April 14, 2007 • Pomezia, Italy

The 2007-08 USA Basketball Women's Senior National Team training got underway a week ago with a great mix of veterans and newbies. Through the week the USA has beaten the Italian National Team 77-47 in Rome before traveling to Napels for victory No. 2 -- 72-49 versus Phard Napoli.The team is currently in Pomezia, a town 20 kilometers outside of Rome, for a few days. A scrimmage with a local guys team, a trip to the outlet mall, a post-practice weight room workout and some McDonald's are all on the schedule. And then, beacause that's where the road leads, the team will return to Rome.

USA head coach Anne Donovan
You've seen this group of players for a week now, played two games and had a scrimmage against some guys. Have you seen some improvements, are you pleased with the way things have been going?
I'm really pleased at the merging of the older veterans and the youth that we've got. The veterans have really taken ownership of the youth and brought them along. Mike and I are working with that but it really helps when their teammates are encouraging them, telling them where to go, what to do, what the expectations are. It's really nice to see things coming together.

The guys came into the gym and the USA team felt a little disrespected at first. Do you think the guys weren't expecting the squad to play so hard (and win) against them?
They definitely weren't expecting a lot so in the first quarter and we came out and played probably our best quarter, the girls came out fired up, and the guys were shocked. It was a good way to start the scrimmage and I thought it was good. You have to adapt. Truthfully the scrimmage ended up being good for us and it made us work on things we hadn't been exposed to yet so it was good.

How hard is it for you as a coach to put in plays with this group of players, break for the season and then get back at the end of the summer with the 22 members of this team, which will be a totally different group dynamic?
That's the million dollar question right there. For us, Mike and I have been talking about focusing. We've got 10 players right now and these are the only 10 we've got. All of the 22 who are out there will get together in September but for now, we're bringing the younger players along, helping them get better internationally and get better with our older players. That's our focus right now. And getting consistent with what we're expecting. Our defensive philosophy is an expectation is that everybody who puts on that practice jersey knows that we're trying to get better defensively. So right now we've got these 10 working hard on that.

Have you seen some improvement in some of the younger players?
It is really evident and clear, when you look at Courtney who was shell-shocked when she came in. That was Jessica and Sylvia a year ago. But they came back knowing expectations, knowing the people around them, knowing what they had to do to fit in and help. Courtney went through that in the first week. But I thought today in the scrimmage that all of them looked experienced. They're not veteran players yet, but they've all gotten enough experience internationally that you're starting to see big improvements.

Tamika Catchings
How competitive has this trip been so far, especially in practices?
This is obviously a different group, but it's a good chance for the younger players to be able to come out and see the environment. It's a good mix of players as far as veteran players and younger players. One of the things the younger players need to realize is that every single time we go out it's going to be a competitive game. Everybody wants to be the USA, no matter what the mix is on the team, it's always going to be competitive. I think that's one of the younger players are learning and it's one of the things that Katie, Swin and I have impressed upon them. We can't take a play off, that's what makes it so competitive.

Have you seen some improvement among the younger players in that aspect over the last week?
Definitely. Definitely. I think mind-set more than anything. When they first got here a lot of them talked about what it was like on their college teams in terms of challenge. With them being the top players on their college teams the challenge sometimes is not there every day. When you're here, you have to bring it here everyday. Just because you do well on this team, next training camp you might have 15 different people and I think that's what keeps it so challenging. The coaches can get a chance to see what you can do when you're out on the court. Granted there's only 10 of us here right now, but next training camp there might be 20 of us trying to split a 40-minute game. I think every opportunity that they have we try and tell them to go out and do what you can do. I know that even Syl, Courtney, Jess, Lindsey, I've definitely seen improvement from them from the first day that they were here to where they are today.

You scrimmaged a group of guys here in Pomezia, what was that like?
I think Katie summed it up in the beginning, ‘hey, when we take the court, no matter who we play against, what we need to do is take care of what USA Basketball is all about. We need to go out and play our game.'

When the men came into the gym you could tell that they had no respect for us, they thought they were going to blow us out of the water. I think that put a little edge on us as well. It was like, ‘who do you think you are?' When you come out you have to respect everybody that you play and that was our focus right from the beginning: run on them, jump on them on defense. As a team we took care of it.

