May 7, 2003
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - Stanford University's Nicole Powell (Phoenix, AZ) is one of 60 of the top collegiate players in the nation who have accepted invitations to the USA Basketball Women's National Team Trials, USA Basketball announced today. The invitations were issued by the USA Basketball Women's Collegiate Committee.
The USA Trials, which will be held at the U.S. Olympic Training Center (USOTC) in Colorado Springs, Colo. from May 22-25, will be used to select a pair of 12-member 2003 USA Basketball Teams, including the USA World Championship For Young Women and USA Pan American Games squads. The USA Young Women's National Team, which will be comprised of athletes 21-years-old and younger (born on or after Jan. 1, 1982), will compete in the inaugural FIBA World Championship For Young Women in Sibenik, Croatia, July 25 - Aug. 3; while the 2003 Pan American Games action is set to take place Aug. 2 - 9 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
Powell, who is 21 years old and eligible for both of this summer's teams, has been a member of two previous USA Basketball squads, and has walked away with a gold medal and a bronze medal. Most recently, she was a member of the USA squad that traveled to the Czech Republic for the 2001 FIBA Junior World Championships. The USA posted a 6-1 record and returned home with the Junior Worlds bronze medal. In 2000, Powell led the USA to a 5-0 record and the gold medal at the Junior World Championship Qualifying Tournament in Mexico.
On The Farm, the 6-foot-2 Powell was a finalist for the two most prestigious national player of the year awards (Naismith Award and the Wade Trophy) in 2002-03, in addition to being named to the Kodak All-American Team for the second straight season. She averaged 18.8 points, 9.3 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.8 steals per game as she led the Cardinal to its third straight Pac-10 regular season title, first Pac-10 Tournament title and 16th consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance.
Powell, who missed the first nine games of the season with a bulging disc in her lower back, shot 48.1 (149-of-310) percent from the floor, 40.4 (36-of-89) from 3-point range and 87.5 (98-of-112) percent from the free throw line. She scored in double figures in 21 of her 23 games, pulled down 10 or more rebounds 11 times and recorded 10 double-doubles to increase her career total to 30.
The Ohio State University's Jim Foster will serve as head coach for the 2003 USA Basketball World Championship For Young Women Team and collegiate head coaches, Kathy Delaney-Smith of Harvard University (Mass.) and Felisha Legette-Jack of Hofstra University (N.Y.) will assist Foster.
The USA Pan American Games Team will be piloted by University of Virginia head coach Debbie Ryan, with collegiate head coaches Kathi Bennett of Indiana University and Trina Patterson of the University at Albany (N.Y.) acting as assistants.