June 11, 2001

DURHAM, N.C. - Duke University freshman All-America Alana Beard will travel to Colorado Springs, Colo. from June 15-18 to compete in the 2001 USA Basketball Women's Junior National Team Trials. It marks the second consecutive year Beard has received an invitation to try out for the team.

Last summer, Beard led the National Team to a perfect 5-0 record, while averaging 15.4 points a game. The team earned a gold medal and qualified the United States for the 2001 Junior World Championships after winning five games in five days by an average margin of 50.6 points per game in Mar del Plata, Argentina.

Heading to Colorado Springs, Colo. in June will be 31 of the top players aged 19-and-younger (born on or after January 1, 1982). Following the four-day Trials, which will be held at the U.S. Olympic Training Center, the USA Basketball Women's Collegiate Committee will select finalists for the 12-member 2001 USA Women's Junior World Championship Team. The Championship will take place from July 14-22 in Brno, Czech Republic.

The coaching staff for the team will be Geno Auriemma of University of Connecticut (head coach), Sherri Coale of University of Oklahoma (assistant coach), and Willett White of Northeastern University (assistant coach).

Other invitees to the trials include-- Mistie Bass (Janesville Parker H.S. / Janesville, Wis.), Ashley Battle (Connecticut / Pittsburgh, Pa.), Tera Bjorklund (Colorado / St. Peter, Minn.), Betsy Boardman (Arizona State / Portland, Ore.), Teresa Borton (West Valley H.S. / Yakima, Wash.), Shameka Christon (Arkansas / Hot Springs, Ark.), Monique Currie (The Bullis School/Washington, D.C.), Shyra Ely (Ben Davis H.S./ Indianapolis, Ind.), Vanessa Hayden (Florida / Orlando, Fla.), Eafton Hill (Wake Forest / Boone, N.C.), Irvin, Amber Jacobs (Boston College / Clarks Summit, Pa.), Veronica Johns-Richardson (Troy H.S. / Fullerton, Calif.), Kelly Mazzante (Penn State / Montoursville, Pa.), Giuliana Mendiola (Washington / Lake Forest, Calif.), Corrie Mizusawa (St. Mary's College / Lafayette, Calif.), Jessica Moore (Connecticut / Palmer, Ark.), Loree Moore (Narbonne H.S. / Harbor City, Calif.), Amber Obaze (Louisiana Tech / Dallas, Texas), Ugo Oha (George Washington / Houston, Texas), Cappie Pondexter (John Marshall H.S. / Chicago, Ill.), Nicole Powell (Stanford / Phoenix, Ariz.), Stacy Stephens (Texas / Winnsboro, Texas), Mandisha Stevenson (Gulf Coast C.C. / Decatur, Ala.), Ann Strother (Highlands Ranch H.S. / Highlands Ranch, Colo.), Diana Taurasi (Connecticut / Chino, Calif., T'Nae Thiel (Weatherford H.S. / Weatherford, Texas), Wynter Whitley (Holy Innocents' Episcopal / Atlanta, Ga.), Nicole Wolff (Walpole H.S. / Walpole, Mass.) and Shanna Zolman (Wawasee H.S. / Syracuse, Ind.).

Beard, a rising sophomore from Frierson, La., made a huge impact in women's college basketball this past season at Duke. She guard averaged a team-best 17.0 points and 3.5 steals, while being selected National Freshman of the Year by all the major publications. Beard led Duke to a 30-4 record and a trip to the final 16 of the NCAA Tournament.