Deanna Nolan, Nikki Teasley To Join USA Senior National Team In Europe

March 16, 2004  •  Colorado Springs, Colorado

USA head coach Van Chancellor, fresh from a 3-0 series sweep of Cuba in Havana, will lead his USA Senior National Team against five tough European opponents March 19-28 as the national team continues its spring training.

The 2004 USA Basketball Women's Senior National Team, which is preparing for the second of its three spring training sessions, will be joined on its March 19-28 European Tour by a pair of 2003 WNBA All-Stars, Deanna Nolan (Detroit Shock) and Nikki Teasley (Los Angeles Sparks). During the previously announced six-game, five-city European tour, the U.S. will face top national and professional club teams in the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland and Nolan and Teasley will join the squad for its final four contests.

The USA kicks off its tour against the Polish National Team on March 20 in Starogard Gdanski at 1:30 p.m. (all times local), followed by a game against Lotos VBW Clima, which has advanced to the 2004 EuroLeague Final Four, on March 21 in Gdynia at 4:00 p.m.

The USA, joined by Nolan and Teasley, will be hosted twice by 2003 European Championship silver medalists Czech Republic, March 23-24 in Brno, with both contests tipping-off at 5:00 p.m.

The United States will face its final European competition in Hungary. Playing in Pecs against 2004 EuroLeague Final Four participant Mizo-Pecsi VSK on March 27 at 6:00 p.m., and the U.S. will close its European tour against the Hungarian National Team in Budapest on March 28 at 5:00 p.m.

USA and Houston Comets head coach Van Chancellor is being assisted on the sidelines by Anne Donovan (Seattle Storm). The nine previously announced core group members of the 2004 USA Basketball Women's Senior National Team include Sue Bird (Seattle Storm), Tamika Catchings (Indiana Fever), Shannon Johnson (San Antonio Silver Stars), Lisa Leslie (Los Angeles Sparks), DeLisha Milton-Jones (Los Angeles Sparks), Katie Smith (Minnesota Lynx), Dawn Staley (Charlotte Sting), Sheryl Swoopes (Houston Comets) and Tina Thompson (Houston Comets). The nine internationally experienced athletes are expected to represent the United States at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece, August 13-29.

Nolan and Teasley join the available U.S. core members, as well as previously announced USA team hopefuls Swin Cash (Detroit Shock),Tari Phillips (New York Liberty), Ruth Riley (Detroit Shock), Tangela Smith (Sacramento Monarchs) and Michelle Snow (Houston Comets) on the European Tour.

The U.S. will be without the services in Europe of its All-World center Leslie, who had a prior commitment, and Milton-Jones, who suffered a torn ACL (right knee) on Feb. 22. Staley, who was recently named the Atlantic 10 Conference Coach of the Year as the head coach at Temple University (Pa.), earned an automatic bid to the 2004 NCAA Tournament by virtue of Temple’s A-10 Tournament title and will not compete in Europe. Swoopes will play the pair of games in Poland before returning to the United States for a previous commitment.

Drafted in the first round (#6 overall) of 2001 WNBA Draft by the Detroit Shock, Nolan in 2003, her third WNBA season, helped lead Detroit to the WNBA title, averaging 15.5 ppg., 3.6 rpg., 2.6 apg. and 1,25 spg. in the Shock’s eight Playoff games. Starting all 32 regular season games in 2003, she averaged 12.4 ppg., 3.3 rpg., and 2.6 apg.

Nolan efforts were recognized by her WNBA peers in 2003 as she earned a 2003 All-Star Game nod and compiled 13 points, seven rebounds, one assist, two steals and a pair of blocked shots in her first All-Star appearance. Further punctuating her play in 2003, she capped 2003 by being named All-WNBA second team.

Playing for Zaragoza in Spain during the 2003-04 season, the 6-0 guard/forward was a three-year standout at the University of Georgia who graduated in December 2001 with a degree in child and family development, in the middle of her final season in Athens. In addition to helping the Lady Bulldogs post an 86-12 record overall during her collegiate career, Nolan aided UGa to a trio of NCAA Tournament appearances, including the 1999 Final Four and 2000 Elite Eight, while capturing the 2000 Southeastern Conference (SEC) regular season and 2001 SEC Tournament crowns.

As a senior Nolan earned 2001 All-SEC Tournament Team honors and was named to the All-SEC second team by both conference coaches and media. A 2000 All-SEC first team selection by coaches and All-SEC second team by the Associated Press, Nolan was a 2000 Kodak/WBCA All-America honorable mention who posted career averages of 11.0 ppg., 2.9 apg. and 4.5 rpg.

Teasley joined the USA team during its training in Florida and for its three-game series in Havana versus Cuba. Averaging 15.3 minutes in the USA’s three wins, Teasley averaged 4.0 ppg., 3.0 rpg. and a team second best 2.7 apg. in her USA Senior National Team debut. Her best outing came in the USA’s second contest, a 97-51 victory, as she scored 10 points, grabbed six rebounds and passed off for four assists.

In 1997, Teasley was a member of the USA’s only gold medal winning FIBA Junior World Championship Team, and she helped the U.S. claim silver in the ‘96 Junior World Championship Qualifying Tournament

As a rookie, Teasley helped the Sparks collect the 2002 WNBA crown after she nailed a 3-pointer at the buzzer to give Los Angeles the 69-66 championship victory. In 2003, Teasley earned MVP honors at the 2003 WNBA All-Star Game after posting 10 points, six assists, six rebounds and five steals, and capped the season by being named All-WNBA second team.

In the USA’s first training camp, which began in Jacksonville, Fla., on Feb. 19, the squad swept a three-game series against Cuba in Havana Feb. 24-26. Hopefuls for the Feb. 19-26 training included Cash, Cheryl Ford (Detroit Shock), Riley and Teasley.

Following the March 19-28 European Tour and after a short break, the available USA core members, as well as hopefuls to be announced, will regroup for the final training session at the 2004 NCAA Women's Final Four in New Orleans, La., on April 2. Following the Final Four, the USA team will continue its training through April 13 at sites to be announced. Once the April training is concluded, the U.S. team members will break for the WNBA season and reconvene on Aug. 3 to complete their pre-Olympic training at sites to be announced.