USA Basketball Women’s Team Announces Exhibition Schedule


Earlier we hit you with the Men’s National Team schedule, and now here’s the Women’s schedule, which includes two exhibition games and participation in a four-team tournament. Below are the details, courtesy of USA Basketball:

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Feb. 24, 2012) — The 2012 USA Basketball Women’s National Team’s exhibition schedule was announced today and will include exhibition contests against Brazil in Washington, D.C., on July 16, and Great Britain in Manchester, England, on July 18. Additionally, the USA is scheduled to play in a four-team tournament hosted by Turkey in Istanbul, July 21-24. The remaining two teams and the tournament schedule will be announced at a later date.

Following the mid-summer break in the WNBA season, the U.S. will gather in D.C. on July 14 for training prior to its July 16 doubleheader with the USA men’s team. The women will tip-off against Brazil at 5:30 p.m. (all times listed are local) at the Verizon Center, followed by a USA men versus Brazil game at 8:00 p.m.

Two days later in the Manchester Arena, the USA women are scheduled to tip against host Great Britain at 7:30 p.m. (2:30 p.m. EDT). The USA men also will face the host nation at the Manchester Arena, slated for July 19 at 7:30 p.m. (2:30 p.m. EDT).

Tickets for both the USA Men’s and Women’s National Team games against their respective Great Britain counterparts will be available starting March 6th. To reserve your tickets please call +44 (0)844 847 8000 or visit ticketmaster.co.uk.

Ticket information for the exhibition games in Washington, D.C. will be released at a later date. To stay connected with all things USA Basketball, follow us at www.usabasketball.com, @usabasketball on twitter and become a fan of USA Basketball on Facebook.

“I think any opportunity that we get to train is vital,” said Geno Auriemma, USA and University of Connecticut head coach. “The game in Washington, D.C., against Brazil gives us an opportunity to see right away what we have. What are some of our strengths? What are some of our weaknesses? It is a great send-off. There should be a lot of fanfare for our team. These are phenomenal athletes and I want the entire country to back them. So, this will be a great opportunity to send them off.”

The U.S. has faced Brazil just twice in exhibition games and official FIBA events over the last decade. However, the two nations have clashed just once in that time in Olympic or World Championship play. The United States earned a 99-59 win against Brazil in the 2006 FIBA World Championship bronze medal game and also defeated the South Americans 73-60 in 2002 in pre-World Championship play. Overall, encompassing all official events (non-exhibition games) dating to 1953, the U.S. owns an overall 43-16 win-loss record over Brazil.

The July 18 game at the Manchester Arena will mark the first time a USA Basketball Women’s National Team has gone up against Great Britain. USA and Great Britain teams have faced off only three times in the past – all at the World University Games (1985, 2009, 2011) – with the Americans owning a 3-0 advantage.

Similarly, the USA National Team has never competed against Turkey. However, the U.S. downed the Turks in the only prior meetings between the two nations: at the 2010 FIBA U17 World Championship and the 1997 World University Games.

The 12-member USA National Team that will compete against Brazil and Great Britain will be selected from the list of 21 finalists for the 2012 USA Women’s National Team, which include: Jayne Appel (San Antonio Silver Stars), Seimone Augustus (Minnesota Lynx), Sue Bird (Seattle Storm), Rebekkah Brunson (Minnesota Lynx), Swin Cash (Chicago Sky), Tamika Catchings (Indiana Fever), Tina Charles (Connecticut Sun),Candice Dupree (Phoenix Mercury), Sylvia Fowles (Chicago Sky), Brittney Griner (Baylor University),Lindsey Harding (Atlanta Dream), Asjha Jones (Connecticut Sun), Kara Lawson (Connecticut Sun), Angel McCoughtry (Atlanta Dream), Renee Montgomery (Connecticut Sun), Maya Moore (Minnesota Lynx),Candace Parker(Los Angeles Sparks), Cappie Pondexter (New York Liberty), Diana Taurasi (Phoenix Mercury), Lindsay Whalen (Minnesota Lynx) and Sophia Young (San Antonio Silver Stars).