April 11, 2008
COLLEGE PARK, Md. -
Recently drafted University of Maryland standouts Crystal Langhorne and Laura Harper have been invited to join the U.S. National Women's Basketball Team as it prepares for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China. The team will convene in Chicago for training camp on April 13 to prepare for the Good Luck Beijing Tournament April 19-26, held at the site of the Olympics competition this summer.
Crystal Langhorne (Willingboro, N.J./Willingboro) and Laura Harper (Elkins Park, Pa./Cheltenham) were drafted by two WNBA teams earlier this week. Langhorne will begin her professional career with the Washington Mystics, while Harper will head out to Sacramento to play for the Monarchs. Both will train with the U.S. team and compete in the tournament.
Langhorne and Harper have extensive experience playing with the U.S. program. Both have won multiple gold medals as members of various junior teams over their careers. Langhorne was selected the USA Basketball Female Athlete of the Year in 2005. Both have also left their marks on the Maryland program, leading the team to a 117-24 record over their four years the winningest four-year record in school history. Langhorne leaves as the program's all-time scoring and rebounding leader, while Harper is the all-time blocks leader. Both rank in several statistical categories at Maryland, while earning numerous accolades. Langhorne is a three-time All-American, while Harper was selected the 2006 NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player.
The Good Luck Beijing Tournament will be held at Wukesong Arena, site of the 2008 Olympic basketball competition. It features six nations, including 2006 World Champion Australia, host China, Cuba, New Zealand and South Korea. The tournament opens with the single-round robin preliminary round on April 19. Seeded teams based on records from the preliminary rounds will face off on April 26, with the top two teams playing in the gold medal game.
Joining Langhorne and Harper in Beijing for the April tournament are Swin Cash (Seattle Storm/Connectict), Sylvia Fowles (Chicago Sky/LSU), Lindsey Harding (Minnesota Lynx/Duke), Kara Lawson (Sacramento Monarchs/Tennessee), Lisa Leslie (Los Angeles Sparks/USC), Courtney Paris (Oklahoma), Katie Smith (Detroit Shock/Ohio State), Lindsay Whalen (Connecticut Sun/Minnesota) and Candice Wiggins (Minnesota Lynx/Stanford).
The 2007-08 U.S. National Team features 29 players on its roster, which were selected by the USA Women's National Team Committee, chaired by USA Basketball for senior women Renee Brown, WNBA chief of basketball operations and player relations. It is expected that the 12-member 2008 Olympic Team will come from the USA National team roster.
For more information on the USA National Team and the USA Basketball program, visit www.usabasketball.com.
-TERPS-
