May 10, 2005

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- Three players from North Carolina have been selected to participate in USA Basketball Women's National Team trials May 19-22 in Colorado Springs, Colo. Rising juniors Ivory Latta and Camille Little and rising sophomore Erlana Larkins will be among the pool of 57 players competing for spots on teams that will represent the U.S. in international competition this summer.

Following the four-day trials, USA Basketball's Collegiate Committee will announce 12-member rosters for the Under-19 World Championship team and the USA World University Games team. Trials participants born after Jan. 1, 1986, who have completed at least one year of college are eligible for selection to either team, and Larkins is included in that group. Players older than 19 - including Latta and Little - are eligible only for the World University Games team. The 12 trials invitees who will enter college in the fall are eligible only for the Under-19 team.

Larkins was a member of the 2004 Under-19 World Championship Qualifying team that won a gold medal last summer to earn a spot in this year's World Championships. She is one of nine players from that 12-member team who will compete in this summer's tryouts. The Under 19 World Championship team will be coached by Duke's Gail Goestenkors. The competition is set for July 15-24 in Tunisia.

Harvard's Kathy Delaney-Smith will coach the World University Games team. The multi-sport competition will be held in Turkey Aug. 11-21.

Latta, a point guard from McConnells, S.C., earned third-team All-America honors in 2005 as she led UNC in scoring with 17.4 points per game and in assists with 4.3 per game. Named Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament MVP and first-team All-ACC, she became just the second sophomore in school history to reach the 1,000-career-points mark and tied the school record for single-season free throw percentage, shooting 86.3.

Little, a forward from Winston-Salem, N.C., averaged 11.8 points and 5.9 rebounds to earn third-team All-ACC honors. She was named to the ACC Tournament first team and led UNC with a .433 three-point percentage.

Larkins, a forward/center from Riviera Beach, Fla., ranked second on the team with 14.6 points and 7.1 rebounds per game. A second-team All-ACC pick and unanimous selection to the ACC All-Freshman team, she set a school record for points by a freshman with 496. She was named to the Gballmagazine.com Young All-America team.

With Larkins, Latta and Little in the starting lineup, UNC claimed the 2005 ACC Championship and finished the season 30-4. The Tar Heels advanced to the NCAA Elite Eight before falling to eventual champion Baylor.

A complete list of those invited to the trials is available on the USA Basketball website by clicking here.