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USA Basketball announce national team roster for upcoming exhibition games

By Natalie Heavren

NEW YORK, NY - JULY 31: The USA Basketball Women's National Team huddle during the game against Australia on July 31, 2016 at Madison Square Garden in New York, New York. 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 2016 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - JULY 31: The USA Basketball Women's National Team huddle during the game against Australia on July 31, 2016 at Madison Square Garden in New York, New York. 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 2016 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Stewart and McCoughtry headline roster for USA Basketball’s upcoming games

USA Basketball announced the national team roster for the team’s exhibition games: Jan. 27 at the University of Connecticut at 7 p.m. EST on ESPN2 and Feb. 2 at the University of Louisville at 2 p.m. EST on ESPN. Five athletes will be returning to their alma maters.

The roster is as follows:

Sue Bird (Seattle Storm, UConn)
Tina Charles (New York Liberty, UConn)*
Layshia Clarendon (Connecticut Sun/California)
Skylar Diggins-Smith (Dallas Wings/Notre Dame)
Sylvia Fowles (Minnesota Lynx/Louisiana State)
Chelsea Gray (Los Angeles Sparks/Duke)
Kayla McBride (Las Vegas Aces/Notre Dame)
Angel McCoughtry (Atlanta Dream/Louisville)**
Nneka Ogwumike (Los Angeles Sparks/Stanford)
Kelsey Plum (Las Vegas Aces/Washington)
Breanna Stewart (Seattle Storm, UConn)
Diana Taurasi (Phoenix Mercury, UConn)
A’ja Wilson (Las Vegas Aces/South Carolina)

*Charles will only be available for the game against the University of Connecticut
**McCoughtry will only be available for the game against the University of Louisville

The clear news is that Stewart is back. After injuring her achilles while playing overseas in April Stewart will be making her return to the national team. While it is earlier in the usual 9-12 month return timeline, there’s little doubt she will be ready to go for these two games.

The star’s return marks the next chapter in career, post-injury, and will provide fans and media alike a chance to see how quickly Stewart is able to return to full strength.

As reported this morning McCoughtry was cleared to play on Nov. 6, 2019, after 450 days of non-competitive play, and she made her on-court debut Wednesday, with her overseas team Dynamo Kursk.

The team will participate in the 2020 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament from Feb. 6-9, however, the team has already earned a spot in the 2020 Olympic field.

The players who will compete in Serbia are as follows:

Bird
Diggins-Smith
Fowles
Gray
Brittney Griner (Phoenix Mercury/Baylor)
Jewell Loyd (Seattle Storm/Notre Dame)
Ogwumike
Stewart
Taurasi
Wilson

Diamond DeShields (Chicago Sky/Tennessee) was originally named as a player who would compete in Serbia, but her overseas team announced that she was battling a back injury. The team will play Serbia on Feb. 6, Mozambique on Feb. 8 and Nigeria on Feb. 9.

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