pass, shoot and defend.
Well rounded: The players on my All-Camp team were not one-dimensional. All of them played hard on the offensive and defensive ends of the court, they all made good decisions on when it was best to involve teammates and when to go one-on-one or shoot the ball.
Consistency: Every kid in camp is an excellent player, and they all looked superior at some point in the games they played. The players on my All-Camp team demonstrated more consistency than many of their peers and played at a high level at all times.
On a final note: The one player who impressed my the absolute most was Natasha Humphrey.
Bob Richards's All-Camp Team
Erika Arriaran Kristen Forristall Sylvia Fowles Laura Harper Alexis Hornbuckle Mel Thomas
It is important to understand that this is a moment in time, which is why this is a true "All-Camp" team and not an "All-Future WNBA" team. The six players listed above tended to separate themselves from the others campers. Whatever their accomplishments may be before or after this camp, these six players hit Indy competing at a high level.
Of the six players, two players were easy to place on the team. The remaining four on the list, were among a group of seven that could have all made the list. It was not easy choosing six, but we had to stop somewhere. All in all, the talent level in the class of 2004 was much higher this year than in past years.
Bob Sternvogel's All-Good Team
Sade Buley Natasha Humphrey Courtney Paris Caprice Smith Mel Thomas Sade Wiley-Gatewood
Although Bob stops short of naming it an "All-Camp" team, he was impressed with the players listed above.
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