Teammates treasure Team USA experience

Heading out to a USA Basketball training camp is nothing new for UConn teammates Napheesa Collier and Katie Lou Samuelson.

They have won a combined eight gold medals representing the U.S. and were teammates on the championship 3x3 team at the 2014 Youth Olympic Games, but never did they have as many collective butterflies than they experienced the last few days.

Going head-to-head with your peers is one thing, but the opportunity to take part in the recently-completed U.S. senior women’s national team training camp was an eye-opening experience for the two All-Americans.

“I was definitely nervous. These are players I looked up to growing up, but it was definitely a great experience to get that opportunity,” said the 6foot-3 Samuelson, who has won six gold medals in international competition representing USA Basketball. “I’ve always aspired to do it, it has been a goal of mine since I was little so being able to get that opportunity is much different from any other.”

With the defending champion Los Angeles Sparks and Minnesota Lynx engaged in a classic WNBA championship series, invited players from those two teams weren’t able to be in Santa Barbara, Calif., for the three-day camp. Olympic gold medalists Seimone Augustus, Sylvia Fowles, Maya Moore and Lindsay Whalen missed the camp for the Finals. Olympians Tina Charles, Elena Delle Don-

ne, Brittney Griner and Diana Taurasi, fresh off a grueling WNBA season, opted not to take part. As a result, 13 of 17 players at Dawn Staley’s first U.S. senior women’s national team training camp were 25 or younger and the only one older than 30 was 36-year-old Sue Bird, a four-time Olympic gold medalist.

Still, that didn’t stop Collier and Samuelson from walking on eggshells a little bit during the early practice sessions.

“That first day on Saturday, I felt a little bit of that, I found myself being a little tentative,” said Collier, who won gold medals at the U18 and U19 levels “It is really exciting going up against these older girls and a little intimidating so I kind of noticed that and tried to be more aggressive these last few days.

“On Saturday when we played, if I am not aggressive I am letting my team down because they are playing 4 on 5. I always need to be rebounding, attacking or helping my team rather than sitting back and watching.”

Having former UConn teammates Breanna Stewart and Morgan Tuck in the camp helped them deal with the added pressure they placed on themselves. Bird is no stranger to them either, and she was there to offer advice to not only them but fellow college stars Asia Durr of Louisville, Kelsey Mitchell of Ohio State and South Carolina’s A’ja Wilson.

“Sue was here, so that was really cool to play with her,” Collier said. “She comes to UConn, so I’ve actually gotten to be on the court with her before. But still, doing that is awesome because you hear so many stories from her from coach (Geno Auriemma), growing up watching her it has been a real honor to be on the same court playing with her.”

Collier and Samuelson tried to rely on their strengths. For Collier, it is her ability to finish around the basket as well as being a relentless offensive rebounder. Samuelson is a light’s out shooter from the perimeter, something she looked to display in front of members of the committee which will select the U.S. team competing in the 2018 FIBA World Cup.

“I just tried to fit in where I could, do what I was good at, play and learn from these older guys,” Samuelson said. “They were telling me to be confident, go out and play hard, giving me advice on certain ways to guard people and sharing knowledge as much as I could.”

They are headed back to Connecticut and will get ready for UConn’s first official practice on Oct. 12. Incorporating freshmen Mikalya Coombs, Andra Espinoza-Hunter, Lexi Gordon and Megan Walker as well as transfers Batouly Camara and Azura’ Stevens is a process that was aided by the Huskies’ recent trip to Italy which featured exhibition games against the Dutch national team as well as an Italian all-star squad and Slovakian powerhouse Celje.