USA National & USA Select Teams Cap Successful Training With Open Scrimmage
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April 17, 2010 - Hartford, Conn.
The 2009-12 USA Basketball Women's National Team capped its second training camp, held April 11-18 in Hartford and Storrs, Conn., with a scrimmage against the USA Select Team, a squad comprised of some of the nation's top up-and-coming talent. USA Basketball opened the scrimmage to the public, who enjoyed the exhibition prior to heading to the victory parade for Connecticut's national championship team.
Due to injuries, several members of the USA Select Team got a 'call up' to the next level. UConn's Kalana Greene began practicing with the more experienced group on Monday, Oklahoma's Danielle Robinson came in for Tuesday's practice and on Wednesday, Nebraska's Kelsey Griffin and Virginia's Monica Wright were added to the National Team practice. By the time the USA Select Team started practicing on Thursday morning, the early birds were ready to pass along what they learned to the rest of their team.
The scrimmage started off with the USA National Team going up against the USA Select Team. However, the coaching staff mixed things up a little bit. Geno Auriemma sent Renee Montgomery and Maya Moore over to the younger team and took Jasmine Thomas and Monica Wright in return. It was fun for everyone involved, including the 3,000 fans who came to watch.
The U.S. squad will reconvene in July to compete in the WNBA vs. USA Basketball: The Stars at the Sun game that will be played Saturday, July 10 at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. The USA World Championship Team will reassemble for its final training in September (site and dates TBD) prior to departing for Europe to compete in the FIBA World Championship.
Before everyone went their separate ways: 2010 UConn Huskies to their parade, college players back to school and WNBA players off to their pre-season training camps, USABasketball.com sat down with everyone to find out how the week went, what they thought of today's scrimmage, and other things.
Read what they had to say below & check out today's photo gallery and videos!
Videos:
2010 USA National Team:
Geno Auriemma (University of Connecticut)
USA Basketball Women's National Team head coach
What did you get out of this week? What did you see?
I thought the biggest thing was that we were able to identify some of the older guys that we can kind of keep on eye on this summer moving forward, and I thought that was good. Some of the younger guys we found out there is some that have tremendous potential going forward. We needed to know how they would do with some of the national team guys, and it was great for them to compete. We wanted to get a sense of people's mindsets, their attitude, their personality types and all those things we were able to accomplish. And today was just a fantastic ending to that.
How much does this benefit those players headed back to college next season?
I think it benefits both the players going back to college because now they hopefully see there is another level of competition that they are after, so I think they are going to be different players going back if they choose to be. The players who just graduated and are going to the pros, this is a real head start on training camp and kind of gives them a feel of what to expect in a couple weeks when training camp starts. I think everybody that was here benefits from this week.
On coaching players he will face next year in the NCAA:
Yeah, we will take a look at that next year and see if we can't make a couple changes to what we are doing just to screw them up a little bit. I gave them a couple things that are going to mess up there heads a little bit too, so I didn't completely send them off in great shape. I'm sure a couple of them are pretty confused. I like it like that.
What was it like to have some of your UConn family back together?
Watching Swin (Cash) play, nothings changed. Not one thing that I've seen has changed in Swin Cash. I had said earlier, I wish we had D (Diana Taurasi), and Sue (Bird) and Asjha (Jones) or part of that group. That would be pretty incredible. Swin hasn't played in this building in a long, long time, and she's the same Swin that I remember -- tremendous energy and tremendous intensity level. Yesterday, there were times in the scrimmage last night where the five Connecticut players were together, and you could just see that there's a certain chemistry that they had. I wasn't coaching either team last night or the night before, so I just got a chance to watch. It brought back a lot of great memories.
On coaching against Maya Moore:
It's evident the more you see Maya play, the more she is around even the best players. Maya gets into those zones, even at this level amongst all these great players, there is something different about Maya. You could see at the end of the game there, some of the of the plays that she makes. I just thought it was pretty cool that Kalana (Greene) made the bucket to tie it and then Maya makes a bucket to win it. I'm really proud when Connecticut players make winning plays, so that was pretty cool.
