2010 USA U17 Women Arrive In Spain

July 8, 2010 • Zaragoza, Spain

The 2010 USA Women's U17 World Championship Team wrapped up the Washington, D.C., portion of its training camp and departed for Alagon, Spain, on July 7, where it will play exhibition games against Canada, Australia and Spain before traveling to France, where it opens 2010 FIBA U17 World Championship play on July 16.

After almost 24 hours of travel, the USA arrived at its hotel in Spain for a good night's sleep before a morning practice and its first exhibition against Canada on at 6:00 p.m. on July 9 (all times CEST, which is +6 hours from EDT) .

It will be a busy three weeks for the USA women all the way through the 2010 FIBA U17 Word Championship for Women, which concludes on July 23, and the start of training camp certainly was no different. Practicing four times from July 5-7 in D.C, the team also managed to see the White House and the monuments surrounding the National Mall before departing for Europe.

Prior to their departure and after arrival in Spain, USABasketball.com talked with several of the USA U17 players to hear about their experiences in Washington, D.C., and their expectations for Spain.

Cierra Burdick
(Butler H.S./Matthews, NC)
How do you feel after your travel day and how do you think the team feels?
Overall, I think we are excited to be here, but right about now, we are just exhausted. Hopefully, we will get some rest tonight and be ready to hit the gym tomorrow.

How did the travel day go?
The travel day went well. It was what we expected. We had a long flight, and then another short flight and then a bus ride. There were no delays or anything, so I think it went real well.

Is it hard to believe you have a game tomorrow? Is this team ready?
I think we are prepared. We are going to have to use our shoot-around in the morning to our advantage, but I think we should be ready. We just have to come focused and ready to play. When we do those to things, we just flow together, and we can be unstoppable.

What was your favorite part of D.C.?
I liked interacting with the little kids at the end of practice. That was probably my favorite part. They were there for a camp and came to watch the end of practice.

What are you most looking forward to in the next few weeks?
I'm excited to be in Spain. I think these exhibition games will be good for us and help us prepare for what we are going to see in France. But I think we are all excited to get to the World Championships, so we can get started towards our goal.

Kaleena Lewis
(Mater Dei H.S./Anaheim, CA)
What did you do in your three-week break between June 15, when the first training camp and July 5, when you arrived in Washington, D.C.?
More P90x. I did some of the conditioning Coach Nelson gave us that she gives to her college team, and I had practice with my high school team.

Was it difficult to transition from training with the USA U17 team, back to your high school team and then back to your USA team?
Not really. Coach Kiernan was kind of easy on us. We have like eight freshman on the team this year, so we are kind of just going over things and drills. And it's good to go over things. Coach Kiernan does a lot of the stuff Coach Nelson teaches, so it wasn't that hard.

How do you feel after the USA's training in DC?
Alright. I mean, I could be shooting better.

Has this team developed a team chemistry yet?
Not completely, but I think we are getting there. I think after another practice or two, we will have started. But I think the games in Spain will be the biggest help. It will be nice to get out on the court with our team.

Are you ready to leave for exhibition games in Spain and then on to France?
Being able to go to Europe is always a great experience, and I'm really excited. I've been to Spain, but I've never been to France, so I'm just really excited.

Breanna Stewart
(Cicero-North Syracuse H.S./North Syracuse, NY)
What did you do in your three-week break between June 15, when the first training camp and July 5, when you arrived in Washington, D.C.?
I ran -- a lot, and worked out -- a lot.

Did you have AAU or high school games or practices?
No, not really. So it was pretty much just working out and running.

Have you seen a pay off from your training here at camp?
Yeah, I think so. The running was really boring, but I think it has helped me here.

Has this team developed a team chemistry?
We are fitting together good. I could hang out with any of these players and have fun.

What about the chemistry on the court?
On the court, yeah, I think we are good. It's an adjustment with some new players, but we are all fitting in well with each other.

Are you anxious to leave for exhibition games in Spain and then on to France?
I don't know if I'm anxious. I'm excited. I had fun here, I'm going to have fun in Spain and I am going to have fun in France, so I'm excited.

Elizabeth Williams
(Princess Anne H.S./Virginia Beach, VA)
You just arrived in Spain this evening, can you believe you have practice and a game tomorrow?
No, I can't believe it. It has been a long, tiring trip. I think it will be good. I think things will go well. I think we are going to sleep really well tonight, and that will help us out a lot.

You just arrived at your hotel in Spain, does it feel good to get settled in for a few days?
It's a really nice place. The hotel is great. I think we will definitely be able to relax and rest a lot. I'm just looking forward to that.

How does the long travel day affect the team's chemistry, or is it the team's chemistry that affects the travel day?
I think traveling helps us bond a little better, mostly because at all times you have to be in a group. I think it just has a positive impact on us and helps us grow off the court.

Do you know what to expect out of this team tomorrow in the game against Canada?
I expect us to play hard. Coach has been teaching us to continue to play through everything, be smart and play together. So, I think we will play good solid team ball, and it should be a good game.

What was your favorite part of the training camp in DC?
I thought it was cool when some little kids from a basketball camp at The Flint Hill School came to watch some of our practice. It just helps you realize where you are and how many people really look up to you. That was probably my favorite part.