USC chose to accept a bid to the WNIT (www.WomensNIT.com) this year. Click here (.pdf) for bracket.
In Michael Cooper's first year as coach of the USC Trojans, he elected to stay home rather than accept a WNIT bid after feeling snubbed by the selection committee for the 2010 NCAA Tournament.
After losing three of their last six games this season, the Trojans missed out on a 2011 NCAA Tournament bid, but Cooper had a change of heart about accepting a WNIT bid this season saying (in the video above) that there's value to post-season play.
Meanwhile, LSU Lady Tigers coach Van Chancellor, another former WNBA coach, has chosen to make the same decision as Cooper.
Lady Tigers left out of tournament - The Daily Reveille - Sports
"I really feel bad for our players to miss the NCAA tournament," said LSU coach Van Chancellor."That's what you work for all year. They've worked awfully hard." Chancellor said LSU would decline an invitation to the WNIT if an offer was extended to attend.
"We're just interested in the NCAA. Our goals are there, and that's it," Chancellor said. "We're not going to the [WNIT]."
Other teams that may have a gripe about being snubbed - Michigan and Syracuse - chose to accept.
But with Chancellor declining while Cooper decided to accept a year after declining, perhaps we're left with an open question: How valuable is the WNIT?
As a case in point, Cal finds themselves back in the WNIT (at Cal Poly on Thursday) again after winning it all last year while their WNIT finals opponent Miami built on their WNIT by getting a 3-seed in this year's NCAA Tournament.
Granted, there were differing circumstances that explain why Cal and Miami went In opposite directions this year, but the bottom line is that it worked out for one while it didn't for the other.
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