Maryland Forward Deedee Warley Invited To 2001 USA Basketball National Team Trials
May 3, 2001
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.- - Maryland junior forward Deedee Warley (Fort Washington, Md.) is among 36 of the nation's top women's collegiate basketball players, who have accepted invitations to the 2001 USA Basketball Women's National Team Trials, the USA Basketball Women's Collegiate Committee announced today. The Committee will select finalists for the 12-member 2001 USA Women's World University Games Team following the four-day Trials which will be held May 18-21 at the U.S. Olympic Training Center (USOTC) in Colorado Springs, Colo.
The junior captain helped lead a Maryland team that was part of the 2001 NCAA Tournament and finished with a 17-12 (8-8 ACC) record. Warley was Maryland's second-leading scorer during the 2000-01 season, averaging 13.4 ppg and 6.5 rpg. She garnered third-team All-ACC honors, as well as second-team All-ACC Tournament accolades. Warley surpassed 1,000 career points this season, and was consistently ranked among the best statistically in the highly competitive Atlantic Coast Conference.
"This is a great honor for Deedee," commented head coach Chris Weller. "I'm proud that she's being recognized as being among the most talented women's basketball players in the country. She's been working hard and preparing for the tryouts, and will serve as a great representative for herself and for our program."
The 2001 USA Basketball Women's National Team Trials will begin Friday, May 18 from 6:00-8:00 p.m. (all times MST). Sessions will follow from 9:00-11:30 a.m. and 5:00-7:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 19, from 9:00-11:30 a.m. and 4:30-7:00 p.m on Sunday, May 20, and the Trials will conclude on Monday, May 21 with a session from 8:00-10:00 a.m.
Of the 36 athletes who have accepted invitations to the 2001 Trials, 19 recently completed their junior seasons at the NCAA Division I level, including Warley who led the Terps to their 16th national tournament bid under Weller. The 19 juniors are being joined by 13 NCAA sophomores and two freshman as well as two players hailing from the NJCAA Division I level. Like Warley, 26 other invitees also collected 2001 all-conference accolades.
All told, there are 26 NCAA schools and two junior colleges represented among the 36 athletes invited to the 2001 USA Basketball Women's National Team Trials. University of Virginia coach Debbie Ryan will serve as head coach of the 2001 U.S. squad, and will be assisted by Iowa head coach Lisa Bluder and East Carolina head coach Dee Stokes. The final 12-member team will be named during the August 6-14 training camp, which will be held at the USOTC.
The World University Games, held every two years and organized by the International University Sports Federation (FISU), is a multi-sport competition open to men and women between the ages of 17 and 28 (born between January 1, 1973 and December 31, 1983), who are, or have been within the past year, a student at a college or university. This summer the World University Games will be held Aug. 22 - Sept. 1 in Beijing, China.
The 2001 World University Games women's basketball competition, currently featuring squads from 20 countries, has been divided into four preliminary round pools. The United States has been placed in Pool B and will face Canada, Ireland, Japan and South Africa in the preliminary round. The USA women have enjoyed outstanding success in the World University Games and have earned 11 medals in 12 appearances, including four golds, six silvers and one bronze medal, and have compiled an overall record of 68-14 (.829) since beginning World University Games play in 1973. In the last competition, which was held in 1999 in Palma de Mallorca, Spain, the U.S. finished with a 4-2 record and the silver medal. The USA women last earned the World University Games gold in Sicily in 1997.
The United States has been sending women's teams to the World University Games since 1973, and since then the World University Games has served as an important developmental event for the U.S. Of the 64 all-time U.S. women's Olympic basketball team members, 34 have been members of USA Basketball women's World University Games teams.
The USA Basketball Women's Collegiate Committee is chaired by University of Texas Senior Associate Athletics Director for Men's and Women's Athletics Chris Plonsky. In addition to Plonsky, the committee is comprised of NAIA designee Stephanie Findley (head coach, Oklahoma Christian University), NCAA appointees Tom Collen (head coach, Colorado State University), Gail Goestenkors (head coach, Duke University, N.C.), Donna Noonan (Vice President, Women's Basketball Championship, NCAA) and Willette White (head coach, Northeastern University, Mass.), representing the NJCAA is Mary Ellen Leicht (Assistant Executive Director, NJCAA), Muffet McGraw (head coach, Notre Dame University, Ind.) was appointed by the WBCA and Teresa Edwards (2000, 1996, 1992, 1988 and 1984 Olympian, 1994, 1990 and 1986 World Championship teams / Smyrna, Ga.) and Vickie Orr-Wiley (1992 Olympic bronze medalist, 1990 World Championship gold medalist / Birmingham, Ala.) are the athlete representatives.
