World Champions Selected USA Basketball Team of the Year
12/10/2002 1:36:54 PM | Women's Basketball
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - The 2002 USA Basketball Women’s World Championship Team, which won nine straight games in 12 days to collect a World Championship record seventh gold medal for the United States in Zhangjiagang, Changzhou and Nanjing, China, has been selected as the 2002 USA Basketball Team of the Year. With its selection as USA Basketball’s Team of the Year, the squad becomes eligible for the 2002 USOC Team of the Year award which will be announced in January 2003. Syracuse head coach Marianna Freeman was an assistant on the coaching staff.
2002 marks the seventh time the USA Basketball Team of the Year Award has been presented and the second time that it has been earned by a women’s World Championship team. In addition to the 1998 and 2002 USA Women’s World Championship squads, the award has been earned by the 1996 U.S. Women’s Olympic Team / USA Women’s National Team; 1997 USA Women’s Junior World Championship Team; 1999 USA Men’s Tournament of the Americas Team; 2000 U.S. Women’s Olympic Team / USA Women’s National Team and the 2001 USA World Championship For Young Men Team.
Houston Comets head coach Van Chancellor served as head coach for the U.S. squad. Along with Freeman, he was assisted by Charlotte Sting head mentor Anne Donovan, and Duke University (N.C.) head coach Gail Goestenkors .
The USA 12-member squad included Sue Bird (Seattle Storm); Tamika Catchings (Indiana Fever); Tamecka Dixon (Los Angeles Sparks); Jennifer Gillom (Phoenix Mercury); Shannon Johnson (Orlando Miracle); Lisa Leslie (Los Angeles Sparks); DeLisha Milton (Los Angeles Sparks); Tari Phillips (New York Liberty); Katie Smith (Minnesota Lynx); Dawn Staley (Charlotte Sting); Sheryl Swoopes (Houston Comets) and Natalie Williams (Utah Starzz).
"USA Basketball is very proud of its Women's 2002 World Championship Team ," said USA Basketball Executive Director Jim Tooley. "They played with tremendous passion and enthusiasm, and were focused in their pursuit of the gold medal. The team chemistry and camaraderie was evident on and off the court and played a key role in the team becoming World Champion. Without question, this team is most deserving of being named USA Basketball's Team of the Year."
The USA survived a close call against the Russians in the final game to finish a perfect 9-0 and claim a record seventh gold medal at the 14th FIBA World Championship. Selected as the 2002 World Championship Most Valuable Player, Leslie’s 17.2 points and 8.1 rebounds a game led the Americans in its quest for gold. Additionally, Leslie was joined on the All-World Championship Team by U.S. guard Johnson.
