2002 USA Women's Senior National Team - Australia Opals World Challenge
Newcastle & Sydney, Australia • September 6-10, 2004
The 2002 USA Basketball Women's World Championship Team defeated three of the world's top five teams at the 2002 Opals World Challenge in Australia in a warm-up to the 2002 FIBA World Championship.
Defeating 2000 Olympic silver medalist Australia in the preliminary round and championship game of the Aussie-hosted Opals World Challenge, the United States also downed 2000 Olympic bronze medalist Brazil and 2000 fifth place finisher France during the Sept. 6-10 tournament.
The United States, which went undefeated with a 4-0 record at the Opals World Challenge, finished ahead of second place Australia (2-2), third place Brazil (2-2) and fourth place France (0-4). Averaging 67.8 points a game, the United States had the highest scoring average among the four teams, while also owning the largest scoring margin (16.3 ppg.), highest field goal (.408) and 3-point field goal percentage (.368) and held opponents to the lowest scoring average (51.5 ppg.).
Sheryl Swoopes earned tournament MVP honors after averaging 15.5 points and 2.5 steals an outing to pace all competitors. She also averaged a tournament second best 2.0 assists and shot a second best 50.0 percent from the field and was the third highest 3-point shooter after making 45.5 percent of her shots from afar. Shannon Johnson collected the award as the top defender of the tournament and trailed only Swoopes in steals, averaging 2.3 a game. She also ranked fourth in assists (3.3 apg.) and sixth in scoring (9.3 ppg.). Additionally, 2002 WNBA Rookie of the Year Tamika Catchings listed tied for seventh in scoring (8.5 ppg.), tied with Brazil's Janeth Arcain in rebounding (6.0 rpg.), tied for third in steals (1.5 spg.) and shot a tournament fourth best 46.9 percent from the field.
Opening play on Sept. 6 in Newcastle, Australia, the U.S. collected 18 and 13 points from Swoopes and Catchings, respectively, in 73-60 victory over Brazil. Taking on Australia on Sept. 7 in a rematch of the 2000 Olympic gold medal game, the USA again came out on top, 84-55, after Johnson exploded off the bench for 20 points. Moving the tournament to the Sydney Olympic Park, the Americans closed out preliminary round play on Sept. 9 with a 60-46 win over France. Swoopes and Katie Smith scored 11 and 10 points, respectively, to lead the USA in scoring. After earning the right to play for the 2002 Opals World Challenge title, the United States collected the crown with the help of 19 points from Swoopes in a 54-45 victory over host Australia on Sept. 10.
-- Opals World Challenge --
2002 AUSTRALIA OPALS WORLD CHALLENGE RESULTS (4-0)
| Newcastle, Australia | Final Standings | ||
| Sept. 6 | USA 73, Brazil 60 | 1. USA (4-0) 2. Australia (2-2) 3. Brazil (2-2) 4. France (0-4) |
|
| Australia 75, France 61 | |||
| Sept. 7 | Brazil 73, France 65 |
||
| USA 84, Australia 55 | |||
| Homebush Bay, Australia | |||
| Sept. 9 | USA 60, France 46 | ||
| Australia 62, Brazil 45 | |||
| Sept. 10 | Consolation Game: Brazil 59, France 56 | ||
| Championship Game: USA 54, Australia 45 | |||
2002 USA BASKETBALL WOMEN'S SENIOR NATIONAL TEAM RESULTS
| OPP |
DATE
|
SCORE
|
W/L
|
POINTS | REBOUNDS | ASSISTS |
| BRA |
9/6
|
73-60
|
W
|
Swoopes-18 | Catchings, Milton, Phillips, Williams - 5 | Johnson-6 |
| AUS |
9/7
|
84-55
|
W
|
Johnson - 20 | Leslie - 13 | Staley - 5 |
| FRA |
9/9
|
60-46
|
W
|
Swoopes - 11 | Catchings - 8 | Bird, Johnson, Swoopes - 2 |
| AUS |
9/10
|
54-45
|
W
|
Swoopes - 19 | Swoopes - 8 | Catchings, Johnson, Swoopes - 2 |
2002 USA BASKETBALL WOMEN'S SENIOR NATIONAL TEAM • OPALS WORLD CHALLENGE CUMULATIVE STATISTICS
| NAME |
G/S
|
FGM-FGA
|
PCT
|
3PM-3PA
|
PCT
|
FTM-FTA
|
PCT
|
REB/AVG
|
AST
|
BLK
|
STL
|
PTS/AVG
|
|
| Swoopes |
4/4
|
27- 54
|
.500
|
5- 11
|
.455
|
3- 6
|
.500
|
17/ 4.3
|
6
|
8
|
10
|
62/ 15.5
|
|
| Johnson |
4/2
|
12- 31
|
.387
|
6- 14
|
.429
|
7- 10
|
.700
|
11/ 2.8
|
13
|
2
|
9
|
37/ 9.3
|
|
| Catchings |
4/4
|
15- 32
|
.469
|
3- 10
|
.300
|
1- 5
|
.200
|
24/ 6.0
|
7
|
3
|
6
|
34/ 8.5
|
|
| Smith |
4/4
|
8- 25
|
.320
|
2- 9
|
.222
|
4- 5
|
.800
|
11/ 2.8
|
4
|
1
|
2
|
22/ 5.5
|
|
| Milton-Jones |
4/2
|
8- 26
|
.308
|
0- 1
|
.000
|
5- 7
|
.714
|
21/ 5.3
|
2
|
2
|
4
|
21/ 5.3
|
|
| Leslie |
2/2
|
7- 18
|
.389
|
0- 2
|
.000
|
4- 6
|
.667
|
17/ 8.5
|
0
|
2
|
1
|
18/ 9.0
|
|
| Staley |
2/2
|
6- 8
|
.750
|
4- 5
|
.800
|
2- 2
|
1.000
|
0/ 0.0
|
9
|
0
|
1
|
18/ 9.0
|
|
| Dixon |
4/0
|
7- 19
|
.368
|
0- 1
|
.000
|
1- 4
|
.250
|
3/ 0.8
|
4
|
2
|
2
|
15/ 3.8
|
|
| Phillips |
4/0
|
7- 17
|
.412
|
0- 0
|
.000
|
1- 3
|
.333
|
20/ 5.0
|
2
|
6
|
4
|
15/ 3.8
|
|
| Bird |
4/0
|
6- 16
|
.375
|
1- 4
|
.250
|
0- 0
|
.000
|
5/ 1.3
|
4
|
0
|
1
|
13/ 3.3
|
|
| Williams |
4/0
|
3- 11
|
.273
|
0- 0
|
.000
|
3- 4
|
.750
|
20/ 5.0
|
1
|
1
|
3
|
9/ 2.3
|
|
| Gillom |
4/0
|
3- 10
|
.300
|
0- 0
|
.000
|
1- 2
|
.500
|
11/ 2.8
|
0
|
0
|
2
|
7/ 1.8
|
|
| TEAM |
15
|
||||||||||||
| USA |
4
|
109- 267
|
.408
|
21- 57
|
.368
|
32- 54
|
.593
|
175/ 43.8
|
52
|
27
|
45
|
271/ 67.8
|
|
| Opp. |
4
|
71- 223
|
.318
|
11- 39
|
.282
|
53- 78
|
.679
|
161/ 40.3
|
39
|
12
|
19
|
206/ 51.5
|
|
