Bashaara Graves Added To 2009 USA Basketball Women's U16 National Team

June 4, 2009 - Colorado Springs, Colo.

Following a knee injury to Morgan Tuck (Bolingbrook H.S. / Bolingbrook, Ill.) that has forced her withdrawal, USA Basketball today announced that 6'2' forward Bashaara Graves (Clarksville H.S. / Clarksville, Tenn.) has been added to the 2009 USA Basketball Women's U16 National Team roster that will compete in the inaugural FIBA Americas U16 Championship for Women (site and date TBD).

Tuck injured her knee on the second day of the USA Basketball Women's U16 National Team Trials, and was named to the 12-member team on May 31. Graves remained in Colorado Springs to train with the team and will replace Tuck on the 2009 USA U16 roster.

'We're very disappointed for Morgan,' said Barbara Nelson, USA and Wingate University head coach. 'We wish her well and hope that her recovery is swift and that she is able to compete for this opportunity again next year. She is a wonderful young lady.

'As far as Bashaara Graves is concerned, her staying here was an exciting thing,' Nelson continued. 'She had the opportunity to practice with the team all week, and she is ready to go. She will fill that spot wonderfully, and we are excited about Bashaara joining our team.'

Along with Graves, the 2009 USA U16 National Team includes: Jordan Adams (Mater Dei H.S. / Irvine, Calif.); Cierra Burdick (Butler H.S. / Mathews, N.C.); Justine Hartman (Brea Olinda H.S. / Brea, Calif.); Betnijah Laney (Smyrna H.S. / Clayton, Del.); Ariel Massengale (Bolingbrook H.S. / Bolingbrook, Ill.); Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis (Mater Dei H.S. / Anaheim, Calif.); Alexia Standish (Colleyville Heritage H.S. / Colleyville, Texas); Breanna Stewart (Cicero-North Syracuse H.S. / North Syracuse, N.Y.); Kiah Stokes (Linn Mar H.S. / Marion, Iowa); Alexyz Vaioletama (Mater Dei H.S. / Fountain Valley, Calif.); and Elizabeth Williams (Princess Anne H.S. / Virginia Beach, Va.).

The 2009 USA Women's U16 National Team wraps up training in Colorado Springs on the morning of June 4, with a final session at 9:00-11:00 a.m. (MDT) before the team members return home. The 2009 team will reassemble prior to the start of the inaugural FIBA Americas U16 Championship (date and site TBD).

The FIBA Americas U16 Championship will feature eight U16 national teams from North, South and Central America and the Caribbean, with the top three finishing teams qualifying for the 2010 FIBA U17 World Championship, which will be played July 16-25 in Toulouse and Rodez, France.
Nelson will lead her first USA squad, with the assistance of Mike Armstrong of Perry Meridian High School (Ind.) and Dorena Bingham of Team Alaska AAU.

USA Basketball announced the inaugural 2009 USA Basketball Women's U16 National Team roster following three days of trials featuring 34 athletes at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo. The player selections were made by the 2009-12 USA Basketball Women's Developmental National Team Committee.

The Women's Developmental Committee is chaired by Carol Callan (Women's National Team Director, USA Basketball) in a non-voting position and includes: NFHS members Jill Meerman (Decatur Central High School, Ind.) and Sue Phillips (Archbishop Mitty High School, Calif.); AAU appointees Jody Patrick (Vogues AAU, Va.) and Brian Robinson (Stealers AAU, N.C.); and athlete representative Jamie Carey (head coach, Legacy High School, Colo.), a member of the 2003 USA Pan American Games Team.