USA Basketball Adds Jaeschke, Swords To 2009 USA Women's World University Games Team Finalists Roster

June 16, 2009 - Colorado Springs, Colo.

Following knee surgery for Jayne Appel (Stanford / Kansas City, Mo.) that has forced her withdrawal, USA Basketball today announced the addition of Amy Jaeschke (Northwestern / Wilmette, Ill.) and Carolyn Swords (Boston College / Sudbury, Mass.) to the 2009 USA Basketball Women's World University Games Team finalist roster.

The 15 finalists for the 2009 USA Basketball Women's World University Games Team return to Colorado Springs on June 18 for training camp at the U.S. Olympic Training Center. The squad will train through June 25 and then depart for the July 1-11 World University Games in Belgrade, Serbia. The 12-member USA roster will be announced prior to the team's departure.

In addition to Jaeschke and Swords, vying for a roster spot on the 2009 USA Women's World University Games Team are two-time USA Basketball gold medalists Jantel Lavender (Ohio State / Cleveland, Ohio), Maya Moore (Connecticut / Lawrenceville, Ga.) and Kayla Pedersen (Stanford / Fountain Hills, Ariz.); as well as USA gold medalists Tina Charles (Connecticut / Jamaica, N.Y.); Tiffany Hayes (Connecticut / Lakeland, Fla.) and Ashley Houts (Georgia / Trenton, Ga.). Rounding out the finalists roster are Alexis Gray-Lawson (California / Oakland, Calif.); Whitney Hand (Oklahoma / Fort Worth, Texas); Danielle McCray (Kansas / Olathe, Kan.); Jacinta Monroe (Florida State / Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.); Ta'Shia Phillips (Xavier / Indianapolis, Ind.); Jeanette Pohlen (Stanford / Brea, Calif.); and Danielle Robinson (Oklahoma / San Jose, Calif.).

The finalists were selected by the USA Basketball Women's Junior National Team Committee, chaired by Sue Donohoe, the NCAA Vice President for Division I Women's Basketball, following four days of trials at the U.S. Olympic training center in Colorado Springs, Colo., May 14-17.

The World University Games is organized by the International University Sports Federation and held every other year. The women's basketball competition will take place July 1-11. Eligible athletes for the USA team must be currently enrolled in a college or university and have remaining NCAA athletic eligibility.

After assisting the USA women to a gold medal at the 2007 FIBA U21 World Championship, Arizona State's Charli Turner Thorne returns to the USA sideline as head coach of the 2009 USA Basketball Women's World University Games Team. Suzy Merchant of Michigan State University and Julie Rousseau of Pepperdine University will serve as assistant coaches.

The finalists roster features two athletes, Hand and Hayes, who completed their freshman years of college this past season, eight who finished their sophomore campaigns and five athletes who were juniors in terms of NCAA eligibility in 2008-09.

Just three schools feature multiple representatives on the roster, and all three programs reached the NCAA Tournament Final Four. NCAA champion University of Connecticut is represented by Charles, Hayes and Moore; Pedersen and Pohlen play for Stanford University; and Hand and Robinson are from the University of Oklahoma. In addition, Gray-Lawson and Lavender played in the Sweet Sixteen; Monroe advanced to the second round; and Houts and Phillips made an NCAA Tournament appearance.

Charles was named the 2009 Women's Final Four Most Outstanding Player, while Moore was named All-Final Four and tabbed the Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA Trenton Regional.

Seven USA Basketball gold medalists return, including three with multiple gold medal finishes. Three athletes, Hand, McCray and Phillips, are new to USA Basketball.

In the summer of 2007, Houts was the lone rising sophomore on the USA U21 National Team that wrapped up an 8-0 record at the 2007 FIBA U21 World Championship, averaging 4.1 ppg. to help the USA to a gold medal.

Jaeschke, Lavender, Moore and Pedersen led the USA to a 9-0 record and gold medal at the 2007 FIBA U19 World Championship in Bratislava, Slovakia, and a 3-0 exhibition tally in the Canary Islands prior to the world championship. Moore averaged a team-leading 16.3 ppg. along with 6.4 rpg. and 2.3 apg.; Lavender grabbed a team-high 8.1 rpg. to go with her 16.0 ppg.; Pedersen averaged 2.8 ppg. and 3.2 rpg.; and Jaeschke added 2.5 ppg. and 2.1 rpg.

Also in 2007, Hayes averaged a team-high 11.2 ppg., 3.8 rpg., and 3.0 spg. to help the USA White Team to a 5-0 record and gold medal at the 2007 USA Basketball Youth Development Festival.

In 2006, Charles, Lavender, Moore and Pedersen played together on the gold medal winning USA U18 squad that wrapped up a 4-0 record at the 2006 FIBA Americas U18 Championship. Charles averaged a team-leading 12.0 ppg. along with 9.5 rpg; Moore tallied 9.5 ppg., 5.5 rpg., 2.3 apg. and 3.8 spg.; Pedersen contributed 6.3 ppg. and 7.0 rpg.; and Lavender averaged 5.8 ppg. and 6.3 rpg.

At the 2005 Youth Development Festival, Charles (21.0 ppg. and 13.4 rpg.) helped the USA Red Team to a 3-2 record and bronze medal.

In addition, the 2006 U18 National Team Trials featured Jaeschke and Robinson, while Gray-Lawson attended the 2006 U20 National Team Trials and Monroe and Pohlen participated in the 2007 U19 team trials.

Several finalists garnered national honors, including Moore, who was named the 2009 Naismith and Wade Trophy winner and the U.S. Basketball Writers (USBWA) Player of the Year.

Lavender joined Moore on the USBWA All-America Team, while Charles and Lavender were named among the 12 finalists for the Wade Trophy.

The 2009 WBCA State Farm Coaches' All-America Basketball Team included Charles, Lavender and Moore; while Houts, McCray and Phillips received honorable mention. Additionally, Swords was named as a regional finalist.

Four players earned Player of the Year honors in their conference, including Lavender (Big Ten Conference), Moore (Big East Conference) and Phillips (Atlantic 10 Conference), while Hand was named Big 12 Conference Freshman of the Year.

Named to their all-conference first teams were Charles (Big East), Gray-Lawson (Pac-10), Lavender (Big Ten), McCray (Big 12), Moore (Big East), Phillips (Atlantic 10) and Robinson (Big 12). Listed on all-conference second teams were Houts (Southeastern Conference), Monroe (Atlantic Coast Conference), Pohlen (Pac-10) and Swords (ACC); while Jaeschke (Big Ten) and Pedersen (Pac-10) were third team members.

Hand (Big 12) and Hayes (Big East) made conference all-freshman teams, and Hand (Big 12) also was tabbed all-conference honorable mention. Selected to their all-conference defensive teams were Monroe (ACC), Phillips (Atlantic 10) and Robinson (Big 12).

In addition to Donohoe, the 2009-2012 Women's Junior National Team Committee includes NCAA appointees Joanne Boyle (head coach, University of California), Coquese Washington (head coach, Penn State University) and Connie Yori (head coach, University of Nebraska); and athlete representative Beth Cunningham (head coach, Virginia Commonwealth University), a member of the 1999 USA Pan American Games Team.