Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA - September 2, 1999 • September 9, 2000

Following a successful 1995-1996 National Team program that led to a 52-0 record and a 1996 Olympic gold medal, USA Basketball in September of 1999 implemented its second long term national team program hoping to add another women's basketball Olympic gold medal to its already impressive resume.

Comprised of six Olympic veterans and another six of the WNBA's top players, the 2000 USA Basketball Women's Senior National Team marched to a 38-2 record and then rolled to the 2000 Olympic gold medal in Sydney with an unblemished 8-0 record.

The 1999-2000 USA Women's National Team, which posted a 29-2 record between Sept. 9, 1999 - March 30, 2000, regrouped Aug. 14 to resume training and in the month leading up to the Sydney Olympic Games posted impressive wins in its final nine pre-Olympic exhibition games by a commanding average margin of 34.2 points a game, upping its overall record to 38-2.

Included in its 38-2 pre-Olympic exhibition record were wins over national teams from Australia (4-0), Brazil (3-1), Canada (3-0), Cuba (1-0), France (1-0), Poland (5-0) and the Slovak Republic (2-0); a WNBA Select Team; a USA Basketball Select Team; 11 of 12 NCAA opponents and five professional club teams from Europe and Brazil.

Opening play on Sept. 9, 1999, in California, the U.S. captured the U.S. Olympic Cup in San Diego, and USA Basketball International Invitational in Palo Alto, after sweeping Australia (3-0), Brazil (2-0) and Poland (2-0). Following a 99-73 victory over a WNBA Select Team in Hartford, Conn., on

Oct. 2, the United States posted an 11-1 record against top NCAA opponents beginning with Stanford University on Nov. 1 and closing with the University of Illinois on Dec. 12. Its lone loss came in the final seconds against the University of Tennessee, a 65-64 defeat on Nov. 7.

After taking a break for the holidays, the National Team posted seven straight wins in its 2000 European Tour against national teams from Poland (2-0) and the Slovak Republic (1-0); as well as professional teams SCP Ruzomberok (1-0) in Slovakia; Ferencvarosi Torna Club-Diego (1-0) and MiZo Pecsi VSK (1-0) in Hungary; and Famila Beretta Schio in Schio (1-0) in Italy.

The United States traveled to Brazil in March, where it defeated a Brazilian Professional Select Team 87-79 on March 13, and the Cuba National Team 99-58 on March 16, before finishing with a disappointing 64-55 loss to the Brazil National Team on March 19. The U.S. bounced back from its loss to Brazil to earn a 66-37 victory over Hungarian professional club MiZo Pecsi VSK on March 30 in Philadelphia, Pa.

After breaking for the WNBA season, the United States resumed its Olympic preparations with a three-game sweep of the Canadian Women's Olympic Team Aug. 24-27. The U.S. met Brazil on Sept. 2 in Hawaii and avenged its March 19 loss with a 75-53 defeat of the eventual 2000 Olympic bronze medalists and followed that with a 97-31 victory over a USA Basketball Select Team on Sept. 3.

The USA then earned a trio of victories Sept. 5-7 in Adelaide, Australia, defeating Olympic contenders France 75-59, Slovak Republic 62-45 and Poland 86-39. The U.S. closed out its pre-Olympic exhibition schedule with an impressive 83-62 victory over 1996 Olympic and 1998 World Championship bronze medalists and eventual 2000 Olympic silver medalists Australia in Melbourne, Australia, on Sept. 9.

During the USA's 40-game pre-Olympic exhibition schedule, the squad outscored its opponents by 25.7 points a game and averaged 81.7 points a game. Utilizing a stifling pressure defense, the Americans limited their opponents to 37.2 percent shooting from the floor and forced 19.4 turnovers a game, while its offense shot 51.6 percent from the floor. The U.S. also dominated on the boards, averaging 39.1 rebounds to its opponents to 26.6 rebounds a game.

1999 - 2000 USA BASKETBALL WOMEN'S NATIONAL TEAM ROSTER

1999-2000 USA BASKETBALL WOMEN'S NATIONAL TEAM RESULTS (38-2)

1999-2000 USA BASKETBALL WOMEN'S NATIONAL TEAM CUMULATIVE STATISTICS