Catch up with some of the USA U17 Women during their 11-hour bus trip from Alagan, Spain to Rodez, France, somewhere in the Pyrenees mountains. Their quest for the gold at the 2010 FIBA World Championship for Women begins Friday, July 16. Video: USA Basketball

Box Score

Sylvia Fowles scored 13 of her 23 points in the third quarter to lead the U.S. national team over the WNBA All-Stars 99-72 on Saturday in a midseason showcase. Fowles was named the MVP of the contest post-game.

All-star coach Brian said that his team  “played against the best team in the world today, the best players, great coach.”

They’re organized,”he said. “They’ve got decisions to make. We knew that this wasn’t your typical All‑Star Game. This was a team that was motivated to play from an individual standpoint because a lot of them are on the bubble trying to make this squad and they’re in preparation mode.”

• USA Basketball Postgame Quotes
• WNBA Stars Postgame Quotes
• Photos: The Stars at the Sun Game Action
• Video: Moore Up and Under
• Video: Moore to Charles

The USA Women’s U18 National beat Argentina 91-32 in the opening game of the 2010 FIBA Americas U18 Championship for Women at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo.

• Chiney Ogwumike (Cy-Fair H.S./Cypress, Texas) led the United States with 15 points and 12 rebounds in 15 minutes.
• Stefanie Dolson (Minisink Valley H.S./Port Jervis, N.Y.) scored 12 points on 5-of-6 shooting.
• Bria Hartley (North Babylon H.S./North Babylon, N.Y.) and Kayla McBride (Villa Maria Academy/Erie, Pa.) scored 10 points apiece.

The USA now plays Brazil (1-0), an 81-35 winner over Costa Rica in its preliminary round opener, at 5:45 p.m. on June 24 on the second of three preliminary round games in Group B. The winner automatically secures one of the top two spots in the group, qualifying for the medal semifinals on Sat., June 26.

Post-game quotes:

Jenn Rizzotti
USA and University of Hartford head coach

Comments on the USA vs. Argentina:
I thought it was a good first game. I was really pleased with the energy and the kids were really excited to get going. I feel like we’ve definitely made some progress in the last few weeks of training, and it’s nice to see it all come together.

The USA had a big lead early in the game, what did you tell your team at halftime or even after the first quarter?
We just keep sending the message that we are competing against ourselves, and we want to always play up to the best version. It’s not about the score or the opponent, but we want to prepare ourselves for a gold-medal opportunity. So, I really just kept reminding them to focus on the little things and focus on the details and to find something to try to accomplish. There is nothing boring about basketball; it doesn’t matter what the lead is. You can always challenge yourself, and I thought they did a pretty good job of that.

The first minute or so of the game was unsettled. Did that surprise you?
It was nerves. I think they were a little over-excited about playing finally. We’ve been here a long time, and to put the uniforms on and get out there, I know they were excited. Our first three possessions we turned the ball over, but once we settled in I felt pretty good. We’ve really focused a lot on valuing the ball and not turning it over, so minus the first minute, I was pretty pleased with their effort overall.

Did you see something you want to improve upon?
Well, we talked a lot at halftime about defending without fouling, and then we went out and fouled four times in the first two minutes. So, I just addressed that quickly after the game. I don’t want to have to burn a timeout reiterating something that I spoke about at halftime. These guys are young, but they need to understand that those five to seven minutes that I come in at halftime to give them some points of emphasis, they really need to take that into the second half.

Stefanie Dolson
(Minisink Valley H.S./Port Jervis, NY)

On playing first game:
It felt wonderful, honestly. We’ve been scrimmaging all week so it felt good to finally get our first game in and get all of our nerves out. I thought we played really well.

On her shot selection:
I haven’t been shooting well this week so I was focusing on finishing my shots and finishing my moves. I went out there and got a rebound and put it back so that boosted my confidence.

