May 22, 2006

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - Erlana Larkins, a rising junior on the North Carolina women's basketball team, has been named one of 18 finalists for the 2006 USA FIBA Americas U20 Championship Team. Sunday's announcement followed three days of trials that saw 38 athletes under consideration for spots. The finalists were selected by the USA Basketball Women's Collegiate Committee, which is chaired by Sue Donohoe, the NCAA's vice president of Division I women's basketball.

In addition to Larkins, the finalists are Jolene Anderson (Wisconsin); DeWanna Bonner (Auburn); Essence Carson (Rutgers); Alexis Gray-Lawson (California); Devanei Hampton (California); Jillian Harmon (Stanford.); Camille LeNoir (Southern California); Victoria Lucas-Perry (Michigan State); Renee Montgomery (Connecticut); Marscilla Packer (Ohio State); Ashley Paris (Oklahoma); Courtney Paris (Oklahoma); Kia Vaughn (Rutgers); Ashley Walker (California); Erica White (LSU); Khadijah Whittington (N.C. State); and Lindsay Wisdom-Hylton (Purdue).

Sixteen of the 18 athletes under consideration for final roster spots have previous USA Basketball experience. Anderson, Carson, Larkins and Courtney Paris all helped the U.S. to the 2005 FIBA U19 World Championship gold medal and a gold medal at the 2005 International Sports Invitational against top junior national teams from Australia, Russia and China. The previous summer Carson, Larkins and Courtney Paris were members of the USA U18 National Team that earned a berth in the U19 Worlds after claiming the 2004 FIBA Americas U18 Championship.

The finalists will reconvene in late July for training camp at a site to be determined to begin preparations as they look to defend the U.S. title at the 2006 FIBA Americas U20 Championship. The final 12-member USA U20 National Team will be announced prior to departing for the FIBA Americas U20 Championship, scheduled for Aug. 9-13 in Mexico City. The competition features eight teams from North, South and Central Americas and the Caribbean, and the top three teams will qualify for the 2007 FIBA U21 Women's World Championship.