WYSIWYG? Not in Russia
By Clay Kallam
Publisher
There are some things one can safely say about the Russian OIympic team:
1) 6-3 Elena Baranova is a big-time scorer.
2) The Russians are technically the defending Olympic champions, even though the '92 entry was as the Unified Team, which included players from countries not named Russia.
3) Coach Vadim Kapranov has a veteran-laden team with an especially experienced backcourt.
4) The Russians will not panic or self-destruct in the face of superior athleticism.
5) Most important, the team the Americans squeaked past in mid-June is very likely not the team that will be battling for the gold in Atlanta.
For example, the international rumor mill has been churning big-time about 6-9 Marina Bourmistrova, who's 21 and supposed to be the next dominant center. But Bourmistrova was nowhere to be found on the Russian roster in the 80-79 USA win June 16 -- and do you think a 6-9 center might be worth two points?
If so, the Russians should be considered at worst a co-favorite for the gold, especially given some other special circumstances in Chicago.
For one thing, the Russians only played six women in the entire game, and even though those six were pretty worn down by game's end, they were still enough to give Tara VanDerveer's entire roster a very serious scare. Since international teams are known for sandbagging, who knows what talent didn't play against the Americans? If it was on the bench, the national TV audience didn't see it, and if it still back in Russia, no one in America saw it, in practice or otherwise.
What was in Chicago was impressive enough, starting with Baranova. She is a smooth, talented offensive machine who can jump, shoot threes, work inside and clearly a great athlete. The 24-year-old was unstoppable early and late for the Russians against the Americans, and might have been even more effective if she'd had a little more rest.
Six-two Elen Chakirova and six-one Elena Pchikova complement Baranova down low, though like all the Russian players, they are comfortable anywhere on the offensive end. Chakirova is a fine ballhandler and is very good going to the basket. Like Baranova, she's a wonderful athlete -- which isn't what they're saying about Pchikova. But ungainly though she may be, Pchikova gets the job done with three-point shooting, turnaround jumpers, pull-up jumpers and drives to the basket. All Pchikova does is get it done, and she's just 23.
The backcourt is led by Irina Routkovskaya, who can pass and post up, and has exceptional quickness. Irinia Sounuiikova is 31, but even though everybody knows she wants to go left, she still gets there. Like Routkovskaya, she is an excellent passer and is more concerned about distributing the ball than putting it in the hoop herself. Svetlana Antipova is another veteran who is the main three-point threat in the backcourt.
If that's all the Russians have, a gold medal will take some doing. Even though the score was close, the Americans clearly had the better of play, and were bigger and quicker than the Russians. Maybe the pressure of finishing a perfect exhibition season, or maybe fatigue, dogged the U.S. team, but it seemed like they were dominating in every aspect but the score.
But getting past the players on the roster will take some doing by any Olympic team, and when Bourmistrova and the other ringers are added, the Russians are going to be even tougher to handle.
If they win, it will be due to discipline, an experienced backcourt, Baranova's talent and the ability to force a half-court game. But if the Americans or Brazilians get out and run, the Russians are not quite in the same league -- unless they've got some sprinters back in Moscow to unveil in Atlanta.
The main thing to remember about the Russians is that they are, until further notice, the Olympic champions -- and they will not surrender that title without a fight.