Twenty-One Finalists In The Mix For Final 2012 U.S. Women’s Olympic Basketball Team Roster
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Feb. 13, 2012) – Highlighted by a trio of two-time Olympic gold medalists and featuring a total of nine players who have won Olympic gold, 21 USA Women’s National Team members were today named as finalists for the 2012 U.S. Olympic Women’s Basketball Team. The player selections were made by the USA Basketball Women’s National Team Player Selection Committee.
“Now that we’re down to 21 finalists, you look around and you see a group of players that have tremendous experience,” said Geno Auriemma, 2009-12 USA National Team and University of Connecticut head coach. “(We have) players that have won (Olympic) gold medals, won World Championships, there are WNBA champions on the list, players that have won in Europe in international competition. You’ve got a group of players that have experienced everything there is to experience and as a coach, as someone who’s been around these players, I couldn’t be happier with this group. They represent the best of what the United States has to offer.”
The 21 finalists for the 2012 U.S. Olympic Women’s Basketball Team include: Jayne Appel (San Antonio Silver Stars), Seimone Augustus (Minnesota Lynx), Sue Bird (Seattle Storm), Rebekkah Brunson (Minnesota Lynx), Swin Cash (Chicago Sky), Tamika Catchings (Indiana Fever), Tina Charles (Connecticut Sun), Candice Dupree (Phoenix Mercury), Sylvia Fowles (Chicago Sky), Brittney Griner (Baylor University), Lindsey Harding (Atlanta Dream), Asjha Jones (Connecticut Sun), Kara Lawson (Connecticut Sun), Angel McCoughtry (Atlanta Dream), Renee Montgomery (Connecticut Sun), Maya Moore (Minnesota Lynx), Candace Parker (Los Angeles Sparks), Cappie Pondexter (New York Liberty), Diana Taurasi (Phoenix Mercury), Lindsay Whalen (Minnesota Lynx) and Sophia Young (San Antonio Silver Stars).
“When you’re trying to pick a team,” said Auriemma. “It’s important that you don’t just say, ‘ok, well, we’re just going to get the best player and that’s all there is to it.’ You’re trying to put together the Olympic team. So, you’re trying to find players that fit together very well, that are very compatible, they complement each other’s strengths, hide each other’s weaknesses. So, we’re going to have to decide: What kind of team do we want? What are the dynamics that we’re trying to achieve? In the end, are we prepared for anything the other countries are going to throw at us and do we have something for every occasion? As we’re picking the team, those things are going to be really crucial.”
Headlining the finalists roster are 2004 and 2008 Olympic gold medalists Bird, Catchings and Taurasi. They were joined on the 2004 Olympic gold medal stand by Cash and on the top of the podium in 2008 by Augustus, Fowles, Lawson, Parker and Pondexter.
All 12 members of the 2010 USA World Championship Team, which earned the USA’s London Olympic berth by virtue of claiming the ’10 FIBA World Championship, are still in the running for a spot on the 2012 team. Those athletes include: Appel, Bird, Cash, Catchings, Charles, Dupree, Fowles, Jones, McCoughtry, Moore, Taurasi and Whalen.
Bird and Catchings are three-time USA World Championship Team members, having also won gold in 2002 and bronze in 2006; while Augustus, Parker and Taurasi competed on the 2006 USA World Championship Team that returned with the bronze medal.
Twenty of the 21 athletes compete professionally in the WNBA and most continue to hone their games during the winter in China or Europe. The lone collegian is Griner, who has the chance to be the first collegiate athlete selected to a U.S. Olympic women’s basketball team since 1988 (Vicky Bullett, Maryland; Bridgette Gordon, Tennessee).
Auriemma will be assisted in the USA’s quest for a gold medal by DePaul University head coach Doug Bruno, 1988 Olympic gold medalist and Washington Mystics assistant coach Jennifer Gillom and Atlanta Dream head coach Marynell Meadors.
2012 Olympic Games
Four-time defending Olympic gold medalists, the U.S. will look to capture its fifth straight and seventh overall gold medal and extend its 33-game Olympic winning streak at the 2012 Olympic Summer Games in London. The Olympic basketball competition will be held July 28-Aug. 12 in the Olympic Park Basketball Arena (preliminary round and quarterfinals) and North Greenwich Arena (semifinals and finals).
