USA Basketball World University Games Team Selected
May 21, 2001
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (May 21, 2001) -- Following four days of trials featuring 33 of the nation's top women's collegiate basketball players, 11 have been named to the 2001 USA Basketball Women's World University Games Team, three were named as finalists for the 12th and final roster spot, while four others were selected as alternates, USA Basketball announced today. Chaired by University of Texas Senior Associate Athletics Director for Men's and Women's Athletics Chris Plonsky, the Committee made the selections and will pare the list to the final 12-member team during the August 6-11 training camp which will be held at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo. The Committee's selection of the 2001 U.S. squad is subject to approval by the U.S. Olympic Committee.
"We've got a very athletic team and we won't be the biggest team but we'll be very athletic and we will be a team that can slash well," said USA and University of Virginia head coach Debbie Ryan. "We've got some good shooters on this team that can spread the floor a little bit for our size inside. We do have some size inside so hopefully we can spread the floor and get the ball inside to them.
"Winning the gold medal should be a pride thing," added Ryan. "I think I understand that when you are coaching for the United States of America and playing for the United States of America, there's only one goal and that's bringing home the gold."
Ryan will be assisted by University of Iowa head coach Lisa Bluder and East Carolina University (N.C.) head coach Dee Stokes.
Named to the 2001 USA squad were: Chantelle Anderson (Vanderbilt / Vancouver, Wash.), Cori Enghusen (Stanford / Bothell, Wash.), Chrissy Floyd (Clemson / Laurens, S.C.), Caton Hill (Oklahoma / Ada, Okla.), Kara Lawson (Tennessee / Alexandria, Va.), Ashley McElhiney (Vanderbilt / Gleason, Tenn.), Carisse Moody (North Carolina State / Rocky Mount, N.C.), Jenny Roulier (Colorado / Englewood, Colo.), Ayana Walker (Louisiana Tech / Houston, Texas), Shaquala Williams (Oregon / Portland, Ore.) and Shereka Wright (Purdue / Copperas Cove, Texas).
The three who will vie for the 12th and final roster spot are: Tamara Moore (Wisconsin / Minneapolis, Minn.), Loree Payne (Washington / Havre, Mont.), and Lindsey Yamasaki (Stanford / Oregon City, Ore.), while the four alternates, who will be called on if a team member is unable to participate, are: Danielle Crockrom (Baylor / Houston, Texas), Shelia Lambert (Baylor / Seattle, Wash.), Mandy Nightingale (Colorado / Sapulpa, Okla.) and Aiysha Smith (Tyler J.C. / Detroit, Mich.).
Listed among the team members and finalists are eight with prior USA Basketball experience, including four who have competed as members of USA Basketball teams, five who received 2001 All-America mentions and 10 earned all-conference honors following the 2000-01 season.
2001 Naismith Player of the Year finalist Anderson headlines the list of former USA Basketball players. A member of the bronze medal winning 1998 USA World Youth Games Team, in 2000 Anderson helped the USA R. William Jones Cup Team to a gold medal and returned a month later to compete against the 2000 USA Basketball Women's National Team as a member of the 2000 USA Select Team. Lawson garnered USA Basketball experience on the 1998 USA World Youth Games Team and Payne was a teammate of Anderson's on both of the 2000 U.S. teams. Aiding the 1999 USA World University Games Team to a silver medal was Walker, while Roulier, Williams, Wright and Yamasaki have all participated in prior USA Basketball Team Trials.
Highlighting the All-American list is Anderson, an Associated Press and Women's Basketball Journal 2001 All-America second team selection, who was also named a 2001 Kodak/Women's Basketball Coaches Association All-America honorable mention. Earning 2001 AP All-America honorable mention were Lawson, Moore and Walker, while Floyd and Walker were tabbed Kodak/WBCA All-America honorable mentions and Moore was also named to the 2001 Women's Basketball Journal Defensive All-America first team.
Among all-conference honorees are conference Defensive Players of the Year Moore (Big 10 Conference) and Walker (Sun Belt Conference). In addition to garnering these awards, both were named to their respective all-conference first teams, as were Anderson and Lawson in the Southeastern Conference. Listed among their respective all-conference second teams were Floyd (Atlantic Coast Conference [ACC]), Hill (Big 12 Conference) and Moody (ACC), while Roulier (Big 12) collected all-conference third team honors, Yamasaki was named All-Pacific 10 conference honorable mention and Wright was named to the Big 10 All-Freshman Team.
Following the Aug. 6-11 training camp in Colorado Springs, the final 12-member team will train Aug. 12-15 at a site yet to be determined. The squad will depart the United States on Aug. 16 for Beijing, China, and will train in Beijing until the Aug. 22-31 competition begins.
The 2001 World University Games women's basketball competition currently includes teams from 20 countries which have been placed into four pools for preliminary round play. The United States, placed into Group B, will play Canada, Ireland, Japan and South Africa for the right to advance to the medal rounds. Group A consists of host China, Czech Republic, Kazakhstan, Taiwan and Peru, Group C includes South Korea, the Netherlands, Mexico, Russia and Sweden, while competing in Group D are Brazil, Lithuania, Nigeria, Portugal and Yugoslavia. The women's basketball schedule has not yet been announced, however games are currently slated to be played on August 24, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30 and 31.
The World University Games, held every two years and organized by the International University Sports Federation (FISU), is a multi-sport competition open to men and women between the ages of 17 and 28 (born between January 1, 1973 and December 31, 1983), who are, or have been within the past year, a student at a college or university. This summer the World University Games will be held Aug. 22 - Sept. 1 in Beijing, China.