Swin (Cash) said you were more mellow:
I think with this group you have to be a little bit (more mellow). We are only here a week. There is a lot we are trying to do in a short period of time. They are a little bit older, and you don't have to say things ten times for them to get it. They are pros for the most part. And then the younger kids, they made a commitment of time and effort to come out here and the last thing you want to do is make it miserable for them. It's no like they are my players, where I enjoy the misery. These guys, I wanted to make it a great experience for them for the week.
Doug Bruno, USA assistant coach (DePaul University)
What did you think about this week's training camp?
It was a great experience. The players are not only great ballplayers, they're great people. Every single one of them gave us a great week of effort and a great week of competitiveness in practice. It was a great week of teaching. We had a great head start on what's going to happen at the all-star break and then what's going to happen in September.
On today's fan turnout:
The UConn fans coming out and supporting this team the way they did today was awesome.
Jennifer Gillom, USA assistant coach (Los Angeles Sparks)
What did you think about this week's training camp?
I thought the girls did a great job. Especially the young girls on the select team. You could see the intimidation at the beginning, but after awhile they saw that they could compete and made it very exciting. Overall I thought there was great camaraderie among all the girls. That's what it's all about, playing hard and playing together.
Did the team continue to build chemistry?
Most definitely. I definitely think that they're going to leave here with a great spirit and come back with a great spirit.
Marynell Meadors, USA assistant coach (Atlanta Dream)
What did you think about this week's training camp?
I think we have a good base to build upon. We worked really hard. All the players who were on the court worked extremely hard all the time. That's good. The system has been laid down. People will definitely take that and go from there. They'll think about it while they're not on the floor and when they come back in July they'll be much better.
Are you looking forward to the next training camp?
I am. I think that once we get all the players together, things will start to fall into place a lot better.
Jayne Appel (San Antonio Silver Stars / Stanford), USA National Team hopeful
What did you think about this team?
I think it'll be really interesting when you do add people who are missing into the mix, when everyone is in one place at the same time. It was definitely an advantage for me to be here, watch Geno coach and see the system he's trying to put in for everyone.
Are you hoping to be healthy next time around?
Yes. This is it. It's three times I've had to pass up on USA Basketball, bad things come in threes and I'm done with it. This isn't going to happen a fourth time.
Seimone Augustus (Minnesota Lynx / Louisiana State)
What did you get out of this training camp?
I got a lot out of it. I got to measure myself, see where I'm at and see how much further I have to go. I was excited about everything. Every day I saw progress. I got stronger each day. As far as playing with the young ladies and everybody, being coached by Geno, it was a great experience. I had a lot of fun. I got to learn a lot about Geno and the other coaches. I learned a lot about the other players on the team. Hopefully we can transfer this to the summer and to the World Championship.
Is this a good base for the team?
I think so. Once you add in Diana, Cappie, Sue and all the other girls, this will be a great bunch of girls athletically, but also off the court with all our personalities.
Swin Cash (Seattle Storm / Connecticut)
On playing with Maya Moore this week:
It's like anybody else. In college I was guarding Diana (Taurasi) all the time. So it was a lot of fun because we can be real physical and respect each other when we get off the court and know it's just all part of the game.
On playing with so many UConn players on the USA National Team:
It's kind of a luxury because obviously we all understand his system. But at the same time we understand his expectations. It'll be fun. Any time you get the chance to come back and play, I remember when Rita and Nykesha would come back and play with us in college. It's just fun for the older guys to play against the younger guys. People always compare our teams. When we get out there everybody's always trying to prove a little something and get after each other. It's all in fun.
How important is it to have training camps like this one to build upon as you move toward the FIBA World Championship or Olympics?
It's very important. Not only for us and for what we want to do moving forward, obviously we have the World Championship coming up, but as you saw, there was a lot of young talent out there today. When you set the tone for them, they'll understand as they go through the USA Basketball program what the expectations are for the level of play and how high the intensity level has to be. I think it's great for them. It's great for the coaching staff. At the end of the day we all got a good result out of this.
Tina Charles (Sun / Connecticut)
How do you feel about the USA National Team's training and progression this week?
Yeah, definitely. Everybody came out, played hard and aggressive. That's what coach wanted from everybody, just to come out and be competitive here. That's what we did.
Did the team continue to build a good base for the next training camp?
