While Sue Bird, Diana Taurasi, Tamika Catchings, Candace Parker, Sylvia Fowles, Cappie Pondexter, Seimone Augustus and Kara Lawson are guaranteed a spot on the team, the fourteen other players are not. They will have to earn a spot even though they were invited to camp. Coach Geno Auriemma is probably thrilled to have a variety of former UCONN players at his disposal. In addition to Bird and Taurasi, he will always have the pleasure of coaching Swin Cash, Ashja Jones, Maya Moore, and Tina Charles as well (at least for the duration of camp).

Geno Auriemma is probably thrilled to have so many former UCONN players in the U.S. women's basketball pool.

Rounding out the chosen fourteen are Jayne Appel, Alana Beard, Shameka Christon, Candice Dupree, Lindsey Harding, Ebony Hoffman, Crystal Langhorne, Angel McCoughtry, Lindsay Whalen, and Candice Wiggins.

Regardless of who makes the final roster, it looks as though the U.S. women’s basketball team is going to be an amazing one. Would we expect any less?

According to ESPN, The U.S. team will train in Washington for a week before heading to Russia to play in a tournament.

Image: Zuma Press

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14 More Players Invited To US Camp

On Sunday, Thabeet signed his rookie contract with the Grizzlies. He’s expected to have signed a contract worth about $7.7 million over two years.

Last year at UConn, Thabeet averaged around thirteen and a half points, almost elevan rebounds and around four blocks per game. The now 22-year-old center was regarded as the best interior defender during his time in college.

Recently, Thabeet has been playing for the Grizzlies summer league team and helped the squad go undefeated at 5-0. In those five games, Thabeet averaged 8.2 points, 4.6 rebounds and 0.8 blocks in 25 minutes per game.

Scouts have been a bit underwhelmed with his performance in summer league but many think he’ll improve as the teammates around him improve.

Hasheem Thabeet - Memphis Grizzlies (Image: Zuma Press)

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Hasheem Thabeet Signs with the Grizzlies

Gino Auriemma didn’t know what to make of the situation and concluded that Delle Donne was making the biggest mistake of her life.

In the end, it wasn’t basketball burnout that caused Delle Donne to give up the game. It was “homesickness.”

That’s why she’s returning to basketball next season, but not for UCONN. She’ll play for the Blue Hens instead.

“I am extremely excited to be competing in my home state and for Coach [Tina] Martin,” Delle Donne said in a statement released by the university. “I really enjoyed playing volleyball this past fall but found myself missing basketball. Basketball has been an important part of my life and I realized that it is my first love and my passion.”

Delle Donne said watching the Huskies storm to a 39-0 season and the national championship last season made her realize she really did miss the game. Or maybe she regretted her decision. Either way, what was UCONN’s loss is now Delaware’s gain.

But Auriemma harbors no  ill will (at least not publicly). “I wish her the best, now and in the future,” he said.

Here’s a video clip from ESPN’s Outside the Lines on Delle Donne:

Video:Youtube

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Elena Delle Donne Returns To Basketball

According to ESPN.com, moments after Monday’s event in front of the South Portico, Obama hustled the team over to the outdoor half-court, away from reporters and cameras.

He challenged a few of the players to a spontaneous game of P-I-G.

“He was pretty good from 17 feet,” said coach Geno Auriemma. “His shot’s a little unorthodox, but it goes in … He’s got a little bit of that swagger.”

Obama is a big fan of college basketball, and appreciates all that the UCONN women have accomplished this past season. “My girls look at the TV when I’m watching ‘SportsCenter‘ and they see women staring back,” he said. “That shows them that they can be champions, too.”

Video courtesy of YouTube

Post from: EveryJoe

Obama Plays Ball With UCONN