Cassie Harberts
(San Clemente H.S./San Clemente, CA)

On the game:
I think we were all a little bit nervous so it was a good game for us to get all of our kinks and nerves out. It was a lot of fun. They (Argentina) was an aggressive team defensively, so it was good to get out there and see what we can expect.

On keeping focused:
At halftime, coach reminded us that we’re not here to win this game but to win the gold medal. It encouraged us to keep our focus and staying strong with our defense and executing on offense. As a team we knew we had to keep our focus.

On her first game:
I missed my first three free throws but after that I felt a little more comfortable and started making plays and doing the small things. I felt like there was good team chemistry.

Bria Hartley
(North Babylon H.S./North Babylon, NY)

On six assists:
It’s easy to get that stat when I’m getting the ball to Chinenye. She’s just a very versatile player, which makes my job easier.

On playing first game:
It was such a relief to see that our hard work was finally put to use. We’ve been down here since the 8th so it’s been a long road. Coming out here, I think we all had a large amount of energy because we knew what we put into practices.

Chiney Ogwumike
(Cy-Fair H.S./Cypress, TX)

On the game in general:
I thought we did a lot of things well tonight and it was a good first game to get out on the court as a team officially and see what we can expect.

On staying focused:
It’s very important that you don’t see the big picture but you see the little picture. We have to get through Argentina before we can move on to our next game. We know we have a lot of things we can work on and do better at. We have little goals, like winning the offensive goals and defensive goals, and I think that makes us better in the long run.

What skill she prides herself in most:
I’d say my aggressiveness is what I pride myself most in. I try to be as passionate as I can and use my athleticism to get to the rim. It helps me get inside to grab a rebound and fight for loose balls but also helps me with my offense. I felt good tonight and hopefully we can keep feeding off each other.

What she knows about Brazil:
We’ve scrimmaged them (Brazil) twice so we know their personnel, we know their style and we’ve tried to study their offense as much as we can. We just know that we have to be the ones initiating the offense and setting the tone for the game. If we let them set the tone, they’ll have things going their way.

Being on the court:
I do get tired but I try not to show it. Coach always says you have to fake it to make it so if you fake that you have energy your body will follow. Being our team captain, I feel like I have to represent this on the court at all times

Photos courtesy USA Basketball

The 12-member USA Under-18 National Team comes off two weeks of training to begin their quest Wednesday for the 2010 FIBA Americas U18 Championship for Women in Colorado Springs, Colo. They play Argentina in the first round today at 5:45 p.m. MDT. The championship is set for Sunday.

Team members are ready to begin the quest for gold.

“We’ve been coming along really well, and the energy in our last few practices is up,” said Cassie Harberts, of San Clemente High School in Orange County, Calif. “There’s a sense of urgency to win the gold medal.”

Reshanda Gray, of Washington Prep High School in Los Angeles indicated that the weeks of hard work seem to be paying off.

“I think we’re ready,” she said. “If you had seen us on the first day of practice and compared it to now, you’d see how far we’ve come.”

Harberts said head coach Jen Rizzotti asked the team recently what has changed for them the last two weeks, and one teammate said that they had become a family.

Gray said every player has proven to be valuable to the team’s makeup.

“Each and every person brings something different to the table,” she said. “Right now we’re combining as one.”

If they do win the gold medal, it will be through a lot of sweat. Players survived two rounds of cuts to make the team, and since then, their lives have been nothing but basketball, with two practices a day.

“The first practice is at 10 a.m., and we get a knock on the door at 7:30 a.m.,” Harberts said. “We’ll all go to breakfast, and then some people will go in the training room at 9:15 a.m.”

“After practice we shower, give them our laundry and rest until the next practice at 5 p.m.”

Southern California has two representatives in Harberts, who just graduated and is heading to USC in the fall and Gray, who will be a senior next year. Both say they’ve learned a great deal during their time at training camp, but their viewpoints on the experience couldn’t be more different.

