Should ODU decline WNIT bid?

Even though Old Dominion got spanked by Delaware 72-55 Friday the CAA Tournament quarterfinals, thanks to the WNIT, the Lady Monarchs can still have more basketball to play. The question is, do these Lady Monarchs really want to play more basketball?

We're not just asking this because the Lady Monarchs lost. Losing happens. But the Lady Monarchs got smoked by the Blue Hens. Just like they were smoked by James Madison in last year's CAA final. And just like they got smoked by Drexel in the 2009 CAA semifinals.

In each of these seasons, the Lady Monarchs got off to strong CAA starts. But when it came time to play for the crown, ODU didn't seem like quite the same team. Two years ago, injuries ravaged the group. Last year, they had to play JMU in Harrisonburg. But this year, without either of those factors in place, they got hammered again, by a Delaware team they had already beaten twice this season.

The nucleus of this team has been its four seniors - Jasmine Parker, Shadasia Green, Alena Voronina and Kquanise Byrd. Individually, all have had fine careers. Parker has developed into a player coach Wendy Larry calls one of the best defenders she's ever coached - an especially strong statement coming from defense-first Larry. Green has adopted to a variety of roles and will forever be remembered for making The Pass that led to The Shot by Jazzmin Walters that buried Virginia in overtime in the 2008 NCAA second round. Voronina morphed from non-factor to All-CAA caliber seemingly overnight. And Bryd appeared to get more comfortable in ODU's system by the dribble - imagine if the junior college transfer could have played in Larry's system four years instead of just two.

In fact, we're not pointing the finger at any of the players individually. But collectively, it's clear that over the past three years, the returns from Lady Monarchs teams have diminished as the CAA seasons have worn on. So we can't help but wonder. Does this group simply get tired of being around each other as the weeks go on? Do they get tired of listening to Larry? Do they just get tired, period?

Maybe none of this is the case. But before they attend another practice, the Lady Monarchs should take a hard look at themselves and consider these questions. Then, if they're convinced they can play the kind of cohesive, leave-it-all-out-on-the-floor basketball they've proven they have in them, then by all means continue on. We love watching that team play.

But if they look at themselves honestly and discover that they can't, well, there's no law that says a team has to go to the WNIT. And if the Lady Monarchs aren't convinced they want to bring everything to the court at this stage, they probably shouldn't.