Yeah. I think everybody is going to come out next time and keep getting better.
Candice Dupree (Phoenix Mercury / Temple)
What did you get out of the training camp this week?
I had a good time. Unlike the first time in September and October, I finally had a chance to learn all the plays. I was able to get all that down. I had more time to work with a lot of great players, get to know each other and build more team chemistry. I had a good time.
What was it like being back on the court with Dawn Staley, your former college coach?
It's a lot of fun. Every now and then she pulled me aside to give me her tidbits of information and stuff like that. I always enjoy seeing her and being able to work with her again.
Kara Lawson (Connecticut Sun / Tennessee)
What is it like being on the USA team and being around so many great players?
It's the highest honor that you can have as a basketball player, as far as I'm concerned. Having the opportunity to represent your country, to play with the greatest program in the world in USA Basketball, the success it's had, the players who have come through this program, it's an opportunity for you to spend time with the best coaches, the best players. For me, my time here has always been a lot of fun. I've always learned a lot. I've always competed at the highest level. I found that I always gain a lot from the training sessions. My game has always improved because you're going up against the toughest competition.
Angel McCoughtry (Atlanta Dream / Louisville)
On the scrimmage and changing teams around:
I'm glad we kind of mixed it up a little bit. It made it more competitive and more fun.
On playing in Connecticut, where she once was the opponent:
Like coach Geno said, I'm just glad they're not booing me this time. It feels good. It's always a great atmosphere here. The support is great. It feels good to get the support for the women here, it makes it a lot of fun.
Renee Montgomery (Connecticut Sun / Connecticut)
On playing with her former UConn teammates:
It's nice to play with somebody where you already know their tendencies: what they like, what they don't like. We're already going to have a natural connection on the court and of course we're going to connected off the court.
Did it feel like old times playing for Geno Auriemma again?
It did, but not so much because he didn't have to yell as much. There were a lot of people who did good things all week, so there was less for him to yell about. It was a fun experience to be all together.
Do you think this was a good training camp for the team?
I do. I think that even though all the players who weren't able to be here, we still came out here and learned a lot. It was good, especially for the people who haven't played for coach Auriemma to get a feel for his system. Then also for us to get a feel for each other. It worked out really well.
Maya Moore (University of Connecticut)
Do you think the training camp was good for the USA National Team?
Absolutely. I think the main thing coach wanted to get out of this was a competitive week, a competitive game and that's exactly what you saw. It was fun to be around the best women in the world and I'm looking forward to doing it again.
Did you enjoy today's scrimmage?
Yes. And when Renee and I switched over to the college squad, that was really fun. I was impressed with how a lot of the players came through and stepped up at the end. That was really fun to play.
Are you looking forward to the next training camp in July?
Absolutely. That will be a dream come true. I don't think I've gotten to play with the whole USA National Team pool. I'll be like a kid in a candy store, just enjoying all those great experienced players and working my butt off.
2010 USA Select Team:
Debbie Ryan (University of Virgina)
USA Select Team Co-Coach
On the Select Team:
I thought it was a great experience for them all the way around. They definitely got a taste of the National Team and what it's like at this level. How quickly they have to learn and how they have to bring good skills with them and getting their feet underneath them very quickly. I really think that they did a great job this week and had a great experience.
On the scrimmage and coaching Select and National Team players:
It was really a lot of fun. The Select Team won one quarter and we lost one by one point last night in practice, so we were okay on our own, but I really felt like it was just a tremendous experience to be able to coach someone like Maya Moore and Renee Montgomery and have them with our team. They just really added a whole different flavor.
Dawn Staley (University of South Carolina)
USA Select Team CO-Coach
Did you see a lot of improvement in the USA Select Team members?
I think they were finally start to get that there is another level of basketball being played out there. I think even with them being elite college players, they think that they are playing amongst the best and against the best, and to get the chance to play against some WNBA players and some Olympians, I think that is awesome experience to give them something to aspire to.
On the scrimmage:
We had a great week of practicing behind closed doors, and then to put a couple of thousand people in the stands and play was great for everybody. UConn fans, they really support women's basketball. So for our players to play in front of that it's great. After going two-a-days for the past few days, they were able to feed off the energy of the crowd.
What as this experience like for you?
