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May 23, 2006

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - Continuing on its past success of building gold medal winning teams around a core group of internationally experienced players, USA Basketball, which has claimed gold at the last two FIBA World Championships and past three Olympic Games, announced today that three-time Olympic gold medalists Lisa Leslie (Los Angeles Sparks) and Sheryl Swoopes (Houston Comets), two-time Olympic gold medalist Katie Smith (Detroit Shock), 2000 Olympic gold medalist DeLisha Milton-Jones (Washington Mystics), and 2004 Olympic gold medalists Sue Bird (Seattle Storm), Tamika Catchings (Indiana Fever) Diana Taurasi (Phoenix Mercury) and Tina Thompson (Houston Comets) have been selected as the first eight members of the 2006 USA Women's World Championship Team. The selections were made by the USA Basketball Women's Senior National Team Committee and approved by the USA Basketball Executive Committee.

"USA Basketball's senior women's program has a proud history of success in international competition, including five consecutive gold medals over the past ten years," said USA Basketball President Val Ackerman. "The 2006 World Championship player roster once again represents an impressive blend of youth and veteran leadership, and with coach Donovan at the helm, we are in an outstanding position to continue our unparalled run and solidify the domination of American women in the sport of basketball,"

"These eight players have contributed to the success of the USA Basketball women's program over the past two decades," said Committee chair and WNBA Chief of Basketball Operations and Player Relations Renee' Brown. "You not only have three- and two-time Olympians, but you have some talented young players who are hungry to compete alongside our veterans and help continue to build upon USA Basketball's past successes. Not only have all of them have competed together in international competitions, but the Committee also knows that they all have a respect for each other's games and they are willing to collectively come together to compete and win for the USA."

"This is a tremendous group of core players, with extensive experience in bringing home the gold," said USA and Seattle Storm head coach Anne Donovan. "With this group, I know we are assured of going to battle in the World Championship with our best and most proven veterans. These players understand the drive, preparation and commitment that we need to stay on top. I am confident that these experienced Olympians will set the pace for yet another gold."

The Donovan-led U.S. squad will look to defend its World Championship title at the 15th FIBA World Championship, scheduled to be played September 12-23 in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Behind the play of 2002 FIBA World Championship MVP Leslie, as well as Bird, Catchings, Milton-Jones, Smith and Swoopes, the United States captured the '02 gold medal, successfully defending it's 1998 World Championship crown.

The U.S. owns a record seven gold medals, one silver and one bronze at the World Championship, while compiling an 80-20 (.800 winning percentage) record, including a 19-0 winning streak that dates back to the 1994 bronze medal game.

The Committee, chaired by WNBA Chief of Basketball Operations and Player Relations Reneé Brown, will use part of the WNBA season to evaluate players for the final four roster positions, which will be announced later this summer.

Donovan will be assisted on the sidelines by Connecticut Sun head coach Mike Thibault and collegiate head coaches Gail Goestenkors of Duke University (N.C.) and Dawn Staley of Temple University (Pa.).

The eight core members possess a wealth of international experience having played in a combined 777 international games. Not only do they own 13 Olympic gold medals between them, they also have nine World Championship golds and a pair of World Championship bronze medals as Leslie and Smith were members of the 1998 USA World Championship Team; the pair teamed with Bird, Catchings, Milton-Jones and Swoopes in aiding the U.S. to gold in 2002; while Leslie and Swoopes were on the 1994 USA team that finished with the bronze medal. Further, in major international competitions, they boast a combined 35 golds, four silvers and three bronze medals. Underscoring their successful histories with the red, white and blue, USA teams with any of these eight players as a member have rolled to a striking 749-41 overall record for a 94.8 winning percentage.

Not only are the core members familiar with one another on the court, they have all been coached by Donovan in the past. Donovan, an assistant coach for the 1998 and 2002 World Championship teams that featured Leslie, Milton-Jones and Smith in '98 and all but Thompson and Taurasi in '02, was also an assistant on the sidelines in Athens where all eight core members helped lead the U.S. to gold. Additionally, Bird has played for Donovan in Seattle since the 2003 WNBA season.

Most recently, Smith featured on all three rosters during the 2006 USA Basketball Women's National Team's spring training and exhibition tour, which was headed by Donovan, assisted by Thibault in all three segments and Staley in Australia. Bird, Milton-Jones and Taurasi joined Smith on the first tour, which saw the U.S. claim a 3-0 record in Europe Mar. 2-9; the second tour of Europe, Mar. 17-27, saw Swoopes and Smith give veteran leadership as the United States again went 3-0; while on the third training segment the USA posted a 4-1 record and won the April 7-12 Australia-hosted Opals World Challenge behind the play of Smith and Thompson.