COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo — Erica White, a junior-to-be on LSU’s women’s basketball team, was named on of 18 finalists for the 2006 United States Women’s U20 basketball team, it was announced by USA Basketball on Monday.
The finalists were selected by the USA Basketball Women’s Collegiate Committee, which is chaired by Sue Donohoe, the NCAA’s vice president of Division I women’s basketball.
White, a 5-3 point guard for the Lady Tigers, started 20 games this past season and averaged 5.6 points, 2.6 rebounds and 5.4 assists per contest. The Jacksonville, Fla., native set LSU’s record for assists by a sophomore with 184.
“When they called my name I was just extremely excited,” White said about making the team. “I wanted to yell out, but I couldn’t. I’m just extremely excited to be here and I plan on working harder than I ever have in my life to make this team and represent the USA.”
White and the other finalists will reconvene in late July for training camp at a site to be determined to begin preparations as they look to defend the United States’ title at the 2006 FIBA Americas U20 Championship.
The final 12-member USA U20 National Team will be announced prior to departing for the FIBA Americas U20 Championship, scheduled to be held Aug. 9-13 in Mexico City, Mexico. Featuring eight teams from North, South and Central Americas and the Caribbean, the top three finishing teams qualify for the 2007 FIBA U21 Women’s World Championship that will be held July 27-Aug. 5 in Guatemala City, Guatemala.
The team, coached by Michigan State’s Joanne P. McCallie, also includes North Carolina’s Erlana Larkins, Oklahoma’s Courtney Paris and Ashley Paris, Jolene Anderson of Wisconsin, Rutgers’ Essence Carson and Kia Vaughn, Auburn’s DeWanna Bonner, Cal’s Alexis Gray-Lawson, Devanei Hampton and Ashley Walker, Stanford’s Jillian Harmon, USC’s Camille LeNoir, Michigan State’s Victoria Lucas-Perry, UConn’s Renee Montgomery, Ohio State’s Marscilla, N.C. State’s Khadijah Whittington and Purdue’s Lindsay Wisdom-Hylton.