For me it is a breath of fresh air after trying to get the South Carolina program started. Just seeing players at different positions who are the very best that our country has to offer, it's a great thing. It's something that I will take back to our players. They already know that there is another level of basketball being played out there. I saw it, and I can take it back to them and say their peers, people that are their age are committing to play at another level, sacrificing their time. They are getting better, and we got to do it too. It was a good experience for me as a coach.
Kalana Greene (New York Liberty / Connecticut)
How do you feel about your experience this week?
This has been fun. It's been a great experience. I got to play with a lot of great players that I've never really gotten to play with, players I've always played against. I never got to play with or against Candice Dupree or Swin Cash, so it's been fun. It's been a great experience. It's going to help me. I think I'm well conditioned and well seasoned going into training camp. It gave me a lot of confidence and I'm fortunate and I'm honored to be out here. It's been a lot of fun and I wish I can do it again sometime.
Kelsey Griffin (Connecticut Sun / Nebraska)
What did you learn this week?
Definitely one thing I will take away from this week is the expectations for the level of play -- the intensity, every minute, every second. I feel like the Big 12 is a pretty intense league but that is definitely upped a couple of notches when you are playing against the players I played with during camp. Another thing I took from this was I'm capable of playing inside and out, but there are some things I need to work on, coming off screens being able to shoot the ball, knowing when to attack. I'm excited that I get to go on to Connecticut now and learn from Coach Thibault. I'm really just excited to start this next chapter.
On Connecticut fans:
For that many fans to show up and pay to watch us play on a Sunday afternoon is just amazing. The support that Connecticut gives their basketball is hands down some of the best in the country. I'm not going to say too much because I do love my Nebraska fans, but I am so excited to play for these Connecticut fans. They were loud, and they were here. Even though there were a lot of Connecticut girls on the Red Team, they cheered for the White Team too. I'm excited to play for them.
Allison Hightower (Connecticut Sun / LSU)
On the scrimmage:
I thought it was a great experience to come out here and play as hard as you can against some of the best players in the world. To be able to get that opportunity is something that I will truly learn from, and I learned a lot. I've grown a lot. I learned from the older players and the coaches, so overall it's been a great experience.
What about your game specifically did you learn?
You got to go all out, every single day, every single minute, every single possession. I learned a lot about my game individually, what I need to work on, ball-handling, shooting, reading screens. I will definitely take from the experience, go back to work and improve my game doing the things we have been doing here.
Was it an honor to get to play with USA on your chest?
To be able to scrimmage against the National Team players and be able to represent the United States was something that I'm truly blessed to do. I'm just seizing the moment right now. It's been overall just great getting to know them, seeing how they play and seeing what it takes to get to that level. It's something that I will definitely take with me.
Jantel Lavender (The Ohio State University)
What did you learn this week?
I learned to really focus on taking my time, and I realized that in the WNBA and at the National Team level, everybody is sinking in on defense and helping out a lot more. You have to really read that blind side. I think a lot of times today, I got caught off of that blind side. I thought I had my girl beat and somebody came under and maybe blocked my shot. It was about being aware of your surroundings and know if you had the whole lane or if you are working against three or four people. I'm really going to take that with me and really learn from the experience.
What was it like to work with and against the USA Women's National Team?
I think it was a great experience. I learned so much about myself and about what it takes to play on a team like that. It's about playing hard every second that you are out there. You may get tired, but I think the difference between college and WNBA players is that they continue to play. They don't ever give up on plays, they don't ever put their head down. They are constantly talking and constantly cheering. I think that is huge when want to be on a championship team. Geno (Auriemma) alone, I think that he stresses hard work continuously with his team, and that explains why he has a 78-0 record. I think that I will take that back to my teammates and be able to tell them they have to play hard every single second that you are out there on the floor. Be out there for your teammates, and I think that you can be successful.
Jacinta Monroe (Washington Mystics / Florida State)
What did you learn this week?
Geno (Auriemma) taught us all a lot. He taught us to compete hard no matter what, not to back down from any challenge and just to have fun.
On the scrimmage:
It was a lot of fun. I loved the turnout. There was a lot of support from the fans, and playing against the veteran team and switching the teams up, that was a lot of fun just to play with different combinations. It was a great week.