Take the team’s recent visit to Pikes Peak. Most of the athletes hadn’t experience high elevation before, and Harberts was one who took off running to the top to “see how it would feel.” Gray took a more conservative approach.

“I already felt a little lightheaded,” she said. “I bought a pretzel and some cheese and sat down on a rock.”

Harberts, who will miss her graduation Wednesday, said she is ready to go home. Gray isn’t.

“I’ve complained, but I’m not missing LA,” Gray said.

Both players say they’ve learned a great deal at camp, and some of it is similar.

“I’ve learned how to find a new gear when I’m tired, how to work with each other, and I’ve learned how to play better defense,” Harberts said. “I’ve stepped out to the wing, as I usually play the four and coach wanted me to play the three.”

Gray said she has “come out of her shell” during camp.

“I’ve learned how to fight through it when I’m tired, how to gather myself when I’m tired, how to play better help side defense, how to talk better on the court, how to make smart decisions and to make better passes,” she said.

Both Harberts and Gray said the sacrifices they’ve made to be part of the U18 team have been worth it.

“This has been a good experience for me,” Gray said. “I’ve got to work with different types of people and different coaches; I’ve worked with the best.”

Sue Favor’s Blog: They’re Playing Basketball.

USA Basketball announced the final, 12-player 2010 USA Women’s U18 National Team on June 13. Sixteen players participated in team trials. The USA women will compete in the 2010 FIBA Americas U18 Championship, June 23-27 at the U.S. Olympic Training Center (USOTC) in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

The 12-player roster includes:

• Diamond DeShields (Norcross H.S./Norcross, Ga.)
• Stefanie Dolson (Minisink Valley H.S./Port Jervis, N.Y.
• Reshanda Gray (Washington Prep H.S./Los Angeles, Calif.)
• Cassie Harberts (San Clemente H.S./San Clemente, Calif.)
• Bria Hartley (North Babylon H.S./North Babylon, N.Y.)
• Malina Howard (Twinsburg H.S./Twinsburg, Ohio)
• Alexis Jones (MacArthur H.S./Irving, Texas)
• Allyson Malott (Madison H.S./Middletown, Ohio)
• Kayla McBride (Villa Maria Academy/Erie, Pa.)
• Chiney Ogwumike (Cy-Fair H.S./Cypress, Texas)
• Cassie Peoples (Cy-Fair H.S./Houston, Texas)
• Theresa Plaisance (Vandebilt Catholic H.S./Marrero, La.).

“I’m real excited to get going,” said team coach Jennifer Rizzotti. “With 12 players, now, you know your pieces and you know your strengths and your weaknesses, so we can decide what we want to do. The next phase is about to begin, and we’re real excited to fine tune some things and really get ready for the start of the tournament next week.”

More on the team from USA Basketball

WNBL

Kristi Harrower

Australia’s WNBL kicked off their 30th season this week in Bulleen, north of Melbourne. Kristi Harrower of the Los Angeles Sparks signed to play with the Bendigo Bank Spirit. So far, she has short-term contract. The team had to raise money to fund her salary. Shortly after arriving from Los Angeles, she led Bendigo in a win over the Dandenong Jayco Rangers with a 23 point effort.

Former WNBA player Margo Twigg (known more by her maiden Dydek) and sister Marta are signed to play on the same team, the Logan Thunder. Margo is the tallest active women’s professional basketball player at 7′2". She holds the record for most blocks in a WNBA career, with 877 blocks in 323 games. Her sister Marta is 6′6" and played for the University of Texas-El Paso.

