Eight USA Basketball Gold Medalists Selected To Play In 2012 WBCA High School All-America Game

Feb. 8, 2012 • Atlanta, Ga.

WBCA.org

The Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) today announced the participants for the 2012 WBCA High School All-America Game presented by NIKE and nearly half of the athletes selected have USA Basketball experience, eight of whom have won at least one gold medal and one was a USA team finalist.

2011 USA Basketball Female Athlete of the Year Breanna Stewart headlines the list. Stewart has won three gold medals for her country and after claiming the 2011 FIBA U19 World Championship gold medal and being named to the All-U19 World Championship Team in the process, Stewart returned to the red, white and blue as a member of the 2011 USA Pan American Games Team. As just the second U.S. high school girls basketball player to represent her country in Pan American Games history, Stewart was the only high school player on the 2011 USA Pan American Games Team, which included 11 collegiate athletes. Stewart also earned gold at the 2010 FIBA U17 World Championship and 2009 FIBA Americas U16 Championship.

Included among the All-America selections are three-time gold medalist Jordan Adams (2009 U16, 2010 U17, 2011 U19); two-time gold medalists Bashaara Graves (2009 U16, 2010 U17); Malina Howard (2010 FIBA Americas U18 Championship, 2011 U19); Alexis Jones (2010 U18, 2011 U19) and Morgan Tuck (2010 U17, 2011 U19). Jewell Loyd (U17) and Imani Stafford (U17) have one gold medal apiece, while Moriah Jefferson was a finalist for the 2011 USA U19 squad.

The 21st annual All-America Game, which is held as part of the WBCA National Convention, will be played Saturday, March 31, 2012, at the Pepsi Center, in Denver, site of the 2012 NCAA® Women’s Final Four®. Tipoff is 4:30 p.m. MT. For the third consecutive year, the game will be played on the official NCAA Women’s Final Four court. The 20 players will be divided into two 10-player teams for the game, which will be played according to NCAA rules.

“The 20 members of this year’s High School All-America Team are the future of women’s basketball,” said WBCA CEO Beth Bass. “I always look forward to watching this group in action at the WBCA High School All-America Game presented by NIKE, and it will be great to see them play on the Final Four court in Denver.”

The inaugural WBCA High School All-America Game was played April 17, 1992, at Oman Arena in Jackson, Tenn. The 2012 class of WBCA High School All-Americans joins a long list of well-known past participants including Olympic gold medalists Sue Bird, Tamika Catchings, Chamique Holdsclaw, Katie Smithand Diana Taurasi; and 2012 U.S. Olympic Team hopefuls Alana Beard, Maya Moore and Brittney Griner.

“In continuing to elevate women’s basketball and the future growth of the game, we at Nike are proud to be the presenting sponsor of the 2012 WBCA High School All-America Game,” said Lauren Westendorf, Nike’s Women’s College Basketball Manager. “Each and every year, the country’s best young talent is put on display to showcase their abilities and to provide a preview into tomorrow’s great basketball stars. Nike recognizes the importance of providing opportunities for girls in sport and these 20 selected All-Americans are the future of women’s basketball.”

"On behalf of the nine-member selection committee, congratulations to the 20 players making up the 2012 WBCA High School All-American Team," said Kernersville (N.C.) Bishop Mcguinness High School head coach Brian Robinson, who chairs the WBCA High School All-America Selection Committee. “The committee did a wonderful job in the selection of this team, and these 20 players should be wonderful representatives of not only their districts, and their current and future schools, but also of the WBCA."

Joining Robinson on this year’s selection committee are Stacy Bilodeau, Walpole (Mass.) High School; Pat Diulus, Lake Ridge Acedemy (Ohio) High School; Matt Fritsche, Bellevue West (Neb.) High School; Angie Hembree, Norcross (Ga.) High School; Gail Hook, Monarch (Colo.) High School; Bob Mackey, Christ the King (N.Y.) High School; Teri Morrison, Carroll Senior (Texas) High School; Jody Patrick, Flint Hill School (Va.); Kevin Kiernan, Mater Dei (Calif.) High School; and Gary Glasscock, Metro High School (Mo.) who is past chair. WBCA Manager of Events, Awards & Office Administration Daniella Trujillo is staff liaison to the committee.

“There is an incredible amount of talent in this class, including a number of players that have played for our country through international competition,” Robinson said. "We look forward to a great game in Denver!"

2012 WBCA High School All-Americans