June 29, 1999

GREENSBORO, N.C. - Four former ACC stars were among 12 players who were named Tuesday to the 1999 USA Pan American Games women's basketball team.

DeMya Walker (Virginia '99), Itoro Umoh (Clemson '99), Umeki Webb (NC State '97) and Sylvia Crawley (UNC '94) will represent the ACC on the squad, which was selected by USA Basketball from a field of 43 players invited to try out in Colorado Springs, Colo.

The 1999 Pan American Games women's basketball competition will be held July 30 - August 8 in Winnipeg, Canada. The Pan American Game are a multi-sport competition held every four years and are open to athletes from North, South and Central America and the Caribbean.

The U.S. women's team will train at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo., from July 16-22, then will train in Chicago, Ill. with the Slovakian Women's National Team from July 23-26 prior to traveling to Winnipeg on July 28.

Walker was the leading scorer from the 1998 USA Basketball Select Team. A native of Mt. Holly, N.J., Walker was a 1999 First-Team All-ACC selection, garnering the second-highest total of votes. She was also a 1999 Second-Team All-ACC Tournament honoree and helped the Cavaliers reach the 1999 NCAA Tournament.

Umoh was also a 1999 First-Team All-ACC selection. She was also the unanimous choice for MVP of the 1999 ACC Tournament after leading Clemson to an 87-72 victory over North Carolina in the championship game. Umoh, who had 26 points in the ACC title game, led the Tigers to the regionals of the 1999 NCAA Tournament.

Webb is the only player on the roster who competed in the WNBA last season, although six others played in the now-defuct ABL. She started 30 games last year for Phoenix, averaging 5.4 points, 3.9 rebounds and 3.1 assists. Webb participated in the U.S. Olympic Festival in both 1994 and 1995.

Crawley, a member of UNC's National Championship team, most recently played for the Portland Power of the ABL. The Wintersville, Ohio, native was a 1996 Olympic Team finalist and the 1995 USA Basketball Female Athlete of the Year.

As previously announced, USA Basketball Women's National Team head coach Nell Fortner will lead the 1999 USA Women's Pan American Games Team and will be assisted by collegiate head coaches Denise Curry of Cal State Fullerton and Peggie Gillom of Texas A&M University. The player selections were made by the USA Basketball Women's Senior National Team Committee and are subject to approval by the U.S. Olympic Committee.

Joining the quartet of ACC players on the 1999 USA Women's Pan American Games basketball team are: Angela Aycock (Seattle Reign / Kansas '95 / Dallas, Texas); Edwina Brown (Texas '00 / Lockhart, Texas), Beth Cunningham (formerly Beth Morgan) (Philadelphia Rage / Notre Dame '97 / Bloomington, Ind.); Katryna Gaither (San Jose Lasers / Notre Dame '97 / Wappingers Falls, N.Y.); Amy Herrig (Iowa '99 / Dubuque, Iowa); Michelle Marciniak (Nashville Noise / Tennessee '96 / Macungie, Pa.); Danielle McCulley (Portland Power / Western Kentucky '98 / Gary, Ind.); and Lynn Pride (Kansas '00 / Arlington, Texas).

"I look at this as an outstanding opportunity for these players to compete at a high level of international competition and to do so while representing their country," said Fortner. "The roster features a nice blend of experienced players and some very exciting younger players who have either just completed their college careers or will do so next year. The 1999 Pan American Games will afford our players the opportunity to help the USA reclaim the Pan American Games gold."

Of the 12-member USA squad, seven played professionally in 1998-99, Webb for Phoenix in the WNBA (Women's National Basketball Association) and Aycock, Crawley, Cunningham, Gaither, Marciniak and McCulley in the ABL (American Basