Welcome Additions!

USA Basketball announced today that 14 additional players have been invited to this fall's USA Women's National Team Training Camp, which will be held right here in DC at American University from September 30th to October 5th. The 14 "newcomers" will join the 8 players already selected for the 2009-12 National Team, and will be vying for roster spots on the 12-member USA National Team that will compete in the 2010 FIBA World Championship in the Czech Republic.

It should come as no surprise that among those 14 additions is the Mystics' very own Alana Beard. AB has trained and played with the Senior National Team before, so we were certainly expecting her to be named again. Congratulations, Alana!

But the BasketCases are also pleased to report that joining Alana in the USA Training Camp will be two other Mystics: Lindsey Harding and Crystal Langhorne! Congratulations, Lindsey! Congratulations, Lang! If you've been following our blog for a while, then you know that Crystal has an unblemished record of success in age-group USA Basketball international competition. Obviously, she and Lindsey have been identified as a couple of the talented younger players with great futures ahead of them. Whether they make the final roster this year or not, it's a great honor to be invited into this select company!

And we here in DC have the good fortune of actually being able to see all these players in action (well, at least the ones who are not injured or preoccupied playing in the WNBA finals). On Sunday, October 4th, at noon at American University, the National Team will host a "Fall Showcase" that includes "team drills, an intrasquad scrimmage, a question and answer session with [Coach Geno] Auriemma and a post-practice autograph session with selected players." Tickets are only $5.00! Instructions for purchasing tickets can be found on the AU Women's Basketball web site, here. (We already have ours!)

Congratulations again to AB, Lindsey, and Lang on this well-deserved opportunity and honor!

Photo Credit: DC BasketCases