2014 USA Basketball Women’s World Championship Team Coaching Staff Set

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (May 12, 2014) – Three successful and experienced head coaches, including DePaul University’s Doug Bruno, the Minnesota Lynx’ Cheryl Reeve, and University of South Carolina’s Dawn Staley, have been selected as assistant coaches for the 2014 USA Basketball Women’s World Championship Team, USA Basketball today announced. Bruno and Staley have both served as assistant coaches for USA Basketball at the FIBA World Championship and Olympic Games, Bruno in 2010 and 2012, and Staley in 2006 and 2008. Reeve has a pair of WNBA titles as a head coach with the Lynx (2011, 2013) and two as an assistant coach with the Detroit Shock (2006, 2008).

Chosen by the USA Basketball Women’s National Team Steering Committee, the three coaches will work with USA and University of Connecticut head coach Geno Auriemma and the 2014 USA World Championship Team. 

“Overall, I think we’ve got a great mix,” said Auriemma. “We certainly have enough experience, both USA Basketball-wise, college, pro; we have a mix of personalities that I think is going to be really, really good. We have some continuity with Doug back. We have an opportunity to bring in some younger coaches, who hopefully aspire down the road to be head coaches at USA Basketball. They’re proven winners. They’re the kind of people that USA Basketball is really important to them, and most importantly, they’re people I can work with, people I have a lot of respect for and I think the committee really did a great job.”

The trio of coaches will assist Auriemma during the USA National Team’s training camp, which kicks off

Sept. 7-10 at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. While the remainder of the training schedule is to be announced, the team will compete in the 2014 FIBA World Championship in Istanbul, Turkey, from Sept. 27-Oct. 5.

Co-recipient of the 2006 and 2007 USA Basketball Developmental National Team Coach of the Year awards, Bruno was an assistant coach for the 2009-12 USA National Team that captured gold medals at the 2010 FIBA World Championship and 2012 Olympic Games. Prior to his time with the USA National Team, Bruno headed up a pair of age-based teams in back-to-back summers, compiling a perfect 13-0 record and earning gold medals at the 2006 FIBA Americas U18 Championship and 2007 FIBA U19 World Championship.

Bruno’s most recent DePaul squad advanced to the NCAA Sweet Sixteen, captured the Big East Conference regular season and tournament titles and finished with a 29-7 record.

“First of all, it’s such a great honor,” said Bruno, who owns a 560-301 (.650 winning percentage) in his 28 years at DePaul. “Every time the phone rings and I find out I’ve got the opportunity to coach with USA Basketball, I’m always excited and always flattered to coach USA Basketball at any level. But then, when it’s the USA National Team, being given the opportunity to coach the best players in the world and getting to coach with the best coaches in the world, I’m just overwhelmed. I’m really looking forward to helping USA Basketball in any way I can in defending the FIBA World Championship gold medal. As much as I love traveling to different countries, it’s the USA Basketball people, they’re fun people to work with all the time.”

At the helm of the WNBA Lynx for four seasons, Reeve has compiled a 93-43 (.683 winning percentage) overall record, including an 80-22 (.793 winning percentage) mark over the past three seasons. After a 13-21 finish in 2010, Reeve helped orchestrate the second-best turnaround in league history, capping the regular season with a 27-7 record and then winning the WNBA title. For her efforts, Reeve was named the 2011 WNBA Coach of the Year. The Lynx in 2012 again finished 27-7 and advanced to the WNBA Finals. In 2013 she guided the Lynx to the No. 1 spot in the Western Conference standings with a 26-8 record and coached the Lynx to its second WNBA championship in three years. Prior to being named head coach at the Lynx, Reeve spent nine years as an assistant in the league at Charlotte (2001-02, 2004-05), Clevelend (2003) and Detroit (2006-09), where she aided the Shock to a pair of WNBA titles.

“Obviously it’s not only an honor, but a great thrill to be associated with USA Basketball,” said Reeve. “It’s such a great team. I’m looking forward to coaching world-class athletes with such a tremendous coaching staff. The timing for me is spectacular to be associated with USA Basketball and to have three Philly people on the staff is kind of cool. We’re happy to be representing (laughs).

“The idea that there will be a few Minnesota Lynx players on the team and the idea that there will obviously be a large contingency of WNBA players, so I think my background, not only with my
players, but with the WNBA as a whole, I think there’s value in understanding our players,” added Reeve on what she brings to the staff. “I think Geno will like that input of maybe some things that we do at our level, whether it’s offensively or defensively.”

