UConn women’s basketball sophomores Olivia Nelson-Ododa and Christyn Williams are two of six collegiate players invited to participate in the USA Basketball Women’s National Team training camp Sept. 17-19 in Miami ahead of the 2019 FIBA AmeriCup.
Former UConn standouts Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi, who committed to the 2019-20 USA National Team’s expanded training program, are expected to participate or attend the camp once they’ve concluded their WNBA seasons. Seven of the eight athletes in the expanded training program are expected to attend, including Skylar Diggins-Smith, Sylvia Fowles, Chelsea Gray, Nneka Ogwumike and A’ja Wilson.
Other former UConn athletes who have confirmed their participation in the USA training camp, provide they’ve concluded their WNBA season are: Tina Charles, Napheesa Collier, Stefanie Dolson and Katie Lou Samuelson. Other invited WNBA players include Jordin Canada, Diamond DeShields, Jewell Loyd, Arike Ogunbowale, Kelsey Plum, Brittney Sykes, Sydney Wiese and Elizabeth Williams.
Nelson-Ododa and Williams will be joined by collegiate players Kaila Charles (Maryland), Mykea Gray (Miami), Ruthy Hebard (Oregon) and Michaela Onyenwere (UCLA), as well as Khadijah Sessions (Kouvot, Finland).
UConn head coach Geno Auriemma, who coached USA teams to gold medals at the past two Olympics and FIBA World Cups, serves as a special advisor for the USA Women’s National Team.
The U.S. will practice for approximately two hours a day, starting at 10 a.m. at Miami’s Watsco Center practice gym before traveling to Puerto Rico for the AmeriCup, which was previously known as the FIBA Americas Championship. Ten nations will take part in the AmeriCup, with the top eight finishing teams advancing to a Nov. 10-18 FIBA Americas Pre-Olympic Qualifying Tournament.
— Day staff reports