5 UConn Alums Picked
Bird, Taurasi, Stewart, Charles, Tuck Selected
Five UConn alums were named to the official 2018 USA World Cup Team, it was announced Wednesday.
Sue Bird made the team for a record-setting fifth time, along with Diana Taurasi who made the roster for the fourth time. Breanna Stewart, Tina Charles and Morgan Tuck round out the rest of the former Huskies.
UConn senior Napheesa Collier did not make the final roster after making the initial cut that narrowed the team down to 16.
Bird, Stewart and Taurasi were all late arrivals to training camp for Team USA after competing in the WNBA Finals earlier this month. Taurasi and the Phoenix Mercury were knocked out of the playoffs by Stewart and Bird’s Seattle Storm in the semifinals. The Storm would go on to win the championship, sweeping the Washington Mystics, giving Stewart her first championship in the league.
Connecticut doesn’t only have UConn alums on the national team, though. Layshia Clarendon, a middleof-the-season addition to the Connecticut Sun, made the final roster.
Team USA also includes Washington’s Elena Delle Donne, Phoenix’s Brittney Griner, Seattle’s Jewell Loyd, L.A.’s Nneka Ogwumike and Las Vegas’ Kelsey Plum and A’ja Wilson.
“I feel real good about this team and what it can do to help us defend gold at the World Cup,” coach Dawn Staley said in a statement. “I feel that we got the best 12 to represent us, although it was extremely hard getting down to that number. But, that’s what it’s all about, having a great pool of players to get down to 12. We could have easily brought 15 players, but the roster has to be cut down to 12.
“We have great experience. We have some up-and-coming younger players who need to get experience playing at this level. So, we have a great mix of both, and we are looking forward to forging ahead, getting as much time together as possible before we start and as we continue throughout the tournament.”
The national team has won gold in the past two World Cups, and will begin the hunt for its third with a preliminary round Group D game against Senegal at 1 p.m. on Saturday. On Sunday they’ll play China at 1 p.m., then Latvia on Tuesday at 1 p.m.