No stranger to USA Basketball, Staley as an athlete won 10 gold medals, including three Olympic and two FIBA World Championship gold medals, one bronze medal and seven international invitational titles from 1989-2004. She then transitioned into the coaching ranks, received her first USA Basketball coaching assignment as an assistant to the 2006 USA World Championship Team and was later asked to remain on board through the 2008 Olympics. With Staley assisting on the
sideline, the USA National Team from 2006-08 posted a 32-2 record, captured the 2008 Olympic and 2007 FIBA Americas Championship gold medals and the 2006 FIBA World Championship bronze medal. Staley also served as head coach for the 2007 USA Pan American Games Team that claimed gold with a perfect 5-0 record and will head up the 2014 USA U18 National Team coaching staff this summer.

In 2013-14 Staley led the Gamecocks to a 29-5 mark, the program’s first Southeastern Conference regular season title, a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament where she advanced her team to the Sweet Sixteen. Staley in 2014 was named the SEC Coach of the Year, WBCA Region 3 Coach of the Year and was one of four finalists for the Naismith National Coach of the Year award.

“I’m really looking forward to getting back into the USA Basketball network,” said Staley, who in six years at South Carolina has compiled a 121-71 (.630 winning percentage) record and posted 25-win seasons in each of the past three years. “It’s reliving some of the best days of my life. To be able to work with Geno, Doug and Cheryl, it’s going to open me up as a coach to learn different things. I’m looking forward to the challenge and I’m looking forward to, as always, winning the gold medal.

“I think I bring my experience of playing and coaching USA Basketball internationally,” added Staley. “I still know some of the players, and have played with some of the players, who will
probably be on the team. So, I add a different perspective, being able to relate to them and know their style of play, as well as being a good teammate. Just helping Geno in his quest to win another World Championship and add my expertise as someone who has played and coached at the World Championship level. I just want to be a great addition to the staff.”

The final 12-member 2014 USA World Championship Team will be selected from the 2014-16 USA National Team pool, which currently includes: Jayne Appel (San Antonio Stars), Seimone Augustus (Minnesota Lynx), Sue Bird (Seattle Storm), DeWanna Bonner (Phoenix Mercury), Tamika Catchings (Indiana Fever), Tina Charles (New York Liberty), Elena Delle Donne (Chicago Sky), Skylar Diggins (Tulsa Shock), Stefanie Dolson (Washington Mystics), Candice Dupree (Phoenix Mercury), Sylvia Fowles (Chicago Sky), Brittney Griner (Phoenix Mercury), Lindsey Harding (Los Angeles Sparks), Briann January(Indiana Fever), Glory Johnson (Tulsa Shock), Jantel Lavender (Los Angeles Sparks), Kara Lawson (Washington Mystics), Kayla McBride (San Antonio Stars), Angel McCoughtry (Atlanta Dream), Maya Moore (Minnesota Lynx), Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis (University of Connecticut), Nnemkadi Ogwumike (Los Angeles Sparks), Candace Parker (Los Angeles Sparks), Cappie Pondexter (New York Liberty), Danielle Robinson (San Antonio Stars), Odyssey Sims (Tulsa Shock), Breanna Stewart (University of Connecticut), Diana Taurasi (Phoenix Mercury), Alyssa Thomas (Connecticut Sun), Courtney Vandersloot (Chicago Sky), Lindsay Whalen (Minnesota Lynx), Monica Wright (Minnesota Lynx) and Sophia Young (San Antonio Stars).

USA Basketball Women’s National Team Director Carol Callan serves as the chair of the USA Basketball Women’s National Team Steering Committee, which includes USA Basketball CEO/Executive Director Jim Tooley; WNBA appointee Reneé Brown, WNBA Chief of Basketball Operations and Player Relations; NCAA appointee Chris Plonsky, Director of Women's Athletics/Athletics External Services, University of Texas; and three-time Olympic and two-time FIBA World Championship gold medalist Katie Smith, who played in nearly 200 games for USA Basketball from 1993-2008, and serves as the athlete representative.

2014 USA World Championship Team Schedule

DATE                    SITE                                                                    EVENT                                                                                

Sept. 7-10              U.S. Naval Academy, Annapolis, Md.            Training Camp

Sept. 11-26           TBD                                                                Training Camp, Exhibition Games TBD

Sept. 27                 Istanbul, Turkey                      USA vs. China (9:30 p.m. local / 2:30 p.m. EDT)

Sept. 28                 Istanbul, Turkey                        USA vs. Serbia (9:30 p.m. local / 2:30 p.m. EDT)

Sept. 30                 Istanbul, Turkey                     USA vs. Angola (9:30 p.m. local / 2:30 p.m. EDT)

Oct. 1                     Istanbul, Turkey                     Quarterfinal Play-In Games

