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USA Basketball women’s national team names FIBA AmeriCup training camp roster

By Bria Felicien

TENERIFE, SPAIN - SEPTEMBER 27: Dawn Staley head coach of the USA National Team during practice during the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup at Pabellon de Deportes de Tenerife Santiago Martin on September 28, 2018 in San Cristobal de La Laguna, Spain. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE. (Photo by Catherine Steenkeste/NBAE via Getty Images)
TENERIFE, SPAIN - SEPTEMBER 27: Dawn Staley head coach of the USA National Team during practice during the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup at Pabellon de Deportes de Tenerife Santiago Martin on September 28, 2018 in San Cristobal de La Laguna, Spain. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE. (Photo by Catherine Steenkeste/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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The USA Basketball women’s national team released the names of the players who will participate in the team’s FIBA AmeriCup training camp in Miami from Sept. 17-19.

The U.S. will narrow down a 12-player team roster ahead of FIBA AmeriCup, which will take place from Sept. 22-29 in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The team will practice for two hours a day while in Miami, before leaving on Sept. 19, and Staley also said a focus of the training camp will be defense.

“I’m super excited,” said national team head coach Dawn Staley. “It seems like we haven’t played in a long time. I’m just happy that we’ll get some players who have some experience and we’ll also get some players who haven’t had a whole lot of USA Basketball experience at the national team level. So, meshing that spectrum of players is going to be the key to our success at the AmeriCup.”

Most players who were named a part of the expanded women’s national team earlier this season were also invited to the camp. Sylvia Fowles, whose season is over in Minnesota and Diana Taurasi, who did not compete in her team’s playoff loss at Chicago, are among them. Also invited were Nneka Ogwumike and Chelsea Gray, who are still vying for the WNBA title with Los Angeles, as is A’ja Wilson with the Las Vegas Aces.

Sue Bird and Skylar Diggins-Smith are not cleared to play, but will attend and focus on team meetings and “some on-court preparations,” according to the press release. Elena Delle Donne won’t be available for the training camp as the WNBA Semifinals will begin on Sept. 17, which is when the Washington Mystics begin their playoff run.

USA Basketball says other players are invited to “participate or attend once they have concluded WNBA season.” The players:

"Jordin Canada (Seattle Storm), Tina Charles (New York Liberty), Napheesa Collier (Minnesota Lynx), Diamond DeShields (Chicago Sky), Stefanie Dolson (Chicago Sky), Jewell Loyd (Seattle Storm), Arike Ogunbowale (Dallas Wings), Kelsey Plum (Las Vegas Aces), Katie Lou Samuelson (Chicago Sky), Brittney Sykes (Atlanta Dream), Sydney Wiese (Los Angele Sparks) and Elizabeth Williams (Atlanta Dream)."

The WNBA seasons, as of Sunday morning, have ended for New York, Dallas, Atlanta, Minnesota, Indiana and Phoenix. The WNBA playoffs continue Sunday, Sept. 15 with Los Angeles vs. Seattle at 3 p.m. ET and Las Vegas vs. Chicago at 5 p.m. in single-elimination games. The semifinals, best of five series, begin on Sept. 17, as Washington and Connecticut await their opponents. The WNBA finals tip off of Sept. 29.

Other players in the training camp include:

"Kaila Charles (Maryland), Mykea Gray (Miami), Ruthy Hebard (Oregon), Olivia Nelson-Ododa (Connecticut), Michaela Onyenwere (UCLA), Khadijah Sessions (Kouvot, Finland) Christyn Williams (Connecticut)."

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