University of Minnesota Athletics
Lindsay Whalen Makes USA Basketball's Cut!
9/21/2010 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Whalen has been participating in USA Basketball's two-week training camp, which included four exhibition contests. She averaged 9.0 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game, as the U.S. team won three of its four exhibitions, and her field goal percentage has been a phenomenal 84.2 percent (16-of-19).
"I don't think anyone is surprised that someone the quality of Lindsay has made this team," University of Minnesota head coach Pam Borton said. "We're all very proud and excited for Lindsay to have the opportunity to represent the United States at the FIBA World Championship, and to do something that she loves."
In addition to Whalen, the other members of the U.S. team are Jayne Appel (San Antonio Silver Stars); 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); Angel McCoughtry (Atlanta Dream); Maya Moore (University of Connecticut); and Diana Taurasi (Phoenix Mercury).
Following the team's fourth exhibition contest, the list of finalists to make the 2010 USA Basketball Women's World Championship Team had been narrowed to an impressive list of 14 players with an extraordinary amount of basketball experience. The two players who were cut from the roster on Tuesday were veteran guard Kara Lawson (University of Tennessee/Connecticut Sun) and Whalen's Minnesota Lynx teammate Seimone Augustus (LSU/Minnesota Lynx).
"The process has been unbelievably difficult. It's taken a lot out of us, the committee, coaches, staff," said USA and University of Connecticut head coach Geno Auriemma. "It was probably the most difficult time that I've had as a coach in 35 years. When you have to say goodbye to players as committed to USA Basketball as Kara (Lawson) and Seimone (Augustus) have been, it's very, very, very difficult. But there's so much uncertainty in our post players position that we had to make some very difficult decisions. I think the team that was picked is a terrific team. It's a terrific group of kids and the next nine games will give us an opportunity to prove that."
The final 12-player roster was determined by the Women's National Team Player Selection Committee of Renee Brown, Chief of Basketball Operations and Player Relations; Dan Hughes, General Manager of the San Antonio Silver Stars; 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.
"This was an extremely difficult decision for the committee to make," Callan said. "After four exhibition games and the scrimmage against the Czech Republic, we believe we have selected the 12 players who will make the best team to be competitive at the World Championship. These players fill various needs that this team has in terms of the international styles of play that we will face in the Czech Republic.
The 2010 FIBA World Championship begins Thursday, with the USA National Team facing Greece at 11:00 a.m. (CT) in a Pool B preliminary round game televised on NBA TV.
The FIBA World Championship will continue through October 3 in the Czech Republic, with games taking place in Brno, Karlovy Vary, and Ostrava. The gold medal-winning country receives a berth to the 2012 Olympic Games.
For more information about the 2010 USA Basketball Women's World Championship Team or the 2010 FIBA World Championship, go to http://www.usabasketball.com/womens/national.
