ASU women's basketball team faces USA National Team

November 08, 2007

Fans can get their first look at the 2007-08 Arizona State women's basketball team on Thursday evening (6:30 p.m.) when it hosts the USA National Team at Wells Fargo Arena. The 2007-08 Sun Devils return 10 players, including three starters - guards Briann January, Jill Noe and Reagan Pariseau - and several other significant contributors from last season's Elite Eight squad, which set single-season school records for most overall wins (31), most Pac-10 wins (16) and most road wins (10). In addition to regaining the services of All-Pac-10 Freshman guard Dymond Simon, who missed the last 16 games of last season with a knee injury, the Sun Devils will also receive a boost from the addition of junior posts Sybil Dosty (transfer from the University of Tennessee) and Lauren Lacey (transfer from the University of Minnesota), who both sat out last season due to NCAA transfer rules, and from talented incoming freshmen Becca Tobin (Glendale Cactus) and Stephanie Wilber (Auburn Riverside, Auburn, Wash.). Last week it was announced that the Sun Devils were ranked No. 12 in both the ESPN/USA Today coaches' poll and the Associated Press writers' poll. In addition, January was one of five players named to the preseason All-Pac-10 team, which was chosen by members of the conference's media. The USA National Team enters Thursday's game with a perfect 4-0 record on its college tour after victories over Maryland (90-73), UConn (90-74), Tennessee (83-72) and Baylor (82-56). Lisa Leslie (Los Angeles Sparks), a three-time Olympic gold medalist (1996, 2000 and 2004) and MVP of the 2002 FIBA World Championship, returns to USA Basketball as a member of the 2007-08 USA National Team. A veteran of international basketball, Leslie has played in 204 games for USA Basketball dating back to 1989. Having compiled 3,222 points (16.0 ppg.) and 1,393 rebounds (6.9 rpg.) during her USA career, Leslie was the USA's leading scorer and ranked either first or second in rebounding for the 2004, 2000 and 1996 Olympic gold medalist teams, and the 2002 and 1998 FIBA World Championship gold medalist teams. In addition to featuring Leslie, the 10-player USA National Team roster for the 2007 College Tour includes 2004 Olympic gold medalists Sue Bird (Seattle Storm), Swin Cash (Detroit Shock) and Diana Taurasi (Phoenix Mercury); as well as Seimone Augustus (Minnesota Lynx),, Katie Feenstra (Detroit Shock), Kara Braxton (Detroit Shock), Kara Lawson (Sacramento Monarchs), Taj McWilliams-Franklin (Los Angeles Sparks) and Loree Moore (New York Liberty). Tickets are still available for Thursday night's game against the USA National Team and can be purchased by calling (480) 727-0000. ASU officially opens its regular season on Sunday when it travels to Chapel Hill, N.C., to take on No. 7 North Carolina in the 2007 State Farm Tip-Off Classic. The game will be televised live by ESPN.