Kentucky's Helm Among Nation's Top 20-And-Unders To Try Out For USA Team

Women's Basketball

Kentucky's Helm Among Nation's Top 20-And-Unders To Try Out For USA Team

SeSe Helm is among the nation's top 20-and-unders to try out for the 2002 USA Basketball World Championship For Young Women Qualifying Team.

	Helm led Kentucky in scoring and rebounding as a sophomore and is among the nation's top 20-and-under players to try out for the elite USA team

May 8, 2002

Lexington, KY - Kentucky center SeSe Helm is among 36 of the country's top 20-and-unders selected to try out for the 2002 USA Basketball World Championship For Young Women Qualifying Team.

The invitations were issued by the USA Basketball Women's Collegiate Committee, chaired by University of Texas Senior Associate Athletics Director for Men's and Women's Athletics Chris Plonsky. On May 20 following the three-day Trials, which will be held May 17-19 at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo., the Committee will announce finalists for the U.S. squad.

Helm completed her sophomore season at Kentucky as the Cats' top scorer and rebounder, averaging 17.0 points and 6.7 rebounds per game. She was named second-team All-SEC after finishing fifth in the league in scoring and free-throw percentage (80.0%) and 12th in rebounding. Helm started at center in all 29 games for the Wildcats and scored her 600th career-point in only her 42nd career game, the second fastest player to accomplish the feat.

The eventual 12-member U.S. team, which will be comprised of U.S. citizens 20-years-old or younger, will compete in the Confederation of Pan American Basketball Associations (COPABA) World Championship For Young Women Qualifying Tournament. Hosted by Brazil in Ribeirao Preto, July 17-21, and featuring eight teams from North, South and Central America as well as the Caribbean, the top three nations will qualify for the inaugural International Basketball Federation (FIBA) World Championship For Young Women which is scheduled to be played in Dubrovnik, Croatia in July 2003 (dates TBD).

USA team training will kick off on July 7 in Colorado Springs and run through July 11 (times TBD).

Following the July 7-11 training camp, during which time the final 12-member 2002 USA 20-and-under squad will be named, the U.S. is scheduled to continue its training July 12-20 in Brazil prior to the start of the 2002 COPABA Qualifying Tournament.

All told, there are 34 NCAA Division I players, including 20 rising juniors and 14 rising sophomores, one NJCAA athlete and one who has recently completed her prep career; 19 previous USA Basketball participants; six 2002 All-Americans; six 2002 conference Freshman of the Year honorees; one 2002 conference Player of the Year and 25 who were listed among their 2002 all-conference or all-freshmen teams.

