May 20, 2007

Colorado Springs, Colo. - Auburn guard DeWanna Bonner has been selected as one of the 14 finalists for the 2007 USA U21 World Championship Team following the May 17-20 USA National Team Trials that featured 45 of the nation's best athletes. The selections were made 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.

"I was both nervous and excited at the same time when I was waiting to hear my name called," Bonner said. "It would be a great honor to be playing again for Team USA and to have the opportunity to go to Russia would be a great experience. I think my rebounding stood out to the committee both last summer and over the weekend. I need to keep rebounding well, that is my role on the team, so I just need to go out and hit the boards hard and hopefully I will be one of the final 12."

The 14 athletes still in contention for a spot on the final 12-member USA U21 National Team include: Charel Allen (Notre Dame), Jolene Anderson (Wisconsin), DeWanna Bonner (Auburn), Essence Carson (Rutgers), Laura Harper (Maryland), Ashley Houts (Georgia), Amy Jaeschke (New Trier H.S.), Crystal Langhorne (Maryland), Marscilla Packer (Ohio State), Courtney Paris (Oklahoma), Kia Vaughn (Rutgers), Abby Waner (Duke), Candice Wiggins (Stanford) and Lindsay Widsom-Hylton (Purdue).

The USA will look to defend its world title in this age group at the 2007 FIBA U21 World Championship, held June 29-July 8 in Moscow, Russia. Team USA is led by head coach Joanne McCallie (Duke) and assisted by Sam Dixon (Furman) and Charli Turner Thorne (Arizona State).

The USA U21 finalists will reconvene in Colorado Springs June 12 to begin training for the tournament and the eventual 12-member team will be named prior to the squad departing for Europe on June 16.

For more information, please visit www.usabasketball.com