WNBA Awards

With less than a week before the end of the WNBA postseason, all of the league’s awards have been announced. Let’s recap shall we:

• Coach of the Year – Marynell Meadors (Atlanta Dream)
• Most Valuable Player – Diana Taurasi (Phoenix Mercury)
• Rookie of the Year – Angel McCoughtry (Atlanta Dream)
• Defensive Player of the Year – Tamika Catchings (Indiana Fever)
• All-Defensive Team Selections – Tamika Catchings, Nicky Anosike (Minnesota Lynx), Lauren Jackson (Seattle Storm), Tanisha Wright (Seattle Storm), Tully Bevilaqua (Indiana Fever)
• All-Rookie Team – Angel McCoughtry, DeWanna Bonner (Phoenix Mercury), Shavonte Zellous (Detroit Shock), Renee Montgomery ((Minnesota Lynx) and guard Marissa Coleman (Washington Mystics).
• All-WNBA Teams – Diana Taurasi, Cappie Pondexter (Phoenix Mercury), Lauren Jackson, Becky Hammon (San Antonio Silver Stars) and Tamika Catchings. Los Angeles Sparks teammates guard/forward Candace Parker and center Lisa Leslie, highlight the 2009 All-WNBA Second Team. They are joined by Fever guard Katie Douglas, Detroit Shock guard Deanna Nolan and San Antonio Silver Stars forward Sophia Young
• Kim Perrot Sportsmanship Award – Kara Lawson (Sacramento Monarchs)
• Sixth Woman of the Year presented by Kia Motors – DeWanna Bonner (Phoenix Mercury)
• Most Improved Player presented – Crystal Langhorne (Washington Mystics)
• WNBA Peak Performers – Diana Taurasi, Candace Parker and Sue Bird (Seattle Storm)

The most hotly debated award among basketball fans was MVP. Some felt that Taurasi’s off-court behavior (a DUI in July) should have been a factor in the determining her eligibility for the award. But the accolade is based on an athlete’s performance on the court and the voting results prove that the majority of the panel of sportswriters and broadcasters who cast ballots felt the same.

Better, Faster, More Points, Higher Ratings

The opening game of the Finals is arguably one the best WNBA game ever played. In the highest scoring game in WNBA history, the Phoenix Mercury defeated the Indiana Fever 120-116. The teams also combined for the most points in a game in league history, playoffs or regular season. The previous high was 221 by Phoenix (111) and Houston (110) in triple overtime on August 10, 2006.

Playoff ratings also spiked. Game 1 was the most viewed WNBA game on cable since Game 4 of the 2007 WNBA Finals.

In Game 2 Indiana evened the series 1-1 beating Phoenix 93-84. It was the Fever’s first WNBA Finals win in franchise history. Tamika Catchings was one rebound short of a triple-double with 19 points, 11 assists and nine rebounds. There has never been a triple-double in WNBA Finals history. The only triple-double in WNBA Playoffs history was by Sheryl Swoopes on September 3, 2005 against Seattle. Swoopes had 14 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists.

Game 3 is Sunday, October 4 in Indiana, 4:00 p.m., ESPN2. According to the league, 16,000 seats have already been sold.

Ohhhklahoma where the winds come sweepin’ down the plain

Nolan Richardson was named head coach of a prospective WNBA team in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

"I’m happy for Nolan. He’s a really nice guy," said former WNBA player/coach Nancy Lieberman to Tulsa World. "He has a lot of work ahead of him. I think it’s going to be very important that he hire people on his staff that have knowledge of the league.

"There are a lot of people out there, like Bo Overton, who can help him understand who the players are in this league. I’m for anybody who can help make women’s basketball better and stronger. But they also have to be receptive to learning. If you aren’t open-minded to learning, then success won’t be as easy as you think."

The primary investors behind the push for a Tulsa team say they will know in early October if a team has been secured. This week they added two more backers in their bid for a team. Scott and Katie Schofield of Washington, D.C. pledged their support. Katie is a Tulsa native and grew up playing the game.

"I never imagined when I was growing up playing 6-on-6 basketball that something even remotely close to a WNBA team would ever be reality in Oklahoma," she told KTUL, "and that I would be involved in it."

Donna O. and the LPGA

WNBA president Donna Orender avoided directly answering a query from ESPN reporter Rebecca Lobo during Game 2 about her future with the league and rumors that she will take the top job at the LPGA. In response to a direct question about the possibility of her leaving the league, Orender proceeded to wax jubilantly about the Finals’ high scoring and attendance, completely avoiding the subject.

