14 Athletes Added To USA Women’s National Team Training Camp Roster
USOC September 22, 2009
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Sept. 22, 2009) -- Fourteen athletes who have been members of prior USA Basketball teams have accepted invitations to attend the 2009 USA Basketball Women's National Team's fall training camp as the U.S. begins preparations for the 2010 FIBA World Championship.
The 14 athletes will join the previously announced eight members of the 2009-12 USA Basketball Women's National Team at the squad's fall training camp, scheduled for Sept. 30 - Oct. 5 at American University in Washington, D.C., in hopes of being added to the 2009-12 USA Basketball Women's National Team roster. Invitations to attend the USA training camp were made by the five member USA Basketball Women's National Team Player Selection Committee. The eventual 12-member team that will compete in the 2010 FIBA World Championship is expected to be selected from the 2009-12 USA National Team.
Added to the USA training camp roster were: Jayne Appel (Stanford / Pleasant Hill, Calif.); Alana Beard (Washington Mystics); Swin Cash (Seattle Storm); Tina Charles (Connecticut / Jamaica, N.Y.); Shameka Christon (New York Liberty); Candice Dupree (Chicago Sky); Lindsey Harding (Washington Mystics); Ebony Hoffman (Indiana Fever); Asjha Jones (Connecticut Sun); Crystal Langhorne (Washington Mystics); Angel McCoughtry (Atlanta Dream); Maya Moore (Connecticut / Lawrenceville, Ga.); Lindsay Whalen (Connecticut Sun); and Candice Wiggins (Minnesota Lynx).
The 14 USA National Team hopefuls includes a total of 12 who have previously aided U.S. teams to gold medals and six of whom were members of the 2007-08 USA Women's National Team, including Beard, Cash, Jones, Harding, Whalen and Wiggins.
"I haven't been as excited about anything I've done as I am excited about what I'm going to do in a couple of weeks," said 2009-12 USA Basketball Women's National Team and University of Connecticut head coach Geno Auriemma . "I think the players who have been invited that have accepted an invitation and are going to be there gives us an opportunity to see the best players in the world compete against each other. Not necessarily just to impress me or to try to make the team, but more importantly, the fact that they're going to be there, that they want to be there, shows that they have a tremendous love for USA Basketball and how much it means for them to be on this team. In those five days that we're together, they're going to get to know me, I'm going to get to know them. This actually starts the process of putting the team together."
Two-time Olympic gold medalists Sue Bird (Seattle Storm), Tamika Catchings (Indiana Fever) and Diana Taurasi (Phoenix Mercury); as well as '08 gold medalists Seimone Augustus (Minnesota Lynx), Sylvia Fowles (Chicago Sky), Kara Lawson (Sacramento Monarchs), Candace Parker (Los Angeles Sparks) and Cappie Pondexter (Phoenix Mercury) were named to the 2009-12 USA Basketball Women's National Team on Aug. 17.
Appel, Augustus, Lawson and Whalen are injured, however, they are expected to attend the training camp. Players involved in the WNBA Finals will not attend training camp.
The USA's training camp will be highlighted by the 2009 USA Basketball Women's National Team Fall Showcase at 12:00 p.m. (EDT) on Sunday, Oct. 4. The USA Fall Showcase will include team drills, an intrasquad scrimmage, a question and answer session with Auriemma and a post-practice autograph session with selected players.
Tickets for the USA Basketball Women's National Team 2009 Fall Showcase are $5.00 and available by calling 202-885-TIXX or online at www.AUeagles.com. Children six and under will be admitted free of charge.
"The fans coming to the USA Fall Showcase can expect to see some of the best players in the world, playing the game hopefully the way it's always been meant to be played," said Auriemma. "I think anyone who comes out there will be amazed at the intensity level that these women play at, the skill level that they have. I would say that if anyone has not seen these players play, they're going to be amazed at the level of competition that's going to be at the USA Basketball Fall Showcase."
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