May 22, 2007

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. --- North Carolina's Erlana Larkins and Italee Lucas were named finaliss for the USA Women's Pan American Games Team and the USA Women's U19 World Championship Team, respectively, after trials May 17-20, the organization announced recently. Larkins, who has won gold with Team USA the past three summers, is one of 15 finalists for the 12-member Pan Am squad, while Lucas won gold with Team USA at the FIBA Americas U18 Championship in 2006.

The 15 athletes still in contention for a spot on the final 12-member USA Pan Am Games Team include Jessica Adair (George Washington), Matee Ajavon (Rutgers), Nicky Anosike (Tennessee), Jayne Appel (Stanford), Marissa Coleman (Maryland), Krystal Ellis (Marquette), Emily Fox (Minnesota), Amber Holt (Middle Tennessee), Alexis Hornbuckle (Tennessee), Charde Houston (Connecticut), Tasha Humphrey (Georgia), Larkins, Angel McCoughtry (Louisville), Mel Thomas (Connecticut) and Candice Wiggins (Stanford).

The finalists include 10 athletes who have previously competed for USA Basketball. Appel won a gold medal in aiding the 2006 USA U18 National Team to a perfect 4-0 slate at the 2006 FIBA Americas U18 Championship in Colorado Springs, Colo.; Larkins was a member of the 2006 USA U20 National Team that captured the gold medal in Mexico City, Mexico; in 2005 Anosike, Coleman, Larkins and Wiggins captured the gold medal at the FIBA U19 World Championship. Prior to the U19 Worlds those four won the 2005 International Sports Invitational gold medal. In 2004 Coleman, Houston, Larkins and Wiggins started their age group off on the right foot by sweeping the competition at the 2004 FIBA Americas U18 Championship to collect the gold medal.

The USA Pan Ams finalists will reconvene on July 6 in Washington, D.C., and the eventual 12-member squad will be named prior to the team departing for Brazil on July 16.

The Pan American Games women's basketball tournament will be held July 20-24 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and will feature eight national teams from FIBA Americas. The U.S., placed in Group B, opens preliminary play against Columbia on July 20. Facing Argentina on July 21, the USA will close the preliminary round with a contest against defending Pan American Games gold medalists Cuba on July 22. Semifinals are slated for July 23 and the gold medal will be contested July 24. Also competing in the 2007 Pan Ams women's basketball tournament are Group A nations Brazil, Canada, Jamaica and Mexico.

Still in contention for one of 12 roster spots as a finalist for the U19 World Championship team are Jayne Appel (Stanford), Victoria Baugh (Sacramento H.S.), Angie Bjorklund (University H.S.), Allyssa DeHaan (Michigan State), Elena Delle Donne (Ursuline Academy), Amy Jaeschke (New Trier H.S.), Jantel Lavender (Cleveland Central Catholic H.S.), Melissa Lechlitner (Notre Dame), Demauria Liles (Gulf Coast Community College), Lucas, Maya Moore (Collins Hill H.S.), Kayla Pedersen (Red Mountain H.S.), Khadijah Rushdan (St. Elizabeth H.S.), Jasmine Thomas (Oakton H.S.), Krystal Thomas (The First Academy) and Monica Wright (Virginia).

The U19 finalists will reconvene in Washington, D.C. on July 12th to train prior to departing for Europe on July 17. The finalists roster includes 12 USA Basketball veterans. Appel, Baugh, Lavender, Lucas, Moore, Pedersen and Rushdan helped the USA to gold as a member of the 2006 squad that captured a perfect 4-0 record at the 2006 FIBA Americas U18 Championship. Four also attended the 2006 USA U18 National Team Trials, including Delle Donne, Jaeschke, Jasmine Thomas and Wright; and three donned a USA jersey at the 2005 Youth Development Festival, including Appel, Liles and Wright.