Did this help you prepare for the WNBA?
Playing against some of the best WNBA players already gives me a head start for training camp and preseason. I'll already be acclimated to the style of play and how hard I'm going to have to go every game. I'm excited.
Nneka Ogwumike (Stanford University)
You've played for USA Basketball before, how was this week different?
I think it was a foreshadowing, learning experience. It was very enlightening because all of these kids are older and they've been in the game so much longer. Even the ones that are graduating and are about to go into the WNBA, they have more experience than I do. So, I just learned a lot from them, especially off the court.
What specifically did you learn?
On the court, it's more than just making the pass or making the cut, it's what it takes for you to do it well and what it takes for you to be aggressive. I learned a lot about intensity and what people bring to the court aside from skill. Off the court, I learned about being a good leader and incorporating everyone in the team and keep that team congruency intact.
Kayla Pedersen (Stanford University)
On the scrimmage:
It was awesome. Just to be on the floor with girls that you play against every year and people that you watch play in the WNBA and college was great. The fans were great. The UConn cult, as people call it, was very supportive. We had a lot of people rooting for even the Select Team, so it was a lot of fun.
What did you learn this week?
I learned a lot. These girls are the best you can get, and just to play with them on the same floor or against them, you just learn from their experience. They go hard every single possession, and that is one thing I can take back with me into the college game.
What about your game specifically did you learn?
I know I can get my threes off, so that is reassuring, but just getting to the basket. I think I have to work on my ball-handling and my midrange game.
Andrea Riley (Los Angeles Sparks / Oklahoma State)
What did you learn this week?
I had fun. All the girls are really nice, and the coaches are really trying to help. It was just a good learning experience.
What about your game specifically did you learn?
You have to pick things up quickly, and you have to play hard at all times. You got to go at full speed when you play for (Geno Auriemma).
Was it an honor to get to play with USA on your chest?
It was, it really was. Playing on the same court as some of those girls, it was just like, 'Wow.' It's a great step towards the WNBA, and that's where I'm off to next. So, being here helped a lot.
Danielle Robinson (University of Oklahoma)
What was this week like for you?
It was a great experience to be able to play with the older group of girls, some who have been here before, and to play for a great coaching staff was a great experience. I learned a lot, and watching Renee (Montgomery) is what I'm really, really glad I got to do.
What did you learn?
I learned a lot about moving without the ball. It's pretty clear why UConn is so great just because they are always moving, always working. That is something that I struggled with this year, so definitely going to take that back with me.
Jasmine Thomas (Duke University)
You've played for USA Basketball before, how was this week different?
It's pretty much the same experience in that you are expected to go as hard as you can. You know it's going to be tough, long days, but just the level of competition at this training camp was phenomenal, beyond anything that I have ever been involved in, and I really think I learned a lot and got better.
What about your game specifically did you learn?
Something that has always haunted me is going too fast. We emphasized a lot of cutting and always moving, but not being in a hurry. And so I think that was something that was exposed for me. What I learned was that you have to get other people involved all the time. That is something that you know, but coming from your college team where you are the go-to option, you have to be able to blend in and play well with other people of a high-caliber.
On the scrimmage:
It was definitely fun. I think I liked how they made sure that we got to scrimmage the National Team a few times before today just so that it wasn't so much of a big deal. We had been through it already, and that just made it that much more fun.
Monica Wright (Minnesota Lynx / Virginia)
What was this week like for you?
It was definitely a great experience. It was a lot of learning from Coach Auriemma and a lot of learning from the older girls. It was fun times when it came to playing with my old colleague, my competition, and also it was fun playing with some of the people that I got drafted with.
What did you learn?
Learning the flow of his offense was definitely something that I wanted to pick up on and understand completely. It's a little frustrating not fully knowing his offense, and it's a great offense. It's a really fun offense to play in. That is definitely something I'm going to keep working on and keep trying to get used in the hopes of playing for him again in the future.
On the scrimmage:
It was exciting. UConn definitely brings out a fan base, and they have great support. It was exciting playing for the crowd, and they just love basketball. They didn't care if it was just UConn or not, but it helped that we had a couple of UConn players and Coach Auriemma. It seemed like they just love great basketball.
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