Additional Quotes >> USA 81, Argentina 37

July 27, 2008 - Buenos Aires, Argentina

USA head coach Carol Owens
On the game:
I feel awesome. Words cannot express how far this team has come since the first day of training camp. We are a gold medal team, and that is something that they can cherish for the rest of their lives. I'm probably going to wear my medal around my neck all the way home.

I think it was their best game of the tournament. They were focused and ready to go, and they fed off the crowd. We knew Argentina didn't shoot particularly well, so we wanted to take away their drive and the girls executed the game plan.

Sarah Boothe
On winning a gold medal:
It's just an amazing feeling. You see Olympians get gold medals, and to be a part of something like that is just such a huge honor. I'm blessed to be here, and it's a very special feeling.

On the experience:
I loved hanging out with this group of girls, and being a part of this team was just so much fun. It was my first time out of the country, but I had 11 new friends along with me and that made it so much fun.

Kelsey Bone
On winning a gold medal:
Winning a gold medal is what we came here for and what was expected of us, so it feels really good to reach those expectations. I am really proud of what we have done.We all bought into the concept of one solid team.

On the experience:
It's been a learning experience because everyone on this team is so good. I think my favorite part was our down time together. We were able to spend a lot of time hanging out, and I got to know everyone so much better.

Alyssia Brewer
On winning a gold medal:
It feels good knowing that we came to Argentina and accomplished our goal of winning the gold medal. We went through two-a-days and a lot of practice, and I'm happy we did what we set out to do.

Ashley Corral
On winning a gold medal:
In all honesty, this has probably been the hardest three-and-a-half weeks of training I've ever had to go through, and that makes winning the gold medal that much more special. I means a lot to me, and I'm proud of our team.

On her game:
This was a completely different experience from playing basketball back home. It got me used to other offenses and defenses, other types of players and all different kinds of situations, and that will only help my game.

Skylar Diggins
On winning a gold medal:
I am so excited. This is what we came here for, and all of our hard work paid off. We stayed focus and did what we came to do. It's a blessing to be here, and it feels great to win undefeated gold. It's one thing to represent your school or your state, but this is as big as it gets.

On the experience:
Coming here and training with this team made me mentally tougher. I got a feel for what college practices will be like, and learned how to deal with that, which is good. I'm grateful for this opportunity. Not a lot of girls get to make a trip like this. Playing was my favorite part. To see us all come together and play as a team, that's was great to see.

Kelly Faris
On winning a gold medal:
Winning a gold medal kind of makes you speechless. Not only did we win the gold medal for us, but every person who saw us wanted us to win it for them too. It's an accomplishment that a lot of people don't have a chance to experience, and it feels good.

On the experience:
It's hard to point to one thing as my favorite part. It's the whole thing really. To have the opportunity to travel to a foreign country with the best players in the country, it's been really fun. The experience in Argentina was a lot different than what we are used to, and it was neat to see how other people live.

Lynnetta Kizer
On winning a gold medal:
It means a lot to win a gold medal after all the hard work we have put in, going through two-a-days and traveling. We definitely earned it with all the hard work we have done over the past few weeks.

On her experience:
My favorite part has been all these new friends. On and off the court I have met a lot of people from Brazil, Venezuela, Argentina and Canada. I've been practicing different languages and just talking with everybody.

Nneka Ogwumike
On the game:
We knew that we had already secured the gold medal, but we felt it would mean so much more if we stayed undefeated. I just went out and played hard and tried to keep my teammates focused as well. Anytime there is a crowd, whether they are for you or against you, it gets you fired up. We really fed off that energy, and I'm proud of my teammates.

On winning a gold medal:
From day one this is what we wanted to do, and this is what USA Basketball is all about, winning the gold. To be able to win the gold is one thing, and then to do it undefeated is another great accomplishment. It feels great. I think it's one of my most honored accomplishments, and I'm really excited.

On the experience:
My favorite part of the trip would have to be meeting all these girls from different countries. We kind of live the same lifestyle because we all play basketball, but we are all different too. Sharing our cultures, I think that was the best part of the whole experience.

Samantha Prahalis
On winning a gold medal:
The experience has been a real honor. Only 12 girls got to wear USA across their chest and represent our country, and I am happy I was one of them. It feels really good, and I'm proud of our team. Our hard work has been rewarded.

On the experience:
Seeing a new culture and playing in Argentina was my favorite part of the experience.

Nikki Speed
On winning a gold medal:
It feels amazing. We not only won it for ourselves, but for our families and our country and all the people we met along the way who wished us luck. I feel proud and excited. We accomplished our goal and it's something I can share with my teammates.

Shekinna Stricklen
On winning a gold medal:
It feels great. We've been training really hard, harder than we were used to, and we all really wanted this.

On the experience:
I have to say playing was my favorite part. Out on the court we are all together and cheering each other on, and that was a really great feeling.

Joslyn Tinkle
On winning a gold medal:
We accomplished a lot here, and we are very excited. It's a huge deal to us to win the gold medal and go undefeated, and we are very proud of what we have done. For all of us here, nothing compares to wearing the red, white and blue. It's been awesome.