The draw to determine the two preliminary round pools of six teams each is scheduled to be held April 28 at the FIBA Central Board meeting in the Ivory Coast. The preliminary round, played July 28-Aug. 5, will feature a round-robin schedule and the top four finishing teams will advance to the Aug. 7 quarterfinals. The semifinals are scheduled for Aug. 9 and the finals will be played on Aug. 11.
Seven countries have claimed spots in the eventual 12-nation field, including host country Great Britain; the United States, which earned its berth by virtue of earning the gold medal at the 2010 FIBA World Championship; and five nations which earned the gold medal at their respective FIBA zone qualifying tournaments, including Angola (FIBA Africa), Australia (FIBA Oceania), Brazil (FIBA Americas), China (FIBA Asia) and Russia (FIBA Europe).
The final five teams will earn their spots at the 2012 FIBA World Olympic Qualifying Tournament (June 25 - July 1 in Ankara, Turkey), which will feature 12 nations from each of the five 2011 FIBA zone qualifying tournaments as follows: two from FIBA Africa, including Mali (bronze medalists) and Mozambique (fifth-place finisher); three from FIBA Americas, including Argentina (silver medal), Canada (bronze medalist) and Puerto Rico (fifth-place finisher); two from FIBA Asia, including South Korea (silver medalist) and Japan (bronze medalist); four from FIBA Europe, including Turkey (silver medalist), France (bronze medalist), Czech Republic (fourth place) and Croatia (fifth place); and New Zealand (silver medalist) from FIBA Oceania.
The USA Basketball Women’s National Team Player Selection Committee is comprised of WNBA representatives Reneé Brown, Chief of Basketball Operations and Player Relations; Dan Hughes, head coach/General Manager of the San Antonio Silver Stars; and Chief Operating Officer/General Manager of the Indiana Fever Kelly Krauskopf; athlete representative and five-time Olympian Teresa Edwards; and USA Basketball Women’s National Team Director Carol Callan.
2012 U.S. Olympic Women’s Basketball Team Finalists
NAME POS HGT WGT DOB WNBA TEAM SCHOOL HOMETOWN
Jayne Appel C 6-4 210 05/14/88 San Antonio Silver Stars Stanford Pleasant Hill, CA
Seimone Augustus F 6-1 179 04/30/84 Minnesota Lynx Louisiana State Baton Rouge, LA
Sue Bird G 5-9 150 10/16/80 Seattle Storm Connecticut Syosset, NY
Rebekkah Brunson F 6-2 175 12/11/81 Minnesota Lynx Georgetown Oxen Hill, MD
Swin Cash F 6-1 162 09/22/79 Chicago Sky Connecticut McKeesport, PA
Tamika Catchings F 6-0 166 07/21/79 Indiana Fever Tennessee Duncanville, TX
Tina Charles C 6-3 193 12/05/88 Connecticut Sun Connecticut Jamaica, NY
Candice Dupree F 6-2 162 08/16/84 Phoenix Mercury Temple Tampa, FL
Sylvia Fowles C 6-6 200 10/06/85 Chicago Sky Louisiana State Miami, FL
Brittney Griner C 6-8 208 10/18/90 n/a Baylor Houston, TX
Lindsey Harding G 5-8 139 06/12/84 Atlanta Dream Duke Houston, TX
Asjha Jones F 6-3 196 08/01/80 Connecticut Sun Connecticut Piscataway, NJ
Kara Lawson G 5-9 165 02/14/81 Connecticut Sun Tennessee Alexandria, VA
Angel McCoughtry F 6-1 160 09/10/86 Atlanta Dream Louisville Baltimore, MD
Renee Montgomery G 5-7 139 12/02/86 Connecticut Sun Connecticut St. Albans, WV
Maya Moore F 6-0 170 06/11/89 Minnesota Lynx Connecticut Lawrenceville, GA
Candace Parker F/C/G 6-4 172 04/19/86 Los Angeles Sparks Tennessee Naperville, IL
Cappie Pondexter G 5-9 160 01/07/83 New York Liberty Rutgers Chicago, IL
Diana Taurasi G/F 6-0 172 06/11/82 Phoenix Mercury Connecticut Chino, CA
Lindsay Whalen G 5-9 150 05/09/82 Minnesota Lynx Minnesota Hutchinson, MN
Sophia Young F 6-1 165 12/15/83 San Antonio Silver Stars Baylor St. Vincent, West Indies
Head Coach: Geno Auriemma, University of Connecticut
Assistant Coach: Doug Bruno, DePaul University
Assistant Coach: Jennifer Gillom, Washington Mystics
Assistant Coach: Marynell Meadors, Atlanta Dream
FEVER RE-SIGNS BEN DAVIS GRAD SHYRA ELY
INDIANAPOLIS – The Indiana Fever has re-signed 6-2 forward Shyra Ely to a free agent contract, bringing the Indianapolis native back to the Fever for a second season. A graduate of Ben Davis High School and the 2001 Indiana Miss Basketball, Ely originally signed a free agent deal with Indiana in 2011.
