UConn Girls Make The Cut

USA Basketball announced the roster finalists for the Women’s Pan-Am Games that will be held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in July. Among the 14 finalists for 12 roster spots are University of Connecticut seniors Mel Thomas (Cincinnati, OH) and Charde Houston (San Diego, CA).

Thomas, a UConn co-captain, said “I was a little bit nervous, everybody I played against was great, so, I mean, I think it was really hard for the committee to make their decisions.” Thomas added, “I just tried to play really hard and separate myself that way.”

Houston, a UConn forward, said, “I think I did pretty well. Ya know but at the same time I was just really, ya know, just into doing everything that everyone else didn’t want to do as far as like hustling and playing hard and just doing the dirty work. “

Thomas and Houston will be competing for the final dozen places with some of the finest women’s college players in the country. Nine All-Americans are among the 14 finalists. Also included as finalists for the Pan-Am Games are Oklahoma’s Courtney Paris, Stanford’s Candice Wiggins, Nicky Anosike and Alexis Hornbuckle of Tennessee and Matee Ajavon of Rutgers.

You can see the entire roster of fourteen finalists here:

http://www.usabasketball.com/women/2007/07_wpag_roster.html

The team coached by Temple’s Dawn Staley will reconvene in Washington DC on July 6 and the 12 selected players will leave for Brazil ten days later. Team USA, which is in Group B will play preliminary round games against Columbia (July 20), Argentina (July 21) and defending Gold Medalists Cuba (July 22). The semi-finals will be held on July 23 and the Gold Medal Game on July 23.

Incoming UConn freshman Maya Moore (Lawrenceville, GA) was selected as one of 16 finalists for the Team USA U19 squad. The team will be competing for the U19 World Championship against 15 other countries from July 25 – August 6 in Slovakia. The 16 finalists will get back together in Washington DC on July 12 and the squad will be paired down to 12 for the Championship. Also among the finalists for the U19 team is UConn recruit Elena Delle Donne of Ursuline Academy in Delaware, Notre Dame’s Melissa Lechlitner and Alyssa DeHaan of Michigan State.

The squad will be coached by DePaul’s coach Doug Bruno.

You can see the entire roster of 16 finalists here:

http://www.usabasketball.com/women/2007/07_wu19_roster.html

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