US names 21-player women's Olympic basketball pool

Posted February 12, 2012 11:00 pm

By DOUG FEINBERG AP Basketball Writer Associated Press

Baylor all-American Brittney Griner is among 21 finalists for the U.S. women’s basketball team that will compete at the London Olympics.

The 6-foot-8 Griner is looking to become the first women’s college basketball player to compete in the Olympics for the United States since 1988 when Vicky Bullett (Maryland) and Bridgette Gordon (Tennessee) played.

There are several Chicago connections among the finalists: former Stevenson High School star Tamika Catchings, former Naperville Central star Candace Parker, Chicago Sky center Sylvia Fowles and teammate Swin Cash, former Sky forward Canice Dupree, and former Chicago prep star Cappie Pondexter. Doug Bruno of DePaul is an assistant coach for Team USA.

The finalists also include other WNBA stars who helped the U.S. team win gold at the 2009 Beijin games: Sue Bird, Diana Taurasi, Seimone Augustus and Kara Lawson, Catchings, Fowles, Parker and Pondexter also were on the gold-medal team.

The 12-person roster for the Olympics will be chosen this spring. Here are the players invited to compete for the 12-person U.S. team:

Jayne Appel: Center (6-4 210), San Antonio Silver Stars

Seimone Augustus: Forward (6-1 179), Minnesota Lynx

Sue Bird: Guard (5-9 150), Seattle Storm

Rebekkah Brunson: Forward (6-2 175), Minnesota Lynx

Swin Cash: Forward (6-1 162), Chicago Sky

Tamika Catchings: Forward (6-0 166), Indiana Fever

Tina Charles: Center (6-3 193), Connecticut Sun

Candice Dupree: Forward (6-2 162), Phoenix Mercury

Sylvia Fowles: Center (6-6 200), Chicago Sky

Brittney Griner: Center (6-8 208), Baylor University

Lindsey Harding: Guard (5-8 139), Atlanta Dream

Asjha Jones: Forward (6-3 196), Connecticut Sun

Kara Lawson: Guard (5-9 165), Connecticut Sun

Angel McCoughtry: Forward (6-1 160), Atlanta Dream

Renee Montgomery: Guard (5-7 139), Connecticut Sun

Maya Moore: Forward (6-0 170), Minnesota Lynx

Candace Parker: F/C/G (6-4 172), Los Angeles Sparks

Cappie Pondexter: Guard (5-9 160), New York Liberty

Diana Taurasi: G/F (6-0 172), Phoenix Mercury

Lindsay Whalen: Guard (5-9 150), Minnesota Lynx

Sophia Young: Forward (6-1 165), San Antonio Silver Stars

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