According to Sports Business Daily, an announcement about the LPGA’s next president will be made by late October. Orender is considered to be a frontrunner for the job. Previous to her WNBA post she spent 17 years working for the PGA Tour.

Orender also recently celebrated the induction of her Queens College basketball teammate Gail Marquis into the New York City Basketball Hall of Fame. She wrote on Twitter:

At nyc bb hof awards with my queens college teammates – our teammate gail marquis is getting inducted – its a thrill!

College Scene

Several media outlets came out with preseason rankings in the past week and a half. UConn tops every list.

Sporting News Preseason Top 10
1. Connecticut
2. Stanford
3. Ohio State
4. North Carolina
5. Duke
6. Notre Dame
7. Oklahoma
8. Virginia
9. LSU
10. Baylor

Athlon Preseason Top 10
1. Connecticut
2. Stanford
3. Ohio State
4. Duke
5. Michigan State
6. Texas
7. Xavier
8. Baylor
9. Georgia Tech
10. North Carolina

Lindy’s Preseason Top 10
1. Connecticut
2. Stanford
3. Ohio State
4. Tennessee
5. Notre Dame
6. Duke
7. Michigan State
8. Rutgers
9. Baylor
10. Oklahoma

You have to go out and buy fat and expensive preseason guides to see the rankings in print but every college on a list hyped their rankings with press releases on their web sites.

The Road to the 2010 World Championships in the Czech Republic

FIBA Americas, Sept. 23 – 27
Brazil won the Gold medal at the FIBA Americas Championship for Women after defeating Argentina 71-48. Canada won the bronze, beating Cuba 59-49 in overtime. Argentina and Canada secured their place at the 2010 World Championship. The United States already qualified due to winning the gold medal at the 2008 Olympics.

The U.S. National team training camp is taking place this week in Washington, D.C. at American University. The team will provide fans with a fall showcase and autograph session on Sunday. Since team members Tamika Catchings, Ebony Hoffman, Cappie Pondexter and Diana Taurasi are competing in the WNBA Finals, they did not attend the camp.

Candace Parker arrived late due to participating in the WNBA playoffs. She will join her husband Shelden Williams of the Boston Celtics in Massachusetts this fall before heading to Russia in the winter to play for UMMC Ekaterinburg.

The US team leaves for Russia next week for a three-game tour. Academic obligations will prevent UConn junior Maya Moore from making the trip.

FIBA Asia, Sept. 17 – 24 and FIBA Oceania Aug. 31 – Sept. 2
The FIBA Asia Championship was held Sept. 17 – 24 in India. The top three finishers were China, Korea and Japan. They all qualified for the world championships. Australia also qualified by virtual of winning the FIBA Oceania tournament with a win over New Zealand in early September.

Tierra Rogers

Tierra Rogers in the 2009 McDonald’s All American Women’s High School Basketball Game, on April 1, 2009 in Coral Gables, Florida. (Photo by Doug Benc/Getty Images)

University of California-Berkeley incoming freshman Tierra Rogers has seen more than her fare share of adversity. She underwent heart surgery this week after doctors discovered that she had a severe heart condition. She has been declared medically ineligible to play.

"This is obviously devastating news for Tierra and her family," said Cal women’s basketball coach Joanne Boyle. "We are here to stand by her 100 percent with whatever she needs. Obviously, basketball was a very precious part of her life, but she has a higher purpose here than just being a basketball player, and her health and well-being are our primary concern. Right now, she can really use all the support and prayers she can get to help her through these trying times."

A native of San Francisco, Roger endured the tragic death of her father in 2008 who was shot during halftime during one of her high school games. He stepped outside to smoke a cigarette and was gunned down by assailants who have never been caught. Her school went on to finish the season 33-0, win the state title. They were the number one ranked team in the nation.

