Big Syl on National Team for All-Star Game; Mone invited to training camp

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. ( July 1, 2010) – Including six Olympic gold medalists, the official roster for the 2010 USA Basketball Women’s National Team that will compete in the WNBA vs. USA Basketball: The Stars at the Sun Game, was announced today by USA Basketball and the WNBA. WNBA vs. USA Basketball: The Stars at the Sun will be televised by ESPN at 3:30 p.m. (all times EDT) and the coverage will be presented by adidas. In addition to the game, the U.S. will conduct a training camp July 7-11 with all available members from the USA National Team pool participating. Named to compete in the game for USA Basketball were: Sue Bird (Seattle Storm), Swin Cash (Seattle Storm), Tamika Catchings (Indiana Fever), Tina Charles (Connecticut Sun), Candice Dupree (Phoenix Mercury), Sylvia Fowles (Chicago Sky), Angel McCoughtry (Atlanta Dream), Renee Montgomery (Connecticut Sun), Maya Moore (University of Connecticut), Diana Taurasi (Phoenix Mercury) and Cappie Pondexter (New York Liberty) .

“This training camp is the first and only opportunity that I’m going to have the chance to be with the majority of the players that were in the last Olympics that were a part of our core group,” said USA and University of Connecticut head coach Geno Auriemma, who will guide the USA National Team through 2012. “So whatever amount of time we have, it’s going to be used in the best way that we can. We’ll get a chance to see how they interact with each other. They’ll get a feel for me, and I’ll get a feel for them and we’ll play the game and go from there. “I’m looking forward to having an opportunity to coach them and to get a feel for them in game situations,” Auriemma continued. “So, I’m really excited. Some of them I haven’t seen play yet, and I really haven’t had a chance to see some of the guys that I had coached before. I haven’t had a chance to be around them since they graduated, so all-in-all I think the Stars at the Sun game will be great opportunity for me, and it’s a great opportunity for them as well.”

Additional USA National Team members confirmed to attend the July training camp are: Seimone Augustus (Minnesota Lynx), Shameka Christon (Chicago Sky), Lindsey Harding (Washington Mystics), Asjha Jones (Connecticut Sun), Kara Lawson (Connecticut Sun) and Lindsay Whalen (Minnesota Lynx).

Available USA team members will begin practice at 5:00 p.m. on July 8 at Connecticut College, with media availability to precede practice from 4:30-5:00 p.m. On July 9 the team will open its practice, held at the Mohegan Sun Arena, to the public at 2:45 p.m. U.S. players who do not have to immediately return to their WNBA teams following the July 10 game, will remain in Connecticut to scrimmage the Australia National Team on July 11 at 11:00 a.m. at the Mohegan Sun Arena. The USA versus Australia scrimmage is not open to the public.

USA Basketball Women’s National Team Schedule

Thursday, July 8
4:30 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. Media Availability Connecticut College
5:00 p.m. - 5:15 p.m. Practice (open to credentialed media) Connecticut College
5:15 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. Practice (closed) Connecticut College

Friday, July 9
1:30 p.m. – 2:45 p.m. Practice (closed) Mohegan Sun Arena
2:45 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. Practice (open to media & public) Mohegan Sun Arena
3:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. Media Availability Mohegan Sun Arena

Saturday, July 10
3:30 p.m. WNBA vs. USA Basketball: The Stars at the Sun Mohegan Sun Arena

Sunday, July 11
11:00 a.m. Scrimmage vs. Australia Mohegan Sun Arena
(open to credentialed media)

Posted by Bob Starkey