June 2, 2006

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - University of Virginia incoming freshman Monica Wright (Woodbridge, Va.) is one of 34 invitees to USA Basketball's U18 Women's National Team Trials, USA Basketball has announced.

A 5-11 guard from Forest Park H.S., Wright is a two-time Street & Smith's All-American as well as a USA Today Junior All-American. She is ranked the No. 2 guard and No. 11 player overall in the nation, in the Class of 2006, according to Blue Star Basketball. A two-time first team All-State selection, Wright was also named the Associated Press Group AAA Player of the Year. As a junior, Wright averaged 18.9 points, 9.0 rebounds, 6.8 assists and 6.0 steals per game and led her team to a 26-4 record and a runner-up finish in the VHSL Group AAA Tournament. Wright will attend UVa and play basketball for the Cavaliers next season.

The 34 invitees, which include 22 All-Americans, are the nation's top 18-and-under (born on or after Jan. 1, 1988) players that will be under consideration for spots on the eventual 12-member 2006 USA U18 National Team which looks to defend the United States' title at the 2006 FIBA Americas U18 Championship. The invitations were issued by the USA Basketball Women's Collegiate Committee, which is chaired by Sue Donohoe, the NCAA's vice president of Division I women's basketball.

USA Basketball will conduct trials for the USA U18 Women's Team June 16-19 at the U.S. Olympic Training Center (USOTC) in Colorado Springs, Colo. Finalists for the USA U18 National Team will remain in Colorado Springs, and the official 12-member squad will be announced prior to the start of the 2006 FIBA Americas U18 Championship for Women.

The 2006 FIBA Americas U18 Championship For Women is being hosted by USA Basketball at the USOTC from June 28-July 2. The top four finishing teams will earn qualifying berths for the 2007 FIBA U19 World Championship, slated to be held July 7-22 Bratislava, Slovakia. Teams in addition to the United States that will participate in the U18 tournament include Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Paraguay and Puerto Rico. The event, which will be held at the USOTC Sports Center I, is free and open to the public.

DePaul (Ill.) University head coach Doug Bruno has been named to lead the USA's 2006 FIBA Americas U18 Championship For Women Team, while Northern Illinois University head coach Carol Owens and University of Hartford head coach Jennifer Rizzotti will serve as assistant coaches.

Last summer Wright played in several national events, including the USA Youth Development Festival and at the End of the Trail event in Oregon with the Boo Williams AAU team. In the End of the Trail tournament, Wright was named the co-MVP. In July, Wright finished second of 226 players in the country tested by the SPARQ Basketball Rating for speed, power, agility, reaction and quickness of a basketball player.