Floyd Named To USA Women’s World Team

May 22, 2001

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Following four days of trials featuring 33 of the nation’s top women’s collegiate basketball players, 11 have been named to the 2001 USA Basketball Women’s World University Games Team, three were named as finalists for the 12th and final roster spot, while four others were selected as alternates, USA Basketball announced today. Chaired by University of Texas Senior Associate Athletics Director for Men’s and Women’s Athletics Chris Plonsky, the Committee made the selections and will pare the list to the final 12-member team during the

August 6-11 training camp which will be held at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo. The Committee’s selection of the 2001

U.S. squad is subject to approval by the U.S. Olympic Committee.

“We’ve got a very athletic team and we won’t be the biggest team but we’ll be very athletic and we will be a team that can slash well,” said USA and University of Virginia head coach Debbie Ryan. “We’ve got some good shooters on this team that can spread the floor a little bit for our size inside. We do have some size inside so hopefully we can spread the floor and get the ball inside to them.

“Winning the gold medal should be a pride thing,” added Ryan. “I think I understand that when you are coaching for the United States of America and playing for the United States of America, there’s only one goal and that’s bringing home the gold.”

Ryan will be assisted by University of Iowa head coach Lisa Bluder and East Carolina University (N.C.) head coach Dee Stokes.

Floyd led the Lady Tigers in scoring with a 16.9 ppg. average. She was also named second-team All-ACC in 2001 for the second year in a row.

Named to the 2001 USA squad were: Chantelle Anderson (Vanderbilt / Vancouver, Wash.), Cori Enghusen (Stanford / Bothell, Wash.), Chrissy Floyd (Clemson / Laurens, S.C.), Caton Hill (Oklahoma / Ada, Okla.), Kara Lawson (Tennessee / Alexandria, Va.), Ashley McElhiney (Vanderbilt / Gleason, Tenn.), Carisse Moody (North Carolina State / Rocky Mount, N.C.), Jenny Roulier (Colorado / Englewood, Colo.), Ayana Walker (Louisiana Tech / Houston, Texas), Shaquala Williams (Oregon / Portland, Ore.) and Shereka

Wright (Purdue / Copperas Cove, Texas).

The three who will vie for the 12th and final roster spot are: Tamara Moore (Wisconsin / Minneapolis, Minn.), Loree Payne (Washington / Havre,

Mont.), and Lindsey Yamasaki (Stanford / Oregon City, Ore.), while the four alternates, who will be called on if a team member is unable to participate, are: Danielle Crockrom (Baylor / Houston, Texas), Shelia Lambert (Baylor / Seattle, Wash.), Mandy Nightingale (Colorado / Sapulpa, Okla.) and Aiysha Smith (Tyler J.C. / Detroit, Mich.).

Following the Aug. 6-11 training camp in Colorado Springs, the final 12-member team will train Aug. 12-15 at a site yet to be determined. The squad will depart the United States on Aug. 16 for Beijing, China, and will train in Beijing until the Aug. 22-31 competition begins.

The 2001 World University Games women’s basketball competition currently

includes teams from 20 countries which have been placed into four pools for preliminary round play. The United States, placed into Group B, will play Canada, Ireland, Japan and South Africa for the right to advance to the medal rounds. Group A consists of host China, Czech Republic, Kazakhstan, Taiwan and Peru, Group C includes South Korea, the

Netherlands, Mexico, Russia and Sweden, while competing in Group D are Brazil, Lithuania, Nigeria, Portugal and Yugoslavia. The women’s basketball schedule has not yet been announced, however games are currently slated to be played on August 24, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30 and 31.

The World University Games, held every two years and organized by the International University Sports Federation (FISU), is a multi-sport competition open to men and women between the ages of 17 and 28 (born between January 1, 1973 and December 31, 1983), who are, or have been within the past year, a student at a college or university. This summer

the World University Games will be held Aug. 22 – Sept. 1 in Beijing, China.