March 6, 2007 • Colorado Springs, Colorado

The youngest member of the 2006 USA World Championship Team, Candace Parker checked in for a USA third-best 12.8 ppg. and a team second-best 6.1 rpg. in under 20 minutes a game. (Photo: Joe Murphy / NBAE / Getty Images)

USA Basketball today named a 21-member 2007-08 Women's Senior National Team pool that included four current collegians. With most of the pool off in Europe and the four collegians -- Ohio State's Jessica Davenport, LSU's Sylvia Fowles, Oklahoma's Courtney Paris and Tennessee's Candace Parker -- we thought we'd find out a little bit more about what makes them tick, how they feel about being named to the USA Senior National Team and what they feel they can bring to the team. USA Basketball.com, thanks to their respective sports information directors, spoke with each of them for about 10 minutes on the phone and one thing we found out was that these four players are quite enthusiastic about the future of USA Basketball.

What went through your head when you were asked to be a part of the 2007-08 USA Women's Senior National Team pool?
It was a great experience playing with them this past summer. It was a great, unique experience and to be asked to come back is even better.

What are your strengths, how can you most help the team, and what do you still need to work on?
I feel that, just being young, I bring energy. Not having had that experience before and wanting to make the Olympic team, different things like that, along with the energy. I learned a lot from this past year. I feel that my overall game improved last year playing with the USA National Team. I'm getting stronger, I have energy, and I also bring rebounding and running up and down the floor.

What do you think about the program for the next two years and how do you think it will benefit the U.S. not only in Beijing, but into the future?
Both USA Basketball men and women have had to change how they do things because the world is definitely catching up. So I feel like with these extra training camps and extra exhibition games it should really help us.

What did you learn from that semifinal loss to Russia in the World Championship?
Just that we have to be ready to play every game. I felt that we were perfect for all the other games, but that one game really hurt us. I feel that if it had happened during pool play we would have won the tournament. But it didn't, it was in the medal rounds. That's one thing we definitely will all learn from.

After playing alongside and against some of the best players in the world, how much do you think that affected your play this year at Tennessee?
It was a huge help. I feel that just coming into college I was a lot more confident with myself and I got stronger, I learned a lot. Tina Thompson and Tamika Catchings really took me under their wings and showed me the ropes of what it was like to play in the professional ranks. I felt that I brought an attitude to the team, that toughness, and I felt that I got a lot stronger in the post from this past summer.

Do you still keep in touch with your World Championship teammates?
Definitely. We keep in touch, even though they're overseas playing. We email back and forth, stuff like that.

Tell me about some of your best memories from the Worlds.
It's just the dinners, going to the mall and shopping, hanging out in different places. It was really fun getting to know them. Tina Thompson has a son, Dyllan, who is so cute, and I loved playing with him.

In 2004 you were on the USA U18 National Team with Courtney Paris. Are you looking forward to getting back on the court as a teammate of hers again?
It was fun, she was my roommate. Courtney and I really get along. She's hilarious off the court. She's a real good big girl player. She has very soft hands and runs the floor well. So it's going to be fun to play alongside her on the National Team.

Do your college teammates give you more respect because you're on the USA Senior National Team?
I feel that they were happy for me. They wanted to know all about my experience, how different players were off the court and on the court and things like that. I think the thing that I was most excited about playing with the National Team is how excited and supportive they always were of everybody. Always high fiving, giving words of encouragement and things like that. It was a great experience, a great learning experience for me.

How difficult will the pressure be in Chile, with the gold medal winner earning an Olympic berth?
All of us who play basketball, we thrive under pressure. Going down there and having to win a berth to play in the Olympics, I think we learned from our experience of losing to Russia. I think we'll go down there with a different attitude knowing that it's do or die. There's no second chances.

What do you think the U.S. needs to do in order to reclaim the gold medal in Beijing (provided the USA qualifies of course)?
I feel like we're making all the right steps towards reclaiming what's ours, getting the berth in the Olympics and winning the gold in Beijing. I think we're making all the right steps, training camps, getting to know each other a lot better. Some of these national teams train together all year and things like that and this will help us.

Go to the other three Q&As:
Jessica Davenport || Sylvia Fowles || Courtney Paris