USA National Team Training Day 3

Sept. 6, 2010 • Washington, D.C.

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Training camp for the 2010 USA Basketball World Championship Team continued today in Washington, D.C. and the squad got a big boost – literally – with the addition of post player Tina Charles. Charles, who was excused for the first two sessions due to a family function, brought the roster to a perfect 10 and added much-needed size to the USA’s inside game.

With one more practice in D.C., the team is already looking forward to heading up the coast to Hartford, Conn., where the squad will take on Australia on Friday night and Spain on Sunday afternoon at the XL Center in downtown Hartford.

After practice today at American University’s Bender Arena, USA Basketball.com chatted with USA head coach Geno Auriemma and several of the USA National Team members to find out how things were going, if Auriemma had changed his coaching style over the last decade and how great of an experience it’ll be for the fans at this coming weekend’s games.

Auriemma

Geno Auriemma, University of Connecticut
After three days of practice, how is everything coming along?
I think it’s been pretty good. We’ve gotten better every day. We’re improving. We added a player today with Tina Charles, which made it a little bit better, because we were really low on post players. We’re going to be adding a couple more players this week. So far it’s been pretty good. We’ve made a lot of progress. Every day we keep getting better. Every day I see something that I like more and more. Our effort’s been great. But once again, we’ll know more Friday night when we play Australia.

What has your focus been out here with only half the finalists available to you?
The experience factor is something that obviously there’s nothing you can do about. We have a lot of young players who make young mistakes when they’re playing here. They don’t blend in together as well as veteran players, who know how to play with just anybody. It’s been a little bit of a challenge putting the right groups together and getting the chemistry just right. Then as you start to get that, you’re adding more players. So, I think most of it is: can we play hard? Can we compete? We’re playing Australia Friday and they play together a lot. For us, we have to do all of those little things that might be the difference between winning and losing. Right now we just want to see who’s competitive and who can do what. We’ll know more Friday night.

What can fans expect to see this weekend?
I’m sure the atmosphere will be great at this weekend’s games. The atmosphere, because it’s Connecticut, there’s a couple Connecticut guys playing, because there’s three of the best teams in the world, will be great. It’ll be a little bit different for those fans who are used to seeing UConn just walk out there and run through the opposition. This will be a little bit different. It’s going to be a real treat for them to see some of the best players in the world, to see some of the best teams in the world. Because they’re such great fans and they appreciate their basketball, the Australian and Spanish teams are going to be really pleasantly surprised at the reception that they’re going to get.

Hoffman

Ebony Hoffman (Indiana Fever)
How is training camp going so far, despite the small group of players?
Training camp has been fun. It’s been tough after coming off of just playing, then getting here and trying to go right into a training camp series. But it’s been real fun. It’s nice to get back into the teaching part and learning things you haven’t really been taught in a long time. Just getting back to the basics, it’s been all around fun.

You were coached on the 2000 USA U18 National Team by Geno Auriemma, has he changed at all as a coach?
No. Not at all. Exactly the same. He says what’s on his mind at any time. He doesn’t care if you’re the star player or the last player on the bench, he’s going to rip you sideways and frontways when you mess up. He’s a great coach and I’m just happy to be playing under him again.

Is he running a lot of the same things or has he changed his coaching style at all?
It seems the style is the same. When you have different players, the plays change.  But when you’ve got so many great players, he’s just trying to involve everybody in the game. It’s like I said before, it’s fun. It’s fun playing for him.

Tina Charles joined the group today. What did she add to the mix?
Another big presence, because we were a little small down there, especially playing against the guys every day. And we only had nine people. It’s nice that we can finally have two teams of five together. She just brought a whole big presence to the game and a big defensive presence as well.

Jones

Asjha Jones (Connecticut Sun)
How is training camp going so far, despite the small group of players?
The practice players have been great. They’re giving us a chance to play against quicker, bigger people, and also not killing each other in practice with nine, ten players.

Has the team started to gel, have the previous camps helped you get chemistry quickly?
It’s help, but you spend so much time apart playing in different systems. I think that everyday gets a little bit better. We’re starting to read each other better. We’re learning the plays and they’re becoming more natural for us.

Does it help to be playing for your college coach and having so many UConn players out here?
Yes, it does. It’s awesome, and we have them (Connecticut assistant coaches) on the sideline, too. So when we have a question we can just run over and ask one of the assistant coaches. They’ve been a great help.

What’s the key to this team going to be?
Taking care of the ball and taking good shots. We have all the talent in the world, but if we don’t take good shots, it kind of defeats the purpose. If we take care of the ball and take shots when we’re open, I think we’re going to be great.

Are you looking forward to going to Hartford and playing in the XL Center again?
Yes, it’s going to be great. It’s just going to be great. Our fans are going to be really welcoming. With so many UConn players, I think we’re going to have a great turnout. It’s going to be really great.

Moore

Maya Moore (University of Connecticut)
After three days of practice, how is everything coming along?
It’s getting better. It’s really tough, the situation that women in the United States have as far as the limited amount of time that we have to practice together. So as much time as we can get in the gym … I think the focus level is pretty high. We’re getting a lot done. It’s very productive. As long as we’re competitive and we’re moving forward, I’m very happy.

Have you been following the WNBA playoffs to figure out when other players will join the training camp?
I know I have been. I know a lot of us have been watching and keeping up. It’s unfortunate that people have to come to us after a loss, but hopefully they can use it as extra motivation to come out here and continue to raise the level of USA Basketball. I know they will because they’re great players.  

What do you think the key to this team will be?
I think the key is just to continue to try to get on the same page. I think that’s the biggest advantage that other teams have on us, the time that they’ve spent together, the unity and the familiarity that they play with. As long as we’re gelling, and we’re starting to … a lot of these women have played together for years, so it’s really not that big of a disadvantage. But as long as everybody continues to get on the same page and are communicating, we’re talented, it’s just a matter of everybody working together and functioning together. And everybody’s got the right attitude for it, so I know it’ll happen.

After one more day in D.C., you’re heading back to Hartford. Are you looking forward to that?
Absolutely. I love the fans in Connecticut. They’re the best in the country. They really embrace women’s basketball. It doesn’t matter what level, either. If it was a college game or the best players in the world, they’re going to come out, they’re going to support, they’re going to have fun, it’s just a great atmosphere to get better and enjoy.