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Women's Basketball
Williams Earns Spot on U19 World Championship Team
July 7, 2009
USA Basketball Website COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - University of Illinois incoming freshman Destiny Williams (Benton Harbor H.S. / Benton Harbor, Mich.) is one of 12 players named to the 2009 USA U19 World Championship Team, USA Basketball announced on Tuesday. As the two-time defending U19 World Championship gold medalists, the USA will attempt to make it three straight golds at the '09 U19 Worlds, scheduled for July 23-Aug. 2 in Bangkok, Thailand. The USA Women's U19 Team will train at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo. from July 9-16 before departing for Bangkok. Five members of the 2009 USA U19 World Championship Team are returning USA Basketball gold medalists - Kelsey Bone (South Carolina), Skylar Diggins (Notre Dame), Kelly Faris UConn), Nnemkadi Ogwumike (Stanford) and Samantha Prahalis (Ohio State). That group helped the U.S. advance to the '09 U19 Worlds by claiming gold at the 2008 FIBA Americas U18 Championship. Also selected for the '09 USA U19 Team were: LaSondra Barrett (LSU), Layshia Clarendon (California), Shenise Johnson (Miami FL), C'eira Ricketts (Arkansas), Chay Shegog (North Carolina), Taber Spani (Tennessee) and Williams. Sarah Boothe (Stanford) and Shawnice Wilson (Pittsburgh), who were named as finalists for the USA U19 squad on May 17, were both forced to withdraw due to injuries. "I think this team offers multiple offensive weapons and has a lot of versatility," said Carol Owens, USA and Northern Illinois University head coach. "They are a great group of young ladies that will represent our country with class. I am extremely excited. I am really looking forward to seeing the staff and the team and get going. We have a special group and I can't wait to work with them. Overall I would like to have an intense and productive training camp. Three things I would like to accomplish are: build team chemistry, establish our offensive and defensive philosophy and prepare the team for the level of competition we will be facing in Bangkok." The United States will tip-off training camp on July 9 at 5 p.m. (all times MDT). The team will train twice a day, beginning at 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. on July 10 and 11. The team has one practice scheduled for July 12, at 10 a.m., before resuming two-a-days at 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. from July 13-16. The U.S. will train July 18-22 in Thailand prior to the July 23 start of the 2009 FIBA U19 World Championship. The 2009 FIBA U19 World Championship features 16 national teams comprised of athletes 19-years-old or younger (born on or after Jan. 1, 1990) that qualified through their FIBA zone tournaments. The 16 teams have been drawn into four preliminary round pools of four teams each, and the USA has been placed into Group D with China, Mali and Spain. Group A features Argentina, Australia, France and South Korea; Group B includes Brazil, Czech Republic, Lithuania and Thailand; while Group C includes Canada, Japan, Russia and Tunisia. The U.S. is slated to open preliminary round play against Spain on July 23, followed by China on July 24 and Mali on July 25. The top three finishing teams in each preliminary round group will advance to the July 27-29 second round. The quarterfinals will be played on July 31, semifinal action is scheduled for Aug. 1 and the gold medal will be contested on Aug. 2.
The team was selected by the USA Basketball Junior National Team Committee, chaired by NCAA representative Sue Donohoe (Vice President for Division I Women's Basketball). In addition to Donohoe, the committee includes NCAA appointees Joanne Boyle (head coach, University of California), Coquese Washington (head coach, Penn State University) and Connie Yori (head coach, University of Nebraska); and athlete representative Beth Cunningham (head coach, Virginia Commonwealth University), a member of the 1999 USA Pan American Games Team. Team USA's Schedule for the 2009 FIBA U19 World Championships July 9-16 Training at the U.S. Olympic Training Center, Colorado Springs, Colo. July 17 Travel to Bangkok, Thailand July 18-22 Training in Thailand July 23 Preliminary Round vs. Spain - 4:30 pm* July 24 Preliminary Round vs. China - 7:45 pm* July 25 Preliminary Round vs. Mali - 7:45 pm* July 27-29 Second Round Games July 31 Quarterfinals Aug. 1 Semifinals Aug. 2 Finals * Game times listed are local to site; Bangkok is +12 hours from CDT |