2002 USA Basketball Women's National Team Trials Roster

NAME	�POS	�HGT	�WGT	�DOB	�YOG	�SCHOOL / HOMETOWN
Jacqueline Batteast	�F	�6-2	�155	�03/26/83	�2005	�Notre Dame / South Bend, IN
Tera Bjorklund	�C	�6-5	�185	�06/29/82	�2004	�Colorado / St. Peter, MN
Betsy Boardman	�F	�6-1	�165	�03/04/82	�2004	�Arizona State / Portland, OR
Teresa Borton	�F	�6-3	�180	�12/31/82	�2005	�Notre Dame / Yakima, WA
Kala Bowers	�F	�6-2	�163	�06/03/83	�2005	�Texas / Woodward, OK
Kara Brown-Braxton	�C	�6-6	�197	�02/18/83	�2004	�Georgia / Jackson, MI
Shameka Christon	�F	�6-1	�172	�02/15/82	�2004	�Arkansas / Hot Springs, AR
Ebony Felder	�F	�6-1	�170	�07/20/82	�2005	�Georgia / Jackson, MI
Cisti Greenwalt	�C	�6-5	�178	�04/04/83	�2005	�Texas Tech / Clovis, NM
Vanessa Hayden	�C	�6-4	�230	�06/05/82	�2004	�Florida / Orlando, FL
SeSe Helm	�F	�6-4	�185	�01/19/82	�2004	�Kentucky / Bowling Green, KY
Doneeka Hodges	�G	�5-9	�155	�07/19/82	�2004	�Louisiana State / New Orleans, LA
Ebony Hoffman	�F	�6-2	�200	�08/27/82	�2004	�Southern California / Harbor City, CA
Sandora Irvin	�F	�64	�180	�02/23/82	�2005	�Texas Christian / Ft. Lauderdale, FL
*Dionnah Jackson	�G	�5-9	�150	�08/15/82	�2005	�Oklahoma / St. Louis, MO
Amber Jacobs	�G	�5-8	�150	�06/29/82	�2004	�Boston College / Clarks Summit, PA
Temeka Johnson	�G	�5-3	�135	�09/06/82	�2005	�Louisiana State / New Orleans, LA
Laurie Koehn	�G	�5-8	�145	�05/13/82	�2005	�Kansas State / Hesston, KS
Kelly Mazzante	�G	�6-0	�155	�02/02/82	�2004	�Penn State / Montoursville, PA
Julie McBride	�G	�5-4	�130	�09/24/82	�2004	�Syracuse / Mechanicville, NY
Janel McCarville	�F/C	�6-2	�170	�11/03/82	�2005	�Minnesota / Stevens Point, WI
Kristen O'Neill	�G	�6-1	�160	�04/12/83	�2005	�Washington / Lynwood, WA
Amber Obaze	�G	�5-9	�156	�06/25/82	�2004	�Louisiana Tech / Dallas, TX
Ugo Oha	�C	�6-4	�180	�07/18/82	�2004	�George Washington / Houston, TX
Nicole Ohlde	�C	�6-4	�175	�03/13/82	�2004	�Kansas State / Clay Center, KS
Jia Perkins	�G	�5-8	�150	�02/23/82	�2004	�Texas Tech / Granbury, TX
Cappie Pondexter	�G	�5-7	�150	�01/07/83	�2004	�Rutgers / Chicago, IL
Heather Schreiber	�F	�6-2	�165	�01/07/83	�2005	�Texas / Windthorst, TX
Stacy Stephens	�F	�6-1	�210	�01/21/82	�2004	�Texas / Winnsboro, TX
Ann Strother	�G	�6-1	�150	�12/11/83	�2002	�Highlands Ranch (UConn) / Highlands Ranch, CO
Kelley Suminski	�G	�5-9	�158	�12/18/82	�2005	�Stanford / Chester, NJ
Brandi Teamer	�F	�6-0	�190	�01/06/82	�2005	�Virginia / Joliet, IL
Christi Thomas	�C	�6-5	�190	�08/14/82	�2004	�Georgia / Buford, GA
Tanesheia Thompson	�G	�5-6	�124	�01/30/83	�2003	�Gulf Coast Community College / Roanoke, AL
Lindsay Whalen	�G	�5-8	�145	�05/09/82	�2004	�Minnesota / Hutchinson, MN
Dee-Dee Wheeler	�G	�5-6	�140	�03/29/83	�2005	�Arizona / Chicago, IL

2002 USA Basketball World Championship For Young Women Qualifying Team Staff

Head Coach: Marsha Sharp, Texas Tech University

Assistant Coach: Nikita Lowry, New Mexico State University

Assistant Coach: Lisa Stone, Drake University (Iowa)

2002 USA Basketball Women's National Team Trials Schedule

Date * Time * Event
May 17 * 5:30 p.m. * Trials Session #1
May 18 * 9:00 a.m. * Trials Session #2
May 18 * 5:00 p.m. * Trials Session #3
May 19 * 9:00 a.m. * Trials Session #4
May 19 * 4:30 p.m. * Trials Session #5
May 20 * TBD a.m. * Announcement of Finalists

* All Trials Sessions, which run approximately two hours and are subject to change, will be held at the U.S. Olympic Training Center Sports Center II


-UK-