Two Area Players Named to U.S. Team
By B.J. Koubaroulis
Special to The Washington Post
Monday, July 16, 2007; E02

Duke-bound Jasmine Thomas (Oakton) and Virginia's Monica Wright (Forest Park) have been selected to the USA Basketball under-19 women's world championship team. Wright, the 2006 All-Met Player of the Year and Thomas, who earned the same honor this past winter, each earned one of 12 roster spots. They were selected from a pool of 36 players.

The team will travel to the Canary Islands for exhibition games against Australia, Brazil and Spain before competing at the 2007 FIBA U19 World Championship for Women July 26 through Aug. 5 in Bratislava, Slovakia.

Thomas, a 5-foot-9 guard, finished her high school career as Virginia's second all-time leading scorer (2,598 points) and was the McDonald's all-American game's most valuable player. After leading Forest Park to a state title in 2006, Wright, a 5-11 guard, averaged 15.1 points per game for Virginia and was named ACC rookie of the year.

"It's all about getting the gold and representing your country the best that you can."

"It's all about getting the gold and representing your country the best that you can," Thomas said. "I want to get the whole feel of representing America. Everywhere we go, we are going to be America, so our attitudes, the way we carry ourselves, the way we talk to other people is all going to affect what people think of America."

Former Riverdale Baptist All-Met forward Demauria Liles (Gulf Coast Community College) was one of 16 finalists invited to tryouts in Washington this week, but did not make the final roster.
USA women's teams have posted a 32-10 record in the tournament and last won the gold medal in 2005. Team USA will compete in Group B with China, Ivory Coast and Lithuania.