Washington Mystics | Sacramento Monarchs
BEIJING, China -
Former Maryland women's basketball players Crystal Langhorne and Laura Harper helped the United States National Women's Basketball Team capture a silver medal at the Good Luck Beijing Tournament. It was the first stint for the star Terps with the senior national team.
Crystal Langhorne (Willingboro, N.J./Willingboro) averaged 6.0 points and 3.0 rebounds per game in five games at the tournament. Her stellar shooting from the floor continues even at the elite level, leading the team with 63.6 shooting percentage. Looking towards her professional career in the WNBA with the Washington Mystics, she was fifth on the team in scoring.
Laura Harper (Elkins Park, Pa./Cheltenham), who was drafted the Sacramento Monarchs earlier this month, averaged 3.8 points and 4.7 rebounds per game, playing in every game of the tournament. She also shot 50 percent from the floor.
The Americans opened the tournament with a loss to the Australians, 74-60, but bounced back to win the next four, including victories over Cuba (92-60), South Korea (92-56), New Zealand (78-60) and China (84-81). Langhorne grabbed a team-high eight rebounds in the win over New Zealand.
The U.S., however, fell short of the Chinese in the medal game, 84-81, to earn the silver medal. Langhorne's professional career with the Mystics begins May 5 in a preseason game against the Monarchs.
"Watching Crystal Langhorne, she's such a workhorse," said veteran U.S. National Team player Taj Williams-Franklin. "Every time she steps in the game, she gives you something good for the amount of time she's in there. She plays eight minutes, she's going to give you eight points, four rebounds. She's always doing something positive. She gets some good blocks, runs the floor well and has really impressed me with the crop of young bigs that we have."
Harper and the Monarchs open the preseason on May 2 against the Seattle Storm.
"This experience [with the U.S. National Team] has been like something I can't even explain...," said Harper after the U.S. victory over New Zealand. "Even off the court has been a learning experience."
"For me, [I've learned a lot from] Lisa (Leslie) because she talks in my ear," Harper continued when asked how this would help her professional career. "Even at breakfast she'll give me little tips, tell me little things. She's very motivating. Hearing from someone who's been playing since the [WNBA] began, someone who's one of the best, if not the best, players in the league definitely helps."
- TERPS -