Ely came off the Fever bench as a versatile reserve last season, averaging 3.1 points, 2.2 rebounds and 10.7 minutes during 33 appearances. She posted a season-high 10 points in a home win over Connecticut at Bankers Life Fieldhouse, just minutes from where she starred as an Indiana prep standout.
“Shyra gives us great depth at the small and power forward positions,” said Chief Operating Officer and General Manager Kelly Krauskopf. “Her versatility on both ends of the floor, and her rebounding instincts, are huge assets. We are happy to have her back.”
Married last October and the owner of a fashion consulting company, “Styles by Ms. Ely,” the six-year pro is currently playing in Switzerland where she leads top-ranked and unbeaten (15-0) Helios. Ely ranks fourth in the Swiss League with 21.9 points per game, and eighth with 7.7 rebounds
FEVER ANNOUNCES 2012 REGULAR SEASON SCHEDULE
INDIANAPOLIS – The Indiana Fever has announced its 2012 Women’s National Basketball Association schedule. Indiana will play 34 regular-season games including its home and season opener on Saturday, May 19 against the defending Eastern Conference champion Atlanta Dream (7:00 p.m.).
The opening matchup between the Fever and Dream features the Eastern Conference champs from the past three seasons – Indiana in 2009 and the Dream in 2010 and 2011. Following a road game at I-65 rival Chicago on Friday, May 25, the Fever battles the Dream again, in Atlanta, for a Sunday afternoon battle on May 27.
Returning from a seventh straight playoff appearance in 2011, and eight in 12 seasons, Indiana begins its 13th WNBA season under the direction of fifth-year coach Lin Dunn. Last summer, Dunn became the winningest coach in Fever history, leading Indiana to four consecutive playoff berths and three straight years with at least 20 wins.
The Fever has amassed at least 20 wins in six of the past seven seasons, matching a WNBA record set by the Los Angeles Sparks (1999-06). Indiana hopes to become the first franchise in league history to record 20 wins in 7 of 8 years.
Playing in a 12-team WNBA, the Fever’s schedule includes 22 games against the Eastern Conference and 12 against the West. The Fever will play four games apiece against Eastern foes Connecticut, New York and Washington; and square off against Atlanta and Chicago five times. Home and away games are scheduled against each of six Western Conference opponents.
This year’s schedule allows for a full-month break, July 15 to August 15, to accommodate the Summer Olympics in London – similar to its break for the Olympics in 2008 in Beijing, China. Indiana’s regular season schedule concludes Sunday, Sept. 23 when the Fever hosts the Tulsa Shock.
Fever schedule highlights for the upcoming season include:
Ÿ Indiana’s home opener is Saturday, May 19 against the Atlanta Dream, led by All-Star Angel McCoughtry. The opener pits Eastern Conference Finals opponents from last season.
Ÿ After traveling during 8 of 13 games in May and June, the Fever plays four straight home games in July before breaking for the Olympics. Indiana returns from the Olympic break with another pair of home dates before embarking on a three-game West Coast road trip in late August..
Ÿ Indiana’s annual Kids Day game takes place on Tuesday, July 10 (12:00 p.m.) when the New York Liberty comes to town in a rematch of last year’s first-round playoff series. This afternoon contest has annually drawn one of the Fever’s largest crowds of the season.
Ÿ The Fever will face defending WNBA champ Minnesota in September when the Fever and Lynx meet in back-to-back games – Friday, Sept. 14 in Indianapolis and Sunday, Sept. 16 at Minnesota.
For season ticket information, visit FeverBasketball.com or call (317) 917-2500.