May 25, 2011
USA Basketball World University Games Team release
STANFORD, Calif. - Stanford women's basketball standouts Nnemkadi and Chiney Ogwumike were among the 14 players named as finalists to make the 2011 USA Basketball World University Games Team, USA Basketball announced Wednesday.
The 2011 World University Games basketball tournament is set to take place from August 14-21 in Shenzhen, China. The USA Basketball World University Games Team will be coached by Iowa State's Bill Fennelly, with Suzie McConnell-Serio (Duquesne) and Terri Williams-Flourney (Georgetown) serving as assistant coaches.
The Ogwumikes were among 35 players competing at the USA Basketball World University Games Team camp from May 22-25. The 14 finalists will return to the U.S. Olympic Training Center (USOTC) in late July to resume training from July 31-August 8, at which point the final roster will be trimmed to 12 players for the World University Games.
Joining the Ogwumikes on the list of finalists are Still in the hunt for one of the final 12 spots on the 2011 USA World University Games Team are Elena Delle Donne (Delaware); Skylar Diggins (Notre Dame); Jacki Gemelos (USC); Keisha Hampton (DePaul); Glory Johnson (Tennessee); Shenise Johnson (Miami), Lynetta Kizer (Maryland); Natalie Novosel (Notre Dame), Devereaux Peters (Notre Dame), Odyssey Sims (Baylor), Shekinna Stricklen (Tennessee) and April Sykes (Rutgers).
The Ogwumike sisters have represented USA Basketball on multiple occasions in their international careers. Nnemkadi, fresh off of her second straight State Farm Coaches' All-America Team selection as a junior in 2010-11, has most recently a part of the USA Basketball Select Team that was picked to scrimmage with the USA Basketball Senior National Team ahead of the FIBA World Championships in April 2010. Prior to that, she captured gold medals with U.S. squads at the FIBA U19 World Championship Team in 2009 and with the U18 National Team at the FIBA Americas Championship in 2008.
Chiney, meanwhile, won her first gold medal with USA Basketball as part of the U18 National Team in 2010. The reigning Pac-10 Freshman of the Year helped lead the ssuad to the gold medal at the FIBA Americas Championship in Colorado Springs.
Nnemkadi and Chiney both enjoyed decorated seasons on The Farm in 2010-11. Nnemkadi was named to the State Farm Coaches' All-America Team for the second straight year, as well as earning All-America nods from the Associated Press (Second Team), USBWA and John Wooden Award. She led the Pac-10 in scoring (17.5 ppg) and shooting (58.6 FG pct.) while grabbing 7.6 rebounds a game. She was also named Most Outstanding Player of both the Pac-10 Tournament and the Spokane Regional during the postseason.
Chiney made her presence felt on the national scale as a freshman, averaging 11.7 points and 8.0 rebounds a game while shooting 57.4 percent from the field. She claimed the Pac-10 Freshman of the Year award as well as spots on the All-Pac-10 Team, Pac-10 All-Defensive Team and Pac-10 All-Freshman Team. In the postseason, Chiney was also named to both the Pac-10 All-Tournament and Spokane All-Regional Teams.