Womens Junior National Tryout Roster Released!
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TORONTO, ON – The Junior Women’s National Team (JWNT) program is set to begin its preparation of the 2011 U19 FIBA World Championship for Women with a Tryout by Invitation Camp. Canada Basketball is proud to announce the 22 athletes that will attend the camp at Georgian College in Barrie, Ontario from July 5 – 12, 2011.
NAME | POSITION | HEIGHT | HOMETOWN | SCHOOL
Wumi Agunbiade | F | 6’2” | Pickering, ON | Duquesne University (NCAA)
Sophie Beaudry | P | 6’3” | Chambly, QC | Collège Notre-Dame de Lourdes
Cassandra Brown | W | 6’2” | Vernon, BC | University of Portland (NCAA)
Taijah Campbell | F | 6’2” | Ajax, ON | Pickering High School
Paige Crozon | F | 6’1” | Humboldt, SK | Humboldt Collegiate Institute
Shalie Dheensaw | F | 6’3” | Victoria, BC | Claremont High School
Nirra Fields | PG | 5’10” | Lachine, QC | Oak Hill Academy, VA
Sami Hill | PG | 5’9” | Toronto, ON | Eastern Commerce High School
Alex Kiss-Rusk | P | 6’3” | Beaconsfield, QC | Andover Phillips Academy, MA
Kiran Lakhian | F | 6’0” | Toronto, ON | Plano West,TX
Diana Lee | PG | 5’7” | North Vancouver, BC | Boise State University (NCAA)
Megan Lukan | PG | 5’7” | Barrie, ON | University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee (NCAA)
Katherine Plouffe | F | 6’3” | Edmonton, AB | Marquette University (NCAA)
Michelle Plouffe | F | 6’3” | Edmonton, AB | University of Utah (NCAA)
Isidora Purkovic | P | 5’11” | Calgary, AB | Western Canada High School
Kellie Ring | PG | 5’9” | Ottawa, ON | Louis Riel High School
Alisha Roberts | PG | 5’7” | Burnaby, BC | York House
Karly Roser | PG | 5’10” | Hamilton, ON | St. Mary’s Catholic High School
Jenalle Vanhie | F | 6’1” | London, ON | Catholic Central High School
Dakota Whyte | PG | 5’7” | Ajax, ON | Notre Dame Catholic School
Korissa Williams | G | 5’9” | Amhertsburg, ON | University of Windsor (CIS)
Kristjana Young | W | 6’0” | North Vancouver, BC | University of British Columbia (CIS)
Canada is one of sixteen teams that will participate in the 2011 FIBA U19 World Championship for Women, which will take place in Chile this summer from July 21 – 31, 2011. In a draw that took place in March, Canada was assigned to Group A, joining China, Egypt, and Italy.
This summer marks the ninth time that FIBA will host a world championship competition for this age group for women. It is the fifth time that Canada has qualified for this tournament and fourth time in a row (2005, 2007, and 2009). Canada’s best finish was in 2009 in Bangkok, Thailand, when the JWNT lost to Argentina in the bronze medal game 58-51, claiming fourth place.
The athletes attending the tryout by invitation camp is an impressive list that consists of talent from coast to coast with no shortage of international experience. Of the 22 players, 15 of them were a member of the Cadette Women’s National Team (CWNT) or JWNT last summer.
Attending camp to earn a spot on the JWNT roster are 2010 NCAA freshman standouts and 2010 Junior National Team members Michelle Plouffe (Edmonton, AB), Katherine Plouffe (Edmonton, AB), and Wumi Agunbiade (Pickering, ON). Michelle Plouffe enjoyed her first year playing at the University of Utah, being named the Mountain West Conference’s Freshman of the Year. She is currently with the Senior Women’s Nation Team training in Europe. Her twin sister, Katherine, was named to the BIG EAST’s All-Freshman team at Marquette University; while Duquesne University’s Agunbiade was the best freshman all season in the Atlantic-10 Conference, winning the Rookie of the Year award.
Nirra Fields (Lachine, QC), who played last summer for the CWNT at the 2010 FIBA U17 World Championship for Women in France, will also join the group. She led the tournament in scoring with 22.4 points per game, which marked the first time a Canadian female has ever led a FIBA World Championship event in scoring. According to ESPNU, Fields is ranked the fourth best guard and 13th best overall prospect in the class of 2012, while attending Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, VA).
Other notable invitees include Kellie Ring (Ottawa, ON), who will be attending the University of Ottawa next fall; Karly Roser (Hamilton, ON), who has committed to Northwestern University; Megan Lukan (Barrie, ON), who is currently at the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee; Cassandra Brown (BC), who is currently at the University of Portland; and Shalie Dheensaw (Victoria, BC) who will be joining fellow invitee, Diana Lee (North Vancouver, BC) at Boise State University in the fall.
Attached is the tryout by invitation camp roster and schedule. The camp is set to take place at Georgian College in Barrie, Ontario from July 5 – 12, 2011.