Rogers was named a McDonald’s All-American and Parade Magazine second-team All-American as a senior at Sacred Heart Prep in 2009. Rogers helped Sacred Heart to state championships in 2006, ‘07 and ‘08, including perfect 32-0 seasons in 2007 and ‘08.

Cal will seek a medical waiver for her so she can retain her athletic scholarship and continue her education.

The USA Women’s U16 National Team landed in Mexico City yesterday for the 2009 FIBA Americas U16 Championship. The tournament is a qualifier for the 2010 FIBA U17 World Championship scheduled for July 16-25 in France.

The team plays its first game Aug. 10 against the Dominican Republic, followed by Puerto Rico on Aug. 11 and Argentina on Aug. 12. The top two finishing teams in each preliminary round group will advance to the semifinals on Aug. 13.

A draw placed the USA in Group B along with Argentina, Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico. Group A includes Canada, Brazil, Guatemala and host country Mexico

The bottom two teams from each group will play for 5th through 8th places. The gold medal game will be played Friday, Aug. 14.

The 2009 USA U16 National Team includes:

• Jordan Adams (Mater Dei H.S./Irvine, Calif.)
• Cierra Burdick (Butler H.S./Mathews, N.C.)
• Bashaara Graves (Clarksville H.S./Clarksville, Tenn.)
• Justine Hartman (Brea Olinda H.S./Brea, Calif.)
• Betnijah Laney (Smyrna H.S./Clayton, Del.)
• Ariel Massengale (Bolingbrook H.S./Bolingbrook, Ill.)
• Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis (Mater Dei H.S./Anaheim, Calif.)
• Alexia Standish (Colleyville Heritage H.S./Colleyville, Texas)
• Breanna Stewart (Cicero-North Syracuse H.S. / North Syracuse, N.Y.)
• Kiah Stokes (Linn Mar H.S. / Marion, Iowa)
• Alexyz Vaioletama (Mater Dei H.S./Fountain Valley, Calif.)
• Elizabeth Williams (Princess Anne H.S./Virginia Beach, Va.)

USA and Wingate University head coach Barbara Nelson will lead her first USA squad, with the assistance of Mike Armstrong of Perry Meridian High School (Indiana) and Dorena Bingham of Team Alaska AAU.

July 23
Preliminary Round

• France 89 Korea 47
• Japan 85 Tunisia 64
• Australia 75 Argentina 51
• Russia 54 Canada 46
• Spain 90 USA 86
• Brazil 104 Thailand 45
• Czech Republic 84 Lithuania 72
• China 86 Mali 60

The USA take on China today.

Follow the action online

• FIBA U19 World Championship for Women official site
• USA Basketball
• Canada Basketball

The U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC) named five-time Olympian and four-time gold medalist Teresa Edwards as a member of the  2009 class to be inducted into the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame presented by Allstate.

Teresa’s statement on being inducted:

For me, it’s the highest of highs because I’ve always looked at the Olympics as being the best that you could possibly get for women’s basketball. For me, it’s the most important honor ever. To be in the company of Muhammad Ali and Wilma Rudolph, that’s huge. It’s kind of like, pinch me, because I still can’t believe it.

There’s too many memories from the Olympics to pick just one. I think the greatest has always been my first. You can never top the first time. Even though I did return, you can never top that feeling of everything being so wonderful and being the first time. I think ‘96 was huge because it changed the face of the women’s game in the States. To be a part of the ‘96 team, that’s probably my all-time greatest team. Just the magnitude of it all, every Olympics had an equal importance to me and the reason I was able to continue to go back. I have a lot of great memories, a lot of great coaches, I’ve had a lot of great teammates, a lot of great travel. Most of all, you can’t top the feeling you get once you step on top of that podium and get that gold medal around your neck. That’s the biggest, brightest moment an athlete can have

Teresa Edwards is the most decorated Olympic basketball player, male or female, with four gold medals and one bronze medal in five Olympics. She is the USA’s only five-time Olympic basketball player and one of only three five-time Olympic basketball players in the world, joining Oscar Schmidt of Brazil and Andrew Gaze of Australia. She is also one of only three U.S. Olympians to win gold in four different Olympic Games, joining former teammate Lisa Leslie and sprinter Carl Lewis. Only five other non-U.S. athletes have accomplished that feat.

