COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- Connecticut's Diana Taurasi will take part in the third and final training session for the 2004 USA Women's Senior National Team in hopes of earning a spot on the squad that will compete in the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece.
In addition to Taurasi, former UConn star Sue Bird is already assured a spot on the squad, and Swin Cash is one of four players, including Taurasi, who will be trying to earn a spot on the team during the final training session.
"It's a great opportunity to be given a chance to earn a spot on the national squad," said Taurasi, whose UConn Huskies open the NCAA Tournament against Penn at 9:30 p.m. ET Sunday. "Playing in the Olympics is something I have always thought would be a tremendous honor. To have the chance to play on a team with our country's top players against the world's top competition on a global stage is something I would certainly rank as one of the highlights of my career."
College's consensus 2003 national player of the year, Taurasi helped the United States win a bronze medal at the 2001 FIBA Junior World Championship. Selected to the five-member All-FIBA Junior World Championship Team, Taurasi averaged a USA-best 19.3 points per game, which ranked fourth among all competitors in the 12-nation field. She also averaged 2.7 assists as the United States finished with a 6-1 record and the bronze medal.
This season, Taurasi has led UConn to a 25-4 mark and No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament. The 6-foot, who was named the Big East Player of the Year, is averaging a team-leading 15.5 points per game, and adding 3.9 rpg, 4.9 apg, and 1.7 spg, while hitting 45.2 percent of her overall shots, including 39.5 percent of her 3-point tries.
The USA will play four exhibition contests in the United States during its April 2-13 training camp. The U.S. will face the 2004 WBCA College All-Star Team on April 3, in New Orleans, La., and play games versus the Japan National Team on April 9 (Denver's Magness Arena), April 12 (Texas Tech's United Spirit Center) and April 13 (Houston's Toyota Center).
The nine previously announced core group members of the 2004 USA Basketball Women's Senior National Team include Bird (Seattle Storm), Tamika Catchings (Indiana Fever), Shannon Johnson (San Antonio Silver Stars), Lisa Leslie (Los Angeles Sparks), DeLisha Milton-Jones (Los Angeles Sparks), Katie Smith (Minnesota Lynx), Dawn Staley (Charlotte Sting), Sheryl Swoopes (Houston Comets) and Tina Thompson (Houston Comets). The nine internationally experienced athletes, and three additional players to be determined, are expected to represent the United States at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece. The Olympics will be held August 13-29.
The available USA core members, as well as Cash and Natalie Williams (Indiana Fever), will regroup April 2 for the USA's final training session which starts at the 2004 NCAA Women's Final Four in New Orleans, while Taurasi will join the squad upon the completion of her collegiate career.