WNBA vs. USA Basketball: The Stars at the Sun presented by adidas will showcase the world’s best female basketball players under one roof when the WNBA’s top talent faces the USA Basketball Women’s National Team Saturday, July 10, at 3:30 p.m. ET on ESPN. The Connecticut Sun will host the event at Mohegan Sun Arena. Photos
Reigning WNBA MVP Diana Taurasi (Phoenix Mercury) will play for USA Basketball along with Sue Bird (Seattle Storm), Swin Cash (Seattle Storm), Tamika Catchings (Indiana Fever), Tina Charles (Connecticut Sun), Candice Dupree (Phoenix Mercury), Sylvia Fowles (Chicago Sky), Angel McCoughtry (Atlanta Dream), Renee Montgomery (Connecticut Sun), Maya Moore (University of Connecticut), and Cappie Pondexter (New York Liberty).
The WNBA team roster includes Jayne Appel (San Antonio Silver Stars), Rebekkah Brunson (Minnesota Lynx), Becky Hammon (San Antonio Silver Stars), Iziane Castro Marques (Atlanta Dream), Katie Douglas (Indiana Fever), Lauren Jackson (Seattle Storm), Crystal Langhorne (Washington Mystics), Sancho Lyttle (Atlanta Dream), Michelle Snow (San Antonio Silver Stars), Penny Taylor (Phoenix Mercury), and Sophia Young (San Antonio Silver Stars).
The first 10 participants in the game were selected by fan voting with those players already in the USA National Team Pool being assigned to the USA Basketball squad and the remaining players assigned to the team of WNBA stars. USA Basketball’s roster was then completed with players from its national pool, while the league’s head coaches cast votes to fill the remaining spots on the WNBA roster. Both teams will compete with 11 players.
The USA National Team, comprised of players from the USA National Team Pool, is coached by University of Connecticut’s Geno Auriemma, who has coached the Huskies to seven NCAA Women’s Basketball National Championships, including the 2009 title. Brian Agler, who has led the Seattle Storm to a 15-2 start, the best mark in the WNBA, is the head coach for the team of WNBA stars.
Terry Gannon will provide the play-by-play with analysts Carolyn Peck and reporters Heather Cox and Rebecca Lobo.
ESPN will have two players, both coaches and a referee wear microphones that will provide live audio during the telecast. In addition, players from both teams will have flip cameras that will let fans behind the scenes. The telecast will include features on Auriemma and 2009 WNBA MVP Diana Taursai and the announcement of the next class of inductees in the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame.
The WNBA and ESPN
ESPN has televised WNBA games since the league’s inaugural season in 1997, including the first All-Star Game in 1999. In addition to ESPN’s presentation of the WNBA vs. USA Basketball; The Stars at the Sun presented by adidas, ESPN2 will combine to televise 18 regular-season WNBA games and up to 11 postseason telecasts. Every ESPN2 game will also be offered on ESPN3.com.
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