7 Former and Current UConn Players at USA Basketball Camp

STORRS, CT — Seven University of Connecticut women’s basketball team alums and current senior Napheesa Collier have earned invitations to the 2018 USA Basketball Women’s National Team training camp ahead of the 2018 FIBA World Cup

USA Basketball made the announcement Saturday.

Joining Collier are former Huskies Sue Bird, Tina Charles, Stefanie Dolson, Tiffany Hayes, Breanna Stewart, Diana Taurasi and Morgan Tuck.

Bird, Hayes, Stewart and Taurasi are currently competing in the WNBA playoffs and may join the team following the conclusion of their seasons. Charles, Collier, Dolson and Tuck have confirmed their participation in the USA training camp.

The training camp will be held in Columbia, S.C., and is the tip-off of the team’s final preparations for the World Cup. Following two days of practice, the USA squad will compete in a Red-White intrasquad exhibition at Colonia Life Arena in Columbia on Sept. 5.

Traveling up the coast to Bridgeport, Connecticut, the USA continues its exhibition schedule with a 7 p.m. (EDT) game against Canada on Sept. 8 at Webster Bank Arena, and closes out its domestic tour against Japan at 7 p.m. on Sept. 10 at George Washington University’s Charles E. Smith Center in Washington, D.C.

Former Husky Jennifer Rizzotti is an assistant for the U.S. National Team at the World Cup. UConn head coach Geno Auriemma, who coached USA teams to gold medals at the past two Olympics and FIBA World Cups, serves as a special adviser.

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.

As was the case over the past three quadrenniums, the 2018-20 USA National Team roster will be fluid. It is expected that the official, 12-member 2018 USA World Cup and 2020 U.S. Olympic teams, should the USA qualify to compete in Tokyo, will be comprised of players from the 2018-20 USA National Team.

Members of the USA Basketball Women’s National Team will compete in the 2018 FIBA World Cup and, if the USA qualifies, the 2020 Summer Olympic Games (July 24-Aug. 9 in Tokyo), as well as additional USA training camps and exhibition games.

The U.S. and Coach Dawn Staley first will look to capture the title at the 2018 FIBA Women’s World Cup of Basketball, with an automatic berth to the 2020 Olympic Games being awarded to the gold medalist. Should the U.S. not finish with the gold medal in 2018, it would have two additional opportunities to qualify for the Olympics: the 2019 FIBA AmeriCup (dates and site TBD) and the 2020 FIBA World Olympic Qualifying Tournament (dates and site TBD).

Photo Credit: Chris Dehnel

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