I know you're here to play basketball, but have you done anything fun off the court?
Obviously Easter, going to the Vatican and we walked around some that day, but we haven't done much walking around. My mentality is that I'm here for two weeks and I have to train as hard as I can. For one, to help the young players as much as I can, but also with me going into the WNBA season, I don't want to go in out of shape.

We walked around a little bit here in Pomezia, found the McDonald's of course (laughs). Hopefully we'll get a chance to walk around a little bit more here before we go back to Rome.

What do you want to see in Rome?
Everybody keeps talking about the steps. I want to go see the Spanish Steps, I don't know what they are but everyone keeps talking about them. What is that? But also just walking around the city. When we went to the Vatican we only saw a small portion. It was beautiful and I want to go back to the Roman Forum, the Coliseum, Circus Maximus, take some pictures. Hopefully I'll get a chance to come back in the future, maybe play over here one day. But while I'm here I want to take advantage of this opportunity so that one day when I have kids I can show them the pictures and say ‘look at all these cool things I did!'

Jessica Davenport
You had the same kind of trial by fire last year that Courtney is going through now – your first USA Senior National Team experience in Australia – have you talked with her at all about what you went through your first time out?
I'm telling her about the adjustment period. You're going from the college game to a program where there are a lot of veterans who have been playing for many years. They know all the tricks and things. So I've been letting her know that good things will come. You're playing with some of the best players in the world so just take it all in.

What do you think about the group out here?
I think it's great. We have some great leadership on the floor. Also, the older players take care of the younger players off the court. It's like a big family and that's important for a team to be successful.

You have 22 players vying for a spot for the 2006 FIBA Americas Championship in September. How much do you think this will help you with that goal?
I think it has helped because we're going to be playing with different people in each training camp and you're getting to know everybody's style of play and everyone's blending in together.

Courtney Paris
You've had a week out here and I know at first you were feeling a little overwhelmed, but you're looking a little more comfortable now.
Oh yeah, definitely. The coolest thing about being here, what I didn't even really realize, I mean I knew it, is that you're learning and playing against the greatest players. Everyday, even with little plays or drills we do, is a whole new experience. That's going to prepare me for the future so it's pretty exciting. And yeah, I have been geeing more comfortable with everything.

And you're rooming with Tamika Catchings, what's she like?
Yes, I've been rooming with Catchings and that's been great. She's been awesome. She'll write all the plays out for me and tells me what's going to happen. She'll talk about the WNBA and all this kind of stuff, so it's been really cool.

Watching Jessica Davenport and Sylvia Fowles last year with the USA Senior National Team in Australia and where they are today, they're much more confident with the team, and have improved greatly since last spring. Have you thought about how much this is going to help you next time you come to camp?
Oh definitely! I think it's so cool. For me, I'm taking it as a young guy, coming in, learn the system, experience the stuff, have fun and keep my mind open all the time and look to get better. It'll make me go back to my school and get better so that when I come back for another training camp I'll be a little better. So it's definitely the beginning for me. I'm not too worried about everything, I'm just trying to learn as much as I can.

I know you're here for basketball and you have school work to do, but have you had a chance to do anything fun yet?
Well I'm definitely doing my school work. We haven't done much yet. We're going shopping today, we're going to try and find McDonald's, that's what everybody's been doing. We've been having a good time hanging out, watching movies hanging out in our rooms with our roommates and stuff. It's been fun.

Michelle Snow
You've been practicing for a week with this group of players, is everyone starting to get more comfortable playing together?
Most definitely. You're getting to play with different people, everybody plays a different style so after playing together for awhile you start to learn each other. You're playing with great players so it's not hard to begin with. It's pretty easy.

You played in Italy before, is it good to be back?
Oh yes. I love Italy. I spent two years over here playing for Parma so I'm enjoying the culture and relaxing a little bit.

Have any of your old teammates come out to watch you play?
Yes, I've seen several of my old teammates. It's a lot of fun to see them but we're still here to take care of business.

I know you're here for basketball but have you had a chance to go out and do anything off the court yet?
We hang out in each other's room, sharing stories and chillin with each other. Shopping, of course. You're in Italy, you have to go shopping. Just getting to know each other. There are a lot of younger players who we haven't played with before so just getting to know them and spending some time with them, too.