Sooners Invited to National Team Trials

NORMAN, Okla. Oklahoma's Leah Rush and incoming freshmen Courtney and Ashley Paris have accepted invitations to the 2005 USA Basketball Women's National Team Trials. The Trials are set to take place May 19-22 at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo. Invitations to the Trials were issued by the USA Basketball Women's Collegiate Committee, chaired by Sue Donohoe, NCAA vice-president for Division I women's basketball.

Following the four-day Trials the Collegiate Committee will announce finalists for the 12-member 2005 USA Women's U19 World Championship Team (formerly known as the Junior World Championship Team) and the 12-member USA World University Games Team.

This marks the first time in OU women's basketball history that three players have been invited to USA Basketball trials in the same year. Current Sooner Chelsi Welch participated in the 2003 World University Games, while former standout Caton Hill was a member on the 2001 World University team that won gold in Beijing, China. Sooner coach Sherri Coale served as an assistant coach for the bronze medal winning 2001 USA Basketball Junior World University Games. LaNeishea Caufield participated in two World University Trials (1999, 2000).

Rush averaged a team-best 15.5 points and 6.3 rebounds, second best, per game for Oklahoma this past season. She earned All-Big 12 second team honors and had a career-high 28 points against Arizona in the first round of the 2005 NCAA Tournament. Rush concluded the season by being named OU's Top Offensive Player of the Year.

Courtney Paris was named the 2005 USA Today Player of the Year and was honored as the Naismith Trophy Female High School Player of the Year, while Parade Magazine named her a first team All-American. The 6-4 center averaged 24 points and 19.5 rebounds per game. Ashley Paris, a 6-3 forward, also received first team All-American honors by Parade Magazine after averaging 17 points and 12 rebounds. The Paris Twins recently led Piedmont High to their second consecutive CIF Division IV State title with an overall record of 33-2 and were ranked fourth in the nation.

The 2005 USA Basketball Women's National Team Trials begin Thursday, May 19, from 5:30-7:30 p.m. (all times MDT). Sessions for the U19 team candidates will be held from 8:30-10:30 a.m. and 4:30-6:30 p.m. on Friday, May 20, and 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. and 5:30-7:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 21. Trials sessions for the World University Games team candidates will be held 9:00-11:00 a.m. and 5:30-7:30 p.m. on Friday, May 20, and from 8:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m. and 4:30-6:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 21. The Trials will conclude on Sunday, May 22 with a session from 8:00-10:00 a.m. Finalists for both the USA U19 and World University Games squads will be announced following the May 22 session. All Trials sessions will be held in Sports Center II.

Of the expected 57 Trials participants, of which 37 boast of prior USA Basketball experience, 33 are only eligible, because of age, for selection to the USA World University Games Team; 13 trials participants who were born on or after Jan. 1, 1986 (19-years-old or younger) and have completed at least one year of college eligibility are eligible for selection to either the USA U19 or the USA World University Games teams; while the remaining 11 invitees who graduate from high school in 2005 and are born on or after Jan. 1, 1986, are eligible for only the USA U19 World Championship Team.

Players from or committed to attend 32 colleges/universities are involved in the Trials, and a total of six 2005 All-Americans further underscore the strength of the USA candidates.

2005 FIBA U19 World Championship
Duke University (N.C.) head coach Gail Goestenkors has been selected to lead the 2005 USA Basketball Women's U19 World Championship Team, and will be assisted by Hofstra University's (N.Y.) Felisha Legette-Jack and the University of Mississippi's Carol Ross.

Formerly known as the Women's Junior World Championship Team, the USA Women's U19 World Championship Team secured its 2005 tournament berth after the 2004 USA team earned a gold medal at the FIBA Americas Women's Junior World Championship Qualifying Tournament in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico. The U.S. finished a perfect 5-0 and outscored its opponents by a remarkable 81 ppg, while averaging 123 ppg.
Featuring 12 teams, the 2005 FIBA Women's U19 World Championship is scheduled to run July 15-24 in Hammamet and Tunis, Tunisia. To be eligible for the 2005 team, an athlete must have been born on or after Jan. 1, 1986 (19-years-old or younger).

Held every four years since 1985, the U.S. won bronze at the last FIBA Women's Junior World Championship in Brno, Czech Republic in 2001, and claimed the gold in 1997 in Brazil .

2005 World University Games
Kathy Delaney-Smith of Harvard University (Mass.) has been named head coach of the 2005 USA Basketball Women's World University Games Team, and Pokey Chatman from Louisiana State University and Cathy Inglese of Boston College (Mass.) have been named as assistant coaches.

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, 1977 and December 31, 1987), who are, or have been within the past year, a student at a college or university. The 2005 World University Games will be held Aug. 11 21 in Imzir, Turkey. A total of 21 teams will compete in the 2005 Women's World University Games. The teams have been divided into four preliminary pools, three pools consisting of five teams and one pool consisting of six teams. The U.S. is in Pool B with China, Czech Republic, Poland, and South Africa.

The USA women have enjoyed outstanding success in the World University Games and have earned 12 medals in 13 appearances, including five golds, six silvers and one bronze medal, and have compiled an overall record of 75-15 (.833 winning percentage) since beginning World University Games play in 1973. USA Basketball last sent a squad to the 2001 World University Games, where the U.S. ran off to a 7-1 record and clinched the gold medal in Beijing, China. USA Basketball did not send a team to the last World University Games in 2003.

2005 USA Women's National Team Trials
May 19     Trials Session #1              5:30- 7:30 p.m.
May 20     U19 Trials Session #2       8:30-10:30 a.m.
                 WUG Trials Session #2     9:00-11:00 a.m.
May 20    U19 Trials Session #3       4:30- 6:30 p.m.
               WUG Trials Session #3     5:30- 7:30 p.m.
May 21     WUG Trials Session #4     8:30-10:30 a.m.
               U19 Trials Session #4       10:00 a.m.-12 p.m.
May 21     WUG Trials Session #5      4:30- 6:30 p.m.
                 U19 Trials Session #5        5:30-7:30 p.m.
May 22     Trials Session #6              8:00-10:00 a.m.
May 22     Announcement of finalists for teams

All Trials sessions will take place at Sports Center II, U.S. Olympic Training Center, Colorado Springs, Colo.

NOTE: All times listed are local to site.

University of Oklahoma Athletics

Sooners Invited to National Team Trials

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