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Blue Devil Freshmen Duo Arrive In D.C. For USA Basketball Training
WASHINGTON, D.C.-- Fourteen finalists for the 2007 USA Basketball Women’s U19 World Championship Team, including Duke incoming freshmen Jasmine Thomas and Krystal Thomas, opened five days of training today in Washington, D.C., from July 12-17. The finalists were selected after a weekend of trials, May 17-20 in Colorado Springs, Colo.
The roster is expected to be trimmed to the official 12-member squad on July 15 prior to the team’s departure for Europe and the 2007 FIBA U19 World Championship, which is being contested held July 26-Aug. 5 in Bratislava, Slovakia.
In contention for one of 12 roster spots on the U19 World Championship team are: Victoria Baugh (Sacramento H.S. / Sacramento, Calif.); Angie Bjorklund (University H.S. / Spokane, Wash.); Allyssa DeHaan (Michigan State / Grandville, Mich.); Amy Jaeschke (New Trier H.S. / Wilmette, Ill.); Jantel Lavender (Cleveland Central Catholic H.S. / Cleveland, Ohio); Melissa Lechlitner (Notre Dame / Mishawaka, Ind.); Demauria Liles (Gulf Coast Community College / Suitland, Md.); Italee Lucas (Centennial H.S. / Las Vegas, Nev.); Maya Moore (Collins Hill H.S. / Lawrenceville, Ga.); Kayla Pedersen (Red Mountain H.S. / Fountain Hills, Ariz.); Khadijah Rushdan (St. Elizabeth H.S. / Wilmington, Del.); Jasmine Thomas (Oakton H.S. / Fairfax, Va.); Krystal Thomas (The First Academy / Orlando, Fla.); and Monica Wright (Virginia / Woodbridge, Va.).
Two athletes also named as finalists are no longer vying for U19 roster spots. Jayne Appel was named to the 2007 USA Basketball Women’s Pan American Games Team, and Elena Delle Donne withdrew from contention.
USA U19 World Championship and DePaul University head coach Doug Bruno, who also lead the 2006 USA U18 women to gold at the FIBA Americas U18 Championship, will be assisted by Cynthia Cooper-Dyke of Prairie View A&M University (Texas) and Carol Owens of Northern Illinois University.
Training starts July 12 with a 6:00 p.m. (All times listed are local - EDT) session at American University’s Bender Arena, followed by 11:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. sessions at American on July 13 and 14, and a 10:00 a.m. practice at AU on July 15. Camp closes with 10:00 a.m. practices July 16 and 17 at the Washington Mystics Practice Facility in the Verizon Center.
Among the finalists are 11 USA Basketball veterans. Baugh, Lavender, Lucas, Moore, Pedersen and Rushdan were members of the 2006 USA squad that captured gold and a perfect 4-0 record at the 2006 FIBA Americas U18 Championship; three attended the 2006 USA U18 National Team Trials, including Jaeschke, Jasmine Thomas and Wright; and Liles and Wright donned a USA jersey at the 2005 Youth Development Festival.
2007 FIBA U19 World Championship for Women
Sixteen countries will compete in the U19 World Championship for Women that will be held July 26-Aug. 5 in Bratislava, Slovakia. The draw for the 2007 FIBA U19 World Championship For Women was held by FIBA on March 6, and the USA was placed in Group B, along with China, Ivory Coast and Lithuania.
The USA qualified for the 2007 U19 World Championship after Bruno, as the USA’s head coach, led the U18 squad to a 4-0 slate and gold medal at the zone qualifier, the 2006 FIBA Americas U18 Championship for Women. The event was hosted by USA Basketball at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo.
Originally known as the FIBA Junior World Championship, the tournament is held every four years and was first held in 1985. USA women's teams are 32-10 in the U19/Junior World Championships, capturing gold with an 8-0 record most recently in 2005.
USA Basketball Women’s Collegiate Committee
The USA Women’s U19 player and coach selections were made by the USA Basketball Women’s Collegiate Committee. Chaired by Sue Donohoe, the NCAA’s vice president of Division I women’s basketball, other members of the committee include: athlete representatives Beth Cunningham (Virginia Commonwealth University), a member of the 1999 USA Pan American Games Team, and 1996 Olympic gold medalist Carla McGhee (WNBA Director of Player Personnel); from the NAIA is Martha Gore-Algernon (University of Mobile); NCAA appointees include Sherri Coale (University of Oklahoma), Jim Foster (Ohio State University), Trina Patterson (University at Albany) and Tara VanDerveer (Stanford University); Mary "Roonie" Scovel (Gulf Coast Community College) represents the NJCAA; and Wendy Larry (Old Dominion University) was appointed to the Committee by the WBCA.
