Feb. 27, 2002
ATLANTA - There is a new twist to the 2002 Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) All-Star Challenge. On Saturday, March 30, the 2002 USA Basketball National Team will bring it's A-Game to the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) and take on the top 20 senior collegiate players in the country.
As usual, the WBCA All-Star Challenge will take place during the NCAA Women's Final Four in San Antonio, Texas. This year's game will be held at UTSA's Convocation Center. Tip-off will be at 4 p.m. CT on the Saturday between the NCAA National Semifinals and NCAA National Championship.
The WBCA is once again bringing in the top 17 senior NCAA Division I players, voted on by Division I Head Coaches, and the NCAA Division II, III and NAIA Players of the Year to go head to head in an action-packed game of women's basketball.
Connecticut point guard Sue Bird and post players Swin Cash along with Tamika Williams lead the way for the All-Star Challenge squad. Oklahoma and Baylor both boast two players each on the team. OU is led on the squad by point guard Stacey Dales and shooting guard La'Neishea Caufield. Baylor duo Sheila Lambert and Danielle Crockrom will also participate in the game. Florida standout Brandi McCain and North Carolina's Nikki Teasley round out the point guards on the roster.
A slew of outstanding perimeter players will be participating in the contest including UNLV's Linda Frohlich and South Carolina's Shaunzinski Gortman who has helped the Lady Gamecocks off to one of their best seasons ever. Vandy's Zuzi Klimesova, Purdue's Kelly Komara and Lindsey Yamasaki from Stanford round out the shooting guard position.
Inside players abound in this year's game with Tennessee's Michelle Snow, Louisiana Tech's Ayana Walker and Iowa State's Angie Welle. All three players have their respective teams sitting in the Top 25.
The All-Star Challenge Roster could change if any of the aforementioned players' teams make the Women's Final Four. In that case, they will not be able to participate in the contest.
Team USA will be coached by Van Chancellor (Houston Comets) and feature Olympians Chamique Holdsclaw (Washington Mystics), Sheryl Swoopes (Houston Comets), Lisa Leslie (Los Angeles Sparks), DeLisha Milton (Los Angeles Sparks), Dawn Staley (Charlotte Sting), and Natalie Williams (Utah Starzz).
"The WBCA and USA Basketball are extremely pleased to bring the best women's basketball players in the world together for this special game," said WBCA CEO Beth Bass. "This will be the only game in which USA Basketball takes on collegiate players during its Spring Training schedule. What better time and place than in San Antonio when the Women's Final Four is happening? The All-Star Challenge has traditionally been a fan favorite. But USA Basketball's participation will clearly strengthen the appeal of this year's game.
The world's top players will also clash in a 3-point shooting contest, which is sure to keep fans energized.
Past stars of the All-Star Challenge include: Holdsclaw, Ticha Penicherio (Sacramento Monarchs), Kelly Miller (Charlotte Sting), Coco Miller (Washington Mystics), Murriel Page (Washington Mystics), Olympia Scott-Richardson (Indiana Fever), Cindy Blodgett (Sacramento Monarchs) and many more stars of the WNBA. During the 2001 contest, participants included game co-MVP's Semeka Randall (Seattle Storm) and Marie Ferdinand (Utah Starzz).
For ticket information, please contact the UTSA ticket office at 210/458-UTSA (8872). All tickets are non-refundable. Last year's WBCA All-Star Challenge at Washington University in St. Louis, Mo., was a sellout.
Founded in 1981, the Women's Basketball Coaches Association promotes women's basketball by unifying coaches at all levels to develop a reputable identity for the sport and to foster and promote the development of the game in all of its aspects as an amateur sport for women and girls. For more information about the WBCA please check our website www.wbca.org.
2002 All-Star Challenge Sketches
Sue Bird-Connecticut, 5-9, G
Swin Cash-Connecticut, 6-2, F
La'Neishea Caufield-Oklahoma, 5-9, G
Danielle Crockrom-Baylor, 6-2, F
Stacey Dales-Oklahoma, 6-0, G
Linda Frohlich-UNLV,6-2, F
Shaunzinski Gortman-South Carolina, 6-1, G
Zuzi Klimesova-Vanderbilt, 6-2, F
Kelly Komara, Purdue, 5-7, G
Sheila Lambert-Baylor, 5-7, G
Brandi McCain-Florida, 5-3, G
Michelle Snow-Tennessee, 6-5, C
Nikki Teasley-North Carolina, 6-0, G
Ayana Walker-Louisiana Tech, 6-3, C
Angie Welle-Iowa State, 6-4, F/C
Tamika Williams-Connecticut, 6-2, F
Lindsey Yamasaki-Stanford, 6-1, G/F
