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A Peek Into the USA Training Camp Through the Eyes of Four Team Candidates February 21, 2004 • Jacksonville, Florida
With four ‘rookies' trying out for a spot on the 2004 USA Basketball Women's Senior National Team and only three spots to be filled, competition is fierce. Especially since there could be other athletes brought into the remaining two training camps for a look by the USA Basketball Women's Senior National Team Committee. All four of these athletes Swin Cash, Cheryl Ford and Ruth Riley of the Detroit Shock and LA Sparks guard Nikki Teasley, bring different things to the court. All four can contribute in different ways. But who will standout among their peers? That's what we'll find out over the next week or so as the USA takes on Cuba in a three-game series in Havana. We all know that Riley and Cash helped their schools, Notre Dame and UConn, respectively, to a NCAA title and all four have a WNBA championship ring. But USABasketball.com decided to sit down with the USA Senior National Team wannabes to find out how things are going after a couple of days of training. Are they nervous? Has it been easy to adjust? And other burning questions, like whether they prefer sneakers or stilettos. Who likes reality TV and who kills their ratings by not watching them. Read on.
FORD: I don't know, like I told dad yesterday, I don't feel like I'm doing anything, it doesn't feel like I'm giving my all. He said, "are you going to the boards?" And I said, "yes." So he told me that's the only thing I can do, "just rebound for them." So that's what I'm trying to do. But playing with them has been great. It's very physical, but I'm loving it and I'm glad to be here. RILEY: It's a great experience. Just being here and being able to try out is an honor. It's fun to be able to play with some of the best athletes in the world instead of against them (on our different WNBA teams.) TEASLEY: I feel blessed and honored to be out here among the greatest players in the game. I think this is a wonderful opportunity, not only for myself but also for Cheryl Ford, Swin Cash and Ruth Riley, to come out here and represent our country. It's something that, when you're young you don't really understand. But as you get older you realize how big of a deal this is. So I'm real excited and happy to have the opportunity to represent my country. How is this different or similar to the training
camp when you were in this same situation, trying to make the 2002 USA
World Championship Team? You've got two of your Sparks teammates out
here with you, have they been giving you pointers on what might be expected
out here? You've got two of your Shocks teammates out
here with you, how has that helped, are you patting each other on the
back and helping each other out? FORD: Everybody's patting everybody on the back, which is a good thing. But it starts with the chemistry, starting from the top. It's been good, everybody's been picking each other up. The veteran players are telling us what we're doing well and telling us what we need to correct and I like that. Is it good to be back out on the court with
your college teammate, Sue Bird? How has it been, getting used to coach Chancellor's
style of play? FORD: I like it. I love him, he doesn't beat around the bush to tell you what he needs out of you. I like that, he reminds me of Bill (Laimbeer). RILEY: Van's a great coach, he knows he has great players out there, he knows he has great leaders on the floor, so it's a matter of executing what he gives us to do. TEASLEY: I like it. Coach Chancellor is a very loose coach, but he loves to work hard and he loves to win. But at the same time he likes to have fun . And when you're playing for a coach that you respect and you have fun playing, you tend to want to work harder for him because you respect him so much. Do you get nervous out there if you make a
mistake? FORD: Yes, and then when (coach Chancellor) said that some of the young players are playing kind of tentative, I think that's me. But I'm trying to change that. I told my dad and my mom on the phone that I was kind of nervous and they told me not to be nervous. But it's easier said than done. I mean, I'm out here trying out for the Olympic team, but I'm trying. RILEY: There's not any room out here to be nervous out here. You have to go out there, play hard, do the best that you can when you're trying out and hope that's what the Committee is looking for. And if not, you know you've had a great experience. TEASLEY: Sometimes. But I've been playing basketball all my life so anytime I get nervous, I think, ‘you've been doing it all your life, why are you nervous?'. I am here trying out, I'm trying to be a part of this team. It's only natural to try to do everything right and try to be perfect, but we all know that nobody's perfect, you're going to make mistakes. The thing is to learn from it and try not to do it again. On the flip side, does it help your confidence
when you make some good plays? FORD: A little bit, yes. RILEY: Not so more than when you're playing with your teams back home. TEASLEY: Of course, anytime I make a good play, whether I make the team or not. But to be here, trying out, and make a good play and have the coach compliment me, that helps boost my confidence and makes me want to do it even more. How have you spent your time during the WNBA
off-season? FORD: At the beginning I was out in L.A. with my dad and had my personal trainer out there. But since January I've been playing in the NWBL in Dallas, so I've been concentrating on that. What are your thoughts on playing Cuba, do
you know anything about that team? FORD: I haven't heard anything about what they do, but I just want to go over there, play, do a good job and win. What book are you currently reading? FORD: Too Much of a Good Thing RILEY: What's the Difference, it's a look at different world religions compared to Christianity. TEASLEY: Purpose Driven Life and the Bible, and they're both inspiring to me and my life. To go deep again, three of you are reading
inspirational books right now, what's your take on that? What's in your CD player right now? What about your DVD player? What did you do on the plane to pass the time? RILEY: It was a short flight from Miami so I read all the info on Cuba. I think it's going to be a good experience. A lot of people won't have the opportunity to go there and seeing different cultures is always fun. TEASLEY: I caught up on my reading. I missed out on a few days of reading because of All-Star break last weekend. What was the last movie you saw in a theater? Survivor or Apprentice? Hockey, baseball or football? Favorite sports web site? Non-sports web site? Chanel or Tommy Hilfiger? Sneakers or stilettos? Geno (Auriemma), Van (Chancellor) or Bill
Laimbeer?
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