The USA Basketball Women’s National Team will open training camp for the 2010 FIBA World Championship in Washington, D.C. Sept. 4, it was announced Wednesday. The team will practice at 10 a.m. daily, working out at The Flint Hill School in Oakton, Va. Sept. 4-5 and at American University’s Bender Arena in Washington, D.C. Sept. 6-7.
UConn senior All-American Maya Moore will be among the players competing at the camp.
“I’m really looking forward to that first week in September in D.C., and even more so the following few weeks as the (WNBA) playoffs wind down and we’re able to add more and more players,’’ UConn and Senior National Team coach Geno Auriemma said. “Speaking for all the coaches, we’re anxious to get our whole team together. And even then it might not happen until the start of competition, but at least we’re getting close.’’
Team USA will train at the XL Center in Hartford Sept. 9-12. It will practice Sept. 9 at 10 a.m. before meeting Australia, the defending world champions, in an exhibition game Sept. 10 at 7:30 p.m. The U.S. will also practice Sept. 11 at 10 a.m. and will meet Spain, which is ranked No. 5 in the world, in an exhibition game Sept. 12 at 1 p.m.
Tickets are on sale now online at www.ticketmaster.com, by phone at 1-800-745-3000 and at the XL Center box office. Prices range from $10 to $75 (additional fees may apply).
Also, Australia and Spain will play an exhibition game at the University of Hartford Sept. 11 at 2 p.m. Tickets are $10 and too can be purchased through all Ticketmaster outlets.
Jayne Appel (San Antonio Silver Stars), Rebekkah Brunson (Minnesota Lynx), Ebony Hoffman (Indiana Fever) and Kia Vaughn (New York Liberty) have been added to the USA National Team roster.
The World Championship will be held Sept. 23 through Oct. 3 in the Czech Republic.
“Certainly one of the positions that we are trying to shore up is in the post,’’ Auriemma said. “With Candace Parker not being available because of her operation, these four additions give us a lot of options to choose from. I’m anxious to see how they fit in. And depending on who’s available because of the playoffs, I think it’s important to have as many options as possible.’’
Rich
