USA Basketball never stops. For 30 top-level women’s basketball players, it will begin at the end of the month.
The 2017 USA Basketball Women’s National Team will host training camp from September 30-October 2 in Santa Barbara, California. From there, the roster will be narrowed down and athletes will focus on USA National Team events (such as the 2018 USA World Cup).
Dawn Staley will serve as the head coach of the incoming athletes; it is her first time leading the USA training camp.
During camp, coaches Michelle Clark-Heard (Western Kentucky), Jennifer Rizzotti (George Washington), Sue Semrau(Florida State) and Jeff Walz (Louisville) are expected to assist Staley.
The 30 players in attendance are a mix of WNBA standouts and collegiate All-Americans. USA Basketball released the attendees earlier, which include:
Seimone Augustus (Minnesota Lynx); Sue Bird(Seattle Storm); Tina Charles (New York Liberty); Layshia Clarendon (Atlanta Dream); Elena Delle Donne (Washington Mystics); Skylar Diggins-Smith (Dallas Wings); Stefanie Dolson (Chicago Sky); Sylvia Fowles (Minnesota Lynx); Chelsea Gray (Los Angeles Sparks); Brittney Griner (Phoenix Mercury); Tiffany Hayes (Atlanta Dream); Jantel Lavender (Los Angeles Sparks); Jewell Loyd(Seattle Storm); Kayla McBride (San Antonio Stars); Maya Moore (Minnesota Lynx); Nneka Ogwumike (Los Angeles Sparks); Kelsey Plum (San Antonio Stars); Odyssey Sims (Los Angeles Sparks); Breanna Stewart (Seattle Storm); Kiah Stokes (New York Liberty); Diana Taurasi (Phoenix Mercury); Morgan Tuck (Connecticut Sun); Lindsay Whalen (Minnesota Lynx); Sydney Wiese (Los Angeles Sparks); and Courtney Williams (Connecticut Sun).
Napheesa Collier(Connecticut); Asia Durr (Louisville); Kelsey Mitchell (Ohio State); Katie Lou Samuelson(Connecticut) and A’ja Wilson (South Carolina).
Coach Staley told the media she was “excited to get things going” after having “a lot of time to think about the things we want to run.” She also stated that she is “pleased” with the “amount of top quality players committed to…training camp.”
Top quality and statistically dominant, every single player with the exception of Chelsea Gray have participated in USA basketball prior to this invite. The decorated players have 95 gold medals, two silver medals and five bronze medals in five-on-five contests, and six gold medals and one bronze medal in international three-on-three events (USA Basektball). Olympians and all-stars give Coach Staley not only talent, but experience.
Due to the late September/early October timing, training camp will not include those playing in the WNBA Finals.
The invitations to camp were given by the USA Basketball Women’s National Team Player Selection Committee. The final roster will be announced later, following training camp.