COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Former Duke University standout and current member of the Los Angeles Sparks squad in the WNBA, Chelsea Gray, is set to represent the USA Basketball Women's National Team for contests in January and February.
USA Basketball will play at top-ranked University of Connecticut Jan. 27 at 7 p.m., live on ESPN2, while also traveling to take on seventh-ranked University of Louisville Feb. 2 at 2 p.m., on ESPN.
Tickets for both games are on sale now and ticket information can be found at usab.com/tickets.
Following the exhibitions at Connecticut and Louisville, the USA will continue preparations in its quest for a seventh-straight Olympic gold medal as participants in the 2020 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament, Feb. 6-9.
Gray, a 2014 Duke graduate, was a two-time All-America selection with the Blue Devils, while helping lead the Blue Devils to two ACC Tournament Championships, three ACC regular season titles and three trips to the NCAA Elite Eight over her four years. Gray is a two-time WNBA All-Star and led the Sparks to the WNBA Championship in 2016.
The U.S. was drawn into the Belgrade, Serbia, group and will face host Serbia on Feb. 6, followed by Mozambique on Feb. 8 and Nigeria on Feb. 9. The top two finishing teams, aside from the Americans who have already earned a spot in the 2020 Olympic women's basketball field, will earn an Olympic berth.
Dawn Staley (South Carolina) is the head coach of the 2020 USA National Team. Dan Hughes (Seattle Storm), Cheryl Reeve (Minnesota Lynx) and Jennifer Rizzotti (George Washington), who assisted the USA to a gold medal at the 2018 FIBA World Cup and the 2019 FIBA AmeriCup, are serving as the 2019-20 USA National Team assistant coaches.
Staley, due to commitments to her collegiate team, will not be available for the January and February training and competitions. Hughes and Reeve will serve as co-coaches for the above-listed competitions, and Rizzotti is able to join the USA bench for the contest at Connecticut before rejoining her GW squad.
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