USA Basketball announces 14 finalists for the 2010 World Championship Team

USA Basketball wrapped up two weeks of exhibition games and training by announcing finalists for the 2010 World Championship squad. The 2010 FIBA World Championship begins September 23 in the Czech Republic, and the U.S. must have its final 12-member roster submitted to FIBA on September 22. Selections were made by the USA Basketball Women’s National Team Player Selection Committee.

The finalists are:

• Jayne Appel (San Antonio Silver Stars)
• Seimone Augustus (Minnesota Lynx)
• Sue Bird (Seattle Storm)
• Swin Cash (Seattle Storm)
• Tamika Catchings (Indiana Fever)
• Tina Charles (Connecticut Sun)
• Candice Dupree (Phoenix Mercury)
• Sylvia Fowles (Chicago Sky)
• Asjha Jones (Connecticut Sun)
• Kara Lawson (Connecticut Sun)
• Angel McCoughtry (Atlanta Dream)
• Maya Moore (University of Connecticut)
• Diana Taurasi (Phoenix Mercury)
• Lindsay Whalen (Minnesota Lynx)

Renee Montgomery, Lindsey Harding, Ebony Hoffman and Cappie Pondexter did not make the cut. USA and University of Connecticut head coach Geno Auriemma indicated last week that Pondexter would not join the team due to unspecified reasons.

“I like being down to 14 better than 17, but we’re still not at 12,” said Auriemma. “So, for the next couple of days we have to figure out how to get to 12. We have an opportunity to do that with the practice and scrimmage that we’ll have in the Czech Republic. I think the players, the staff and everyone are anxious for the middle of the week when we can finally settle on 12 and start playing the World Championship.”

USA Basketball opens against Greece on Sept. 23 at 6:00 p.m. (12:00 p.m. ET).

The U.S. will tip-off against Senegal on Sept. 24 at 6:00 p.m. (12:00 p.m. ET) and closes out preliminary round play facing France on Sept. 25 at 3:15 p.m. (9:15 a.m. ET). All of the USA games will air live on NBA TV, and fans can also watch live streaming of all FIBA World Championship games at www.fibatv.com.

Remaining in Ostrava, the USA will cross over against the top three finishers out of Pool A, which includes defending world champ Australia, Belarus, Canada and China, for the Sept. 27–29 second round games. The medal round will be played in Karlovy Vary, with the quarterfinals scheduled for Oct. 1, the semifinals on Oct. 2 and the medal games played on Oct. 3.

The USA Basketball Women’s National Team Player Selection Committee is comprised of WNBA representatives Renee Brown, Chief of Basketball Operations and Player Relations; Dan Hughes, 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.