June 15, 2007 • Colorado Springs, Colorado

	Photo Credit: Steven Maikoski/USA Basketball

While she continues to climb the basketball charts, Heather Buck, from the sea-level village of Stonington, Conn., is content to stay off the 14,110-foot Pikes Peak, which looms in the background of the U.S. Olympic Training Center.

Buck came to Colorado as the 2007 Gatorade State Player of the year in Connecticut, a state rich in hoops history and fishing folklore. The New Haven Register, Norwich Bulletin and New London Day all picked Buck as their player of the year in 2007 after she averaged 27 ppg., 12.6 rpg., 2.3 apg., 4.4 spg. and 2.5 spg. as a junior.

After she listened to a Thursday morning session featuring USA Basketball assistant executive director Carol Callan and '96 Olympic gold medalist Katy Steding, Buck talked with usabasketball.com about receiving her invitation to the Festival, her first red team practice and about how "The Odyssey" made for a great bedtime story.

Is this your first time in Colorado?
I came out to Colorado when I was about seven for my cousin's wedding, but we took the train. There was no physical activity involved whatsoever.

What are your recollections of that trip on the train?
We took several days to get out. We stopped in Chicago, and we stopped in Des Moines, Iowa. We went to an Iowa state fair. We climbed some mountain, one of the Rockies - a little one. It started hailing on us right when we got to the top after it had been a beautiful day. None of us were prepared at all.

You're from Connecticut? So this is quite a bit different?
Mmm hmm. I live at sea level. My house is pretty much zero feet above sea level.

You think you might make it up to Pike's Peak?
No.

Is that because you don't have the time or because you wouldn't want to go up 14,000-some feet?
A little bit of both. I don't know. I like mountains - they're really beautiful - At the same time, I'll settle for the smaller mountains.

What is it like where you live in Connecticut?
I live in a historical fishing village. We still have some active lobster men, and we still have a couple fleets who go out and do deep-sea fishing. There's a lot of boating, and there's a lot of sailing. Water is definitely an important part of the community. We have a blessing every year where all of the boats are blessed by the priest.

Have you been out fishing?
I went fishing once and I was really bad at it. I've never been out on a fishing trip.

What do you hope to get out of the weekend?
It's another opportunity to get the insight of other coaches that I have never encountered before, see what they have to say and play with some of the best girls in the country.

I saw in your bio that your parents read you "The Odyssey" at bedtime. Any memories from that?
Every night before I went to sleep, my parents would read me a book. They wanted to expose me to good literature. I actually enjoyed it much better as a bedtime story than as a schoolbook.

How has that shaped your reading since then?
I used to read a lot. I would read a combination of good books and fluffy books. When I started playing basketball seriously, I didn't have as much time to read. I do still enjoy reading a good book. Right now I'm reading "The Life And Times Of A Thunderbolt Kid" by Bill Bryson.

What was it like to receive your invitation to come here?
I got stuff from my coach first before I got stuff at home. I immediately called my mom. I was like, 'Hey, I got this invitation, and I want you to look at it because I'm not quite sure exactly what it is. But it looks really exciting, and I really want to go!' Then I brought it home and she said, 'Wow, this is something big!' So I called that afternoon and said I'll be there!

How do you feel about putting on the Red, White and Blue?
It's an honor. So many great players have worn it before. To think that there is that possibility for me is really exciting and scary.

What did you take from Olympian Katy Steding's talk Thursday morning?
What Katie said really emphasized what a huge opportunity (the Festival) is. It's ours to take and we need to make of it what we can. The part about the role players - It's true, all of us are used to being the stars - It's going to be different for us to take on different roles, but it will be good.

Can you compare and contrast how you felt before and after your first team practice?
Well, we've eaten together, we had our team meeting last night and we've done all those drills together. I think we were already starting to get a feel for each other, and the practice really helped solidify that.