Oct. 3                     Istanbul, Turkey                     Quarterfinals

Oct. 4                     Istanbul, Turkey                      Semifinals

Oct. 5                     Istanbul, Turkey                      Finals

2014-16 USA Basketball Women’s National
Team Pool

NAME                           POS    HGT  WGT   DOB         TEAM                                       COLLEGE                  HOMETOWN

Jayne Appel                    C      6-4      210     05/14/88   San
Antonio Stars                   Stanford                        Pleasant Hill, CA

Seimone Augustus       G/F     6-0      166     04/30/84   Minnesota
Lynx                      Louisiana State            Baton Rouge, LA

Sue Bird                           G      5-9      150     10/16/80   Seattle
Storm                            Connecticut                  Syosset, NY

DeWanna Bonner        G/F     6-4      137     08/21/87   Phoenix
Mercury                     Auburn                          Fairfield, AL

Tamika Catchings          F       6-1      167     07/21/79   Indiana
Fever                           Tennessee                     Duncanville, TX

Tina Charles                    C      6-4      198     12/05/88   New
York Liberty                    Connecticut                  Jamaica, NY

Elena Delle Donne       G/F     6-5      188     09/05/89   Chicago
Sky                             Delaware                       Wilmington, DE

Skylar Diggins                 G      5-9      145     08/02/90   Tulsa Shock                              Notre Dame                  South Bend, IN

Stefanie Dolson              C      6-5      210     01/08/92   Washington
Mystics               Connecticut                  Port Jervis, NY

Candice Dupree              F       6-2      175     08/16/84   Phoenix
Mercury                     Temple                          Tampa, FL

Sylvia Fowles                  C      6-6      200     10/06/85   Chicago
Sky                             Louisiana State            Miami, FL

Brittney Griner                C      6-8      199     10/18/90   Phoenix
Mercury                     Baylor                            Houston, TX

Lindsey Harding             G      5-8      135     06/12/84   Los
Angeles Sparks                 Duke                              Houston, TX

Briann January          G      5-8      144     01/11/87   Indiana
Fever                           Arizona State               Spokane, WA

Glory Johnson           F       6-3      170     07/27/90   Tulsa
Shock                              Tennessee                     Knoxville, TN

Jantel Lavender         C      6-4      185     11/12/88   Los
Angeles Sparks                 Ohio State                     Cleveland, OH

Kara Lawson            G      5-9      150     02/14/81   Washington
Mystics               Tennessee                     Alexandria, VA

Kayla McBride               G      5-11    166     06/25/92   San
Antonio Stars                   Notre Dame                  Erie, PA

Angel McCoughtry      G/F     6-1      160     09/10/86   Atlanta
Dream                         Louisville                       Baltimore, MD

Maya Moore                   F       6-0      176     06/11/89   Minnesota
Lynx                      Connecticut                  Lawrenceville, GA

Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis  F       6-0      185     11/03/93   n/a                                Connecticut      Anaheim Hills, CA

Nnemkadi Ogwumike    F       6-2      188     07/02/90   Los
Angeles Sparks                 Stanford                        Cypress, TX

Candace Parker            F/C     6-4      175     04/19/86   Los
Angeles Sparks                 Tennessee                     Naperville, IL

Cappie Pondexter          G      5-9      160     01/07/83   New
York Liberty                    Rutgers                          Chicago, IL

Danielle Robinson          G      5-9      125     05/10/89   San
Antonio Stars                   Oklahoma                     San Jose, CA

Odyssey Sims                  G      5-8      155     07/13/92   Tulsa
Shock                              Baylor                            Irving, TX

Breanna Stewart          F/C     6-4      175     08/27/94   n/a                                Connecticut                  North Syracuse, NY

Diana Taurasi                 G      6-0      163     06/11/82   Phoenix
Mercury                     Connecticut                  Chino, CA

Alyssa Thomas               F       6-2      170     04/12/92   Connecticut Sun                      Maryland                      Harrisburg, PA

Courtney Vandersloot   G      5-8      145     02/08/89   Chicago Sky                             Gonzaga                        Kent, WA

Lindsay Whalen             G      5-9      169     05/09/82   Minnesota
Lynx                      Minnesota                     Hutchinson, MN

Monica Wright              G/F     5-10    170     07/15/88   Minnesota
Lynx                      Virginia                          Woodbridge, VA

Sophia Young                 F       6-1      165     12/15/83   San
Antonio Stars                   Baylor             St. Vincent, West Indies

2013-16 USA National Team Head Coach: Geno Auriemma, University of Connecticut

2014 USA
World Championship Team Assistant Coach: Doug Bruno, DePaul University

2014 USA World
Championship Team Assistant Coach: Cheryl Reeve, Minnesota Lynx

2014 USA World
Championship Team Assistant Coach: Dawn Staley, University of South Carolina