2012 Olympic Games women’s basketball field finalized
Photo courtesy USA Basketball
From USA Basketball:
The 2012 FIBA World Olympic Qualifying Tournament for Women concluded on July 1 in Ankara, Turkey, completing the 12-nation field for the XXIX Olympic Games women’s basketball competition. Earning the final five berths were: Canada, Croatia, Czech Republic, France and Turkey. Joining the U.S., Angola and China in Group A are Croatia, Czech Republic and Turkey; while Group B features Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Great Britain and Russia for the July 28-Aug. 5 preliminary round.
The top four teams from each preliminary round group will advance to the Aug. 7 quarterfinals, with the winners playing in the semifinals on Aug. 9 and the medal games on Aug. 11.
The U.S. women open preliminary round play on July 28 at 4:45 p.m. (11:45 a.m. EDT) against Croatia, followed by a contest against Angola on July 30 at 10:15 p.m. (5:15 p.m. EDT). The USA will face Turkey on Aug. 1 and Czech Republic on Aug. 3, and both of those games tip-off at 10:15 p.m. (5:15 p.m. EDT). The United States will close preliminary round play against China on Aug. 5 at 4:45 p.m. (11:45 a.m. EDT).
The top four teams from each preliminary round group will advance to the Aug. 7 quarterfinals, with the winners playing in the semifinals on Aug. 9 and the medal games on Aug. 11.
University of Connecticut head coach Geno Auriemma will lead the U.S. in its quest for a fifth-straight Olympic gold medal. He will be assisted by DePaul University head coach Doug Bruno, 1988 Olympic gold medalist and Washington Mystics assistant coach Jen Gillom, and Atlanta Dream head coach Marynell Meadors.
The U.S. women’s team was finalized on April 23 and includes: Seimone Augustus (Minnesota Lynx),Sue Bird (Seattle Storm), Swin Cash (Chicago Sky), Tamika Catchings (Indiana Fever), Tina Charles(Connecticut Sun), Sylvia Fowles (Chicago Sky), Asjha Jones (Connecticut Sun), Angel McCoughtry(Atlanta Dream), Maya Moore (Minnesota Lynx), Candace Parker (Los Angeles Sparks), Diana Taurasi(Phoenix Mercury) and Lindsay Whalen (Minnesota Lynx).
The U.S. will look to extend its 33-game Olympic winning streak at the 2012 Olympic Summer Games in London. The United States, which earned the silver medal at the inaugural Olympic women’s basketball tournament in 1976, earned its first gold at the ’84 Games in Los Angeles and captured its most recent gold with an unblemished 8-0 record in the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
