Seimone Augustus has been working on her defense to be a more well-rounded player and it paid off with a coveted spot on the Olympic team.

May 31, 2008 • Colorado Springs, Colo.

Seimone Augustus has been preparing for this day since she was a little girl doing drills outside her home in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. She grew up knowing one thing: she was born to hoop. By age five the ball had become a natural extension of her fingers and she quickly grew acquainted with dedication and hard work. Mined in the ores of industry and determination, her achievements have come at the price of preparation and sacrifice so when an opportunity presented itself, she was ready. Now, for the first time in her career a new opportunity is calling and one thing is for certain: Augustus is ready for August.

In her first stint with USA Basketball, Augustus helped the U.S. to a 7-1 record and a gold medal at the 2003 FIBA World Championship For Young Women in Sibenik, Croatia, where she was selected as tournament MVP after posting 18 points in the gold medal game. Most recently in 2007, Augustus helped the USA qualify for the 2008 Olympics by claiming gold at the FIBA Americas Championship in Valdivia, Chile. The 2008 Olympiad will mark her seventh stint in a USA Basketball uniform. Overall, she has collected three gold medals, one silver and one bronze, but never before on the world's most revered stage known to athletes around the globe.

A consummate athlete, Augustus is known for her fluid offensive prowess and her natural inclination to lead by example. But what distinguishes her as a great leader is her ability to remain teachable. One of the nation's elite competitors, she continues to strive for improvement and has been focusing on her defensive game to augment the versatile threat she has already proven herself to be on the court. As she enters into her first Olympiad, Augustus will look to learn from the knowledge and experience of the veterans surrounding her. The only difference is, this time she will proudly stand among them, wearing the red, white and blue, as the USA goes mining for gold in China.

USA Basketball had a chance to catch Seimone on the phone a few days prior to the official team announcement and got some insight into what it means for her to be playing in her first Olympics, what she's looking forward to doing off the court and several other areas of interest.

This will be your first Olympic Games. How does it feel to be an Olympian and what does it mean to you to represent the USA?
It is a privilege to represent the USA in the Olympic Games. As a player, it is exciting to know that you will be competing amongst the best of the best and I feel honored to have the opportunity to represent our country.

In 2002 you were the youngest participant and the only high school athlete at the USA Women's U20 National Team Trials. You did not make the cut that year. How did that experience motivate you to make the Senior National team for 2008? What was your mindset in 2002 and what did you do to keep your eye set on the goal?
I continued to work hard. I used it as motivation to become more of a complete player and to better understand my role. USA Basketball is a different because you are surrounded by the most talented athletes who can contribute just as much as you can. You have to know where you fit in the system. My experience in 2002 is what helped me change my mindset and helped me understand where I needed to go in order to make the team.

Coach Donovan has placed a lot of emphasis on your defensive game. Talk about the strides you have taken to develop defensively, and how has it has helped you improve as a player and prepare you for the Olympics?
Everyone knows what I can do on the offensive end, so defense is key to my role on this team and in order for me to become a complete player altogether. She (Coach Donovan) wanted me to step in for Catchings (Tamika), who at the time was our best perimeter defender, so I had some big shoes to fill. I just went out there and did what she asked me to do in order to disrupt on defense and make USA's offense better.

What are the team's objectives or goals, both on and off the court, for the Olympic Games in China?
Off the court we need to get our chemistry together. Unlike other teams that have played together for years, we enter into our WNBA season a couple weeks before we head to China. So the main thing off the court is to become a team and to get our chemistry going. On the court we only have one goal and that is to win a gold medal. We feel we've had something to prove since the FIBA World Championship games in Brazil when we lost to Russia; so we have some things we need to do in order to solidify our place at No. 1.

What do you consider to be your strengths? Describe your role on this team and how you see yourself fulfilling it.
I am going to bring the energy and do what I did in my training sessions in order to make the team. I'm going to continue to focus on my defense and let my offense take care of itself. I will do my best to feed off the veteran players and gain their knowledge and do whatever I can do to help the team. I think I understand what I need to do, whether I'm coming off of the bench or starting, just bring the energy and set the tempo from the tip.

Do you have any friends competing in another Olympic event that you plan to watch during your stay in China? If not, are there any other events you are particularly looking forward to see?
I'm just excited to be going to China. I hope to see the men's (USA) team play and I have an old friend from LSU, (Xavier) Carter, who runs the 100m and 4x100m Relay for track and field. But I'm also very excited to see the swimming events. I've played basketball all of my life and I see it all the time so I hope to branch out and experience something that I've never experienced before; I think that's something everyone should do. There are a lot of things I hope to see that I've never seen before.

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