2011 USA Basketball Women’s World University Games Team finalists announced

Odyssey Sims (Steven Maikoski/USA Basketball)

After three days of trials at the at the U.S. Olympic Training Center (USOTC) in Colorado Springs, USA Basketball chose 14 finalists from among 35 of the nation’s top collegians to compete on the 2011 USA Basketball Women’s World University Games Team. The USA Basketball Women’s Junior National Team Committee, chaired by Sue Donohoe (NCAA vice president for Division I women’s basketball), chose the team. The finalists:

• Elena Delle Donne (Delaware/Wilmington, Del.)
• Skylar Diggins (Notre Dame/South Bend, Ind.)
• Jacki Gemelos (USC/Stockton, Calif.)
• Keisha Hampton (DePaul/Philadelphia, Pa.)
• Glory Johnson (Tennessee/Knoxville, Tenn.)
• Shenise Johnson (Miami/Henrietta, N.Y.)
• Lynetta Kizer (Maryland/Woodbridge, Va.)
• Natalie Novosel (Notre Dame/Lexington, Ky.)
• Chiney Ogwumike (Stanford/Cypress, Texas)
• Nnemkadi Ogwumike (Stanford/Cypress, Texas)
• Devereaux Peters (Notre Dame/Chicago, Ill.)
• Odyssey Sims (Baylor/Irving, Texas)
• Shekinna Stricklen (Tennessee/Morrilton, Ark.)
• April Sykes (Rutgers/Starkville, Miss.)

“It was a difficult decision, because we had a lot of players who have had some USA Basketball experience trying out for the USA World University Games Team,” said Donohoe. “There were a lot of great players from across the country, but the real key for the committee is to take 12 individuals, 15 individuals that we feel like can assume specific roles within a team and come together as a unit so that the team’s successful and wins a gold medal.”

The eventual 12-member team will defend the USA’s 2009 gold medal at the 2011 World University Games women’s basketball competition August 14-21 in Shenzhen, China.

Training resumes at the USOTC July 31-August 8, prior to the team’s departure for China.

USA Basketball also announced the U19 World Championship team finalists:

• Jordan Adams (Mater Dei H.S. / Irvine, Calif.)
• Cierra Burdick (Butler H.S. / Matthews, N.C.)
• Diamond DeShields (Norcross H.S. / Norcross, Ga.)
• Stefanie Dolson (Connecticut / Port Jervis, N.Y.)
• Bria Hartley (Connecticut / North Babylon, N.Y.)
• Mo Jefferson (Texas Home Educators Sports Association / Glenn Heights, Texas)
• Alexis Jones (Irving MacArthur H.S. / Irving, Texas)
• Betnijah Laney (Smyrna H.S. / Clayton, Del.)
• Ariel Massengale (Bolingbrook H.S. / Bolingbrook, Ill.)
• Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis (Mater Dei H.S. / Anaheim, Calif.)
• Meighan Simmons (Tennessee / Cibolo, Texas)
• Imani Stafford (Winward H.S. / Los Angeles, Calif.)
• Breanna Stewart (Cicero-North Syracuse H.S. / North Syracuse, N.Y.)
• Morgan Tuck (Bolingbrook H.S. / Bolingbrook, Ill.)
• Elizabeth Williams (Princess Anne H.S. / Virginia Beach, Va.).