ST PETERSBURG. Aug 7: Understudies no more.
The American women basketball players who beat France 87-63 on Sunday for the gold medal at the 'Goodwill Games are the next Olympians, reports AP.
"Sometimes back home they called us the second team, the younger group — 1 think that will change." said 6-foot-5 (1.96 metres) centre Lisa Leslie, who scored a team-high 18 points.
No more bronze medals, either.
The gold medal was the first in a major international tournament for the US women since winning the World Championship in 1990. It was also their third straight Goodwill Games gold and somewhat atoned for a tarnished bronze in June at the most recent . World Championships.
'This is great for USA basketball at a time when lots of countries think they have surpassed us." point guard Dawn Staley said. "This puts USA basketball back on the map.1'
Sheryl Swoopes added 14 points, and Staley. Ruthie Bolton-Holifield and Shand Berry each • contributed 11. Together with Leslie and several other Goodwill players, they will probably form the core of the '96 Olympic team — particularly if Goodwill
coach Tara VanDerveer is named as expeeled to coach the team.
France a surprising runners-up at the 193 European Championships in Spain, never led and were no match for-the quicker Americans.
Catherine Mlain led with 16 points and 6-foot-4 (1.93 metres) centre Isabelle Figalkow — who is to play this season at the University of Colorado — was held to six points after averaging 21 in France's first three wins in the tpurnament.
"At first we were very ner-voup." said coach Paul Messon. "We played freer (more relaxed) after we knew we couldn't win."
June’s bronze and Sunday's gold were probably watersheds for American women's basketball; the end for an older generation and the beginning for a new one.
Five veteran player off the June Club — Including Olympians Teresa Edwards and Katrina McClain — chose not to play here. They played on the US bronze medal team in the 1992 Olympics and the gold-medal team in 1988.
That allowed VanDerveer, head coach at Stanford, to start younger players like • Leslie. Staley and Bolton-Holifield — who have played for her on the so-called "second team" coming up through the
US basketball ranks.
The Goodwill team and only one lormer Olympian. Clarissa Davis-Wrightsil. and she was added at the last minute to fill in for the five absentees.
VanDerveer suggested the Goodwill team Jelled better than her team at the World Championships.
The players on this team were unselfish. I often see too many Individual -agendas out there." VanDerveer added.
VanDerveer seems almost certain to be coaching the next Olympic team. The last two US • Olympic coaches — Theresa Grentz and Kay Yow — were each promoted to the Olympic team after coaching Goodwill teams..
Eight of the 12 Goodwill players now head to professional leagues in Europe, leaving VanDerveer to ponder when she'll next see them. She said this team would probably be reassembled next summer for a tour leading up to trials for the '96 Olympics.
“I worry we don't play enough collectively." VanDerveer said. "The world throws a lot of things at you — zones, traps. The world is not going to $it by and Just let us think we can show up and win gold medals — we have to play more together.”
China beat Russia 96-76 for the Goodwill bronze.