The USA women have enjoyed outstanding success in the World University Games and have earned 11 medals in 12 appearances, including four golds, six silvers and one bronze medal, and have compiled an overall record of 68-14 (.829) since beginning World University Games play in 1973. In the last competition, which was held in 1999 in Palma de Mallorca, Spain, the U.S. finished with a 4-2 record and the silver medal. The USA women last earned the World University Games gold in Sicily in 1997.
The United States has been sending women's teams to the World University Games since 1973, and since then the World University Games has served as an important developmental event for the U.S. Of the 64 all-time U.S. women's Olympic basketball team members, 34 have been members of USA Basketball women's World University Games teams. Most notable among the list of WUG alumni are Carol Blazejowski, Ruthie Bolton (Holifield), Denise Curry, Anne Donovan, Kamie Ethridge, Pat Head (Summitt), Tara Heiss, Lisa Leslie, Katrina McClain, Suzie McConnell (Serio), Ann Meyers (Drysdale), DeLisha Milton, Cindy Noble (Hauserman), Vickie Orr (Wiley), Katie Smith, Dawn Staley, Katy Steding, Kara Wolters and Lynette Woodard.
The USA Basketball Women's Collegiate Committee, in addition to Plonsky, is comprised of NAIA designee Stephanie Findley (head coach, Oklahoma Christian University), NCAA appointees Tom Collen (head coach, Colorado State University), Gail Goestenkors (head coach, Duke University, N.C.), Donna Noonan (Vice President, Women's Basketball Championship, NCAA) and Willette White (head coach, Northeastern University, Mass.), representing the NJCAA is Mary Ellen Leicht (Assistant Executive Director, NJCAA), Muffet McGraw (head coach, Notre Dame University, Ind.) was appointed by the WBCA and Teresa Edwards (2000, 1996, 1992, 1988 and 1984 Olympian, 1994, 1990 and 1986 World Championship teams / Smyrna, Ga.) and Vickie Orr-Wiley (1992 Olympic bronze medalist, 1990 World Championship gold medalist / Birmingham, Ala.) are the athlete representatives.
2001 USA Basketball Women's World University Games Team
NAME = POS = HGT = WGT = DOB = YOG = SCHOOL / HOMETOWN
Chantelle Anderson = C = 6-6 = 185 = 01/22/81 = 2003 = Vanderbilt /
Vancouver, WA
Cori Enghusen = C = 6-7 = 170 = 04/08/80 = 2002 = Stanford / Bothell, WA
Chrissy Floyd = G = 5-9 = 134 = 08/04/81 = 2003 = Clemson / Laurens, SC
Caton Hill = F = 6-1 = 185 = 01/11/81 = 2003 = Oklahoma / Ada, OK
Kara Lawson = G = 5-8 = 160 = 02/14/81 = 2003 = Tennessee / Alexandria, VA
Ashley McElhiney = G = 5-5 = 133 = 07/16/81 = 2003 = Vanderbilt / Gleason, TN
Carisse Moody = F = 6-1 = 180 = 09/15/81 = 2003 = North Carolina State /
Rocky Mount, NC
Jenny Roulier = G = 5-9 = 150 = 10/16/79 = 2002 = Colorado / Englewood, CO
Ayana Walker = C = 6-2 = 148 = 0/910/79 = 2002 = Louisiana Tech / Houston, TX
Shaquala Williams = G = 5-6 = 135 = 04/14/80 = 2002 = Oregon / Portland, OR
Shereka Wright = F = 5-11 = 155 = 09/21/81 = 2004 = Purdue / Copperas Cove, TX
Finalists for the 12th Roster Position
Tamara Moore = G = 5-11 = 165 = 04/11/80 = 2002 = Wisconsin / Minneapolis, MN
Loree Payne = G/F = 6-0 = 165 = 07/30/81 = 2003 = Washington / Havre, MT
Lindsey Yamasaki = G/F = 6-1 = 160 = 06/02/80 = 2003 = Stanford / Oregon
City, OR
Alternates
Danielle Crockrom = F = 6-2 = 160 = 02/11/81 = 2002 = Baylor / Houston, TX
Shelia Lambert = G = 5-7 = 123 = 07/21/80 = 2002 = Baylor / Seattle, WA
Mandy Nightingale = G = 5-6 = 145 = 05/16/80 = 2002 = Colorado / Sapulpa, OK
Aiysha Smith = F = 6-2 = 165 = 07/18/80 = 2001 = Tyler J.C. / Detroit, MI
2001 USA Basketball Women's World University Games Team Coaching Staff
Head Coach: Debbie Ryan, University of Virginia
Assistant Coach: Lisa Bluder, University of Iowa
Assistant Coach: Dee Stokes, East Carolina University (N.C.)
LOREE PAYNE (University of Washington)
How do you feel about being named a finalist and having to come back and
tryout for the last spot?
"It's great to be able to come back. It's disappointing not making the
team initially, but it's great to be able to come back and play an extra
couple of days and just have them make a decision."
What are you going to do between now and when you return to tryout?
"Coach Ryan told us what she expects at a three position and I'm just going
to go out and work on those things that aren't maybe my strengths and just
play my game."
What are your thoughts on your performance at the Trials?
"The weekend was kind of up and down. I don't know, I just went out and
played and I got named to come back so I'm excited."
