NBA TV To Air USA Women�s FIBA Americas Championship Games Live

Sept. 24, 2007 � Valdivia, Chile

Fans will be able to catch all the 2007 USA Basketball Women's FIBA Americas Championship Team action live on NBA TV during the Sept. 26-30 Olympic qualifier, played in Valdivia, Chile. The U.S. women are currently training in Valdivia in hopes of earning the lone Olympic berth from the FIBA Americas zone as only the gold medalist in the eight-team tournament will advance to the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.

The USA opens against Cuba on Sept. 26 at 4:00 p.m. (all times EDT), followed by a 1:30 p.m. tip-off against Jamaica on Sept. 27 and closes preliminary round play against Canada on Sept. 28 at 4:00 p.m.. The top two teams in preliminary Group A, which includes Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Mexico, and Group B advance to the Sept. 29 medal semifinals (4:30 p.m. and 8:00 p.m.), both of which will air on NBA TV. The gold medal and the right to play in the 2008 Olympics, will be contested Sept. 30 at 4:00 p.m.

Named on Sept. 20 to the 2007 USA Women's National Team for the FIBA Americas Championship were: Seimone Augustus (Minnesota Lynx), Sue Bird (Seattle Storm), Rebekkah Brunson (Sacramento Monarchs), Swin Cash (Detroit Shock), Kara Lawson (Sacramento Monarchs), DeLisha Milton-Jones (Washington Mystics), Courtney Paris (University of Oklahoma), Candace Parker (University of Tennessee), Cappie Pondexter (Phoenix Mercury), Katie Smith (Detroit Shock), Diana Taurasi (Phoenix Mercury) and Tina Thompson (Houston Comets).

Heading the U.S. squad is Seattle Storm head coach Anne Donovan. She is being assisted by 2006 WNBA Coach of the Year Mike Thibault of the Connecticut Sun and collegiate head coaches Gail Goestenkors of the University of Texas and Temple University's (Pa.) Dawn Staley.

Candice Wiggins (Stanford University / San Diego, Calif.) was named as an alternate and is currently training in Chile with the team.

The U.S. owns an all-time 10-1 record and has captured gold in both Olympic Qualifying Tournaments in which it has participated (1976, 1980). The United States, because of being either the host country or the defending Olympic/World champions, earned an automatic berth and therefore did not have to qualify for the 1984, 1988, 1992, 1996, 2000 and 2004 Olympic Games.

From the 1976 through 1992, the Olympic Qualifying Tournament was a worldwide affair. However, starting in 1995 five Olympic qualifiers took place around the globe -- one in each FIBA zone -- in the year preceeding the Olympic Games. In 1995, with Brazil already qualified for the �96 Games by virtue of its 1994 World Championship title, Canada took the FIBA Americas Championship gold medal, Cuba took the silver and Puerto Rico brought home bronze. The 1999 FIBA Americas Championship saw Cuba claim the top spot, Brazil earn silver and Canada collect bronze; while in 2003 Brazil won the gold, Cuba finished with silver and Canada was the bronze medalist.

Should the United States not return home from Chile with the gold medal, there will be one final chance to qualify for the Olympics at the 2008 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament slated for June 9-15 at a site TBD.

Teams finishing in second, third and fourth place at the 2007 FIBA Americas tournament will have one final chance to earn a spot in Beijing's 12-nation field at the 2008 FIBA World Olympic Qualifying Tournament. Those three nations along with nine other national teams from around the globe who did not claim gold at the remaining FIBA zones, including two from Africa (silver and bronze medalists), two from Asia (silver and bronze medalists), four from Europe (second through fourth place finishers) and one from Oceania (silver medalist), will compete for the final five Olympic slots at the 2008 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament.