NBA TV to televise 2018 USA Women’s National Team’s three domestic exhibition games
Release from USA Basketball:
The 2018 USA Basketball Women’s National Team’s three domestic exhibition games will be televised live on NBA TV, including the USA’s Red-White intrasquad game on Sept. 5 (7 p.m. EDT), and the USA’s games against Canada on Sept. 8 (7 p.m. EDT) and Japan on Sept. 10 (7 p.m. EDT).
Kara Lawson will handle play-by-play on Sept. 5 in Columbia, South Carolina; and Sept. 10 in Washington, D.C.; Ed Cohen will do play-by-play on Sept. 8 in Bridgeport, Connecticut; and Debbie Antonelli will serve as analyst for all three exhibition games.
Two-time defending World Cup gold medalists, the USA is preparing for the 2018 FIBA World Cup, which will be held Sept. 22-30 in Tenerife, Spain.
“USA Basketball is excited about having these three exhibition games televised nationally,” said USA Basketball CEO Jim Tooley. “The Red-White game will be a fun, entertaining game featuring some of the nation’s top up-and-coming talent, and then the international friendlies against Canada and Japan, which are two of the world’s top women’s teams, will further prepare our team for the FIBA World Cup later this month. The World Cup is as important on our international calendar as the Olympic Games.”
Eighteen athletes tipped-off USA National Team training on Sept. 3 in Columbia, with a roster headlined by a trio of World Cup gold medalists in Tina Charles (New York Liberty), Nneka Ogwumike (Los Angeles Sparks) and Odyssey Sims (Los Angeles Sparks).
In addition to Charles, Ogwumike and Sims, athletes competing in the Red-White game include: Layshia Clarendon (Connecticut Sun); Napheesa Collier (University of Connecticut); Diamond DeShields (Chicago Sky); Stefanie Dolson (Chicago Sky); Allisha Gray (Dallas Wings); Tyasha Harris (University of South Carolina); Ruthy Hebard (University of Oregon); Sabrina Ionescu (University of Oregon); Kelsey Mitchell (Indiana Fever); Tiffany Mitchell (Indiana Fever); Arike Ogunbowale (University of Notre Dame); Kelsey Plum (Las Vegas Aces); Jessica Shepard (University of Notre Dame); Morgan Tuck (Connecticut Sun); and A’ja Wilson (Las Vegas Aces).
Traveling up the coast to Bridgeport, Connecticut, the USA continues its exhibition schedule with a game against Canada on Sept. 8 at Webster Bank Arena, and closes out its domestic tour against Japan on Sept. 10 at George Washington University’s Charles E. Smith Center in Washington, D.C. In addition to the USA’s exhibition games, Canada and Japan will square off at Webster Bank Arena at 7 p.m. on Sept. 7.
Information on purchasing tickets for each of the exhibition games can be found at usab.com/WNTtickets.
Members of the USA National Team pool who are participating in the 2018 WNBA playoffs were not available for the beginning of the camp, but may be added at a later date. Those athletes include: Sue Bird (Seattle Storm); Elena Delle Donne (Washington Mystics); Brittney Griner (Phoenix Mercury); Tiffany Hayes (Atlanta Dream); Jewell Loyd (Seattle Storm); Breanna Stewart (Seattle Storm); Diana Taurasi (Phoenix Mercury); and Elizabeth Williams (Atlanta Dream).
Prior to arriving in Tenerife, Canary Islands, for the World Cup, the USA will play in a four-team, international tournament in Antibes, France, Sept. 15-17, against Canada, France and Senegal.
The final 12-member 2018 USA World Cup Team will be selected by the USA Women’s National Team Player Selection Committee prior to the start of the World Cup.
Hall of Famer Dawn Staley (South Carolina) is the USA National Team head coach through 2020. Assisting Staley through the World Cup are Dan Hughes (Seattle Storm), whose Seattle Storm is still in the WNBA playoffs and will join the team upon the conclusion of the Storm’s season, Cheryl Reeve (Minnesota Lynx) and Jennifer Rizzotti (George Washington).