Edwards played on the 1984, 1988, 1992, 1996 and 2000 U.S. Olympic Teams. Those teams combined to achieve a 31-1 record. Only the 1992 team failed to win gold, falling in the semifinals to the Unified Team, but still salvaged bronze.

Finalists must be retired from Olympic competition for at least four years following the last Olympic competition to qualify. Five individuals are inducted in each Hall of Fame Class. The U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame Class of 2009 will be formally introduced and honored August 12 at a banquet-style induction ceremony at McCormick Place in Chicago.

The U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame was established in 1979 to celebrate the achievements of America’s premier athletes in the modern Olympic Games. The first U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame class was inducted in 1983 during ceremonies in Chicago. In 2004, after a 12-year hiatus, the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame was revived through the support of the Allstate Insurance Company as the presenting sponsor.

USA Basketball invited 29 women’s college players to try out for the 12-member  2009 USA Women’s World University Games Roster.

Trials will take place May 14-17 at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo. The selected finalists will return to Colorado Springs on June 18 for training camp. The 12-member roster will be announced prior to June 25.  The 2009 women’s basketball competition will be July 1-11 in Belgrade, Serbia. Eligible athletes for the USA team must be currently enrolled in a college or university and have remaining NCAA athletic eligibility.

The USA team will be coached by Arizona State coach Charli Turner Thorne. Michigan State head coach Suzy Merchant and Pepperdine head coach Julie Rousseau will be assistants.

The Trials Roster includes:

1. Danielle Adams (Jefferson College / Kansas City, Mo.)
2. Jayne Appel (Stanford / Kansas City, Mo.)
3. Jessica Breland (North Carolina / Kelford, N.C.)
4. Doreena Campbell (UCLA / Alexandria, Va.)
5. Tina Charles (Connecticut / Jamaica, N.Y.)
6. Alysha Clark (Middle Tennessee State / Mt. Juliet, Tenn.)
7. Cetera DeGraffenreid (North Carolina / Cullowhee, N.C.)
8. Dawn Evans (James Madison / Clarksville, Tenn.)
9. Tyra Grant (Penn State / Youngstown, Ohio)
10. Jantel Lavender (Ohio State / Cleveland, Ohio)
11. Alexis Gray-Lawson (California / Oakland, Calif.)
12. Whitney Hand (Oklahoma / Fort Worth, Texas)
13. Tiffany Hayes (Connecticut / Lakeland, Fla.)
14. Allison Hightower (LSU / Arlington, Texas)
15. Ashley Houts (Georgia / Trenton, Ga.)
16. Ify Ibekwe (Arizona / Carson, Calif.)
17. Amy Jaeschke (Northwestern / Wilmette, Ill.)
18. Danielle McCray (Kansas / Olathe, Kan.)
19. Jacinta Monroe (Florida State / Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.)
20. Maya Moore (Connecticut / Lawrenceville, Ga.)
21. Kayla Pedersen (Stanford / Fountain Hills, Ariz.)
22. Ta’Shia Phillips (Xavier / Indianapolis, Ind.)
23. Jeanette Pohlen (Stanford / Brea, Calif.)
24. Epiphanny Prince (Rutgers / Brooklyn, N.Y.)
25. Alex Rack (Mississippi State / Franklin, La.)
26. Danielle Robinson (Oklahoma / San Jose, Calif.)
27. Carolyn Swords (Boston College / Sudbury, Mass.)
28. Courtney Vandersloot (Gonzaga / Kent, Wash.)
29. Natasha Vital (California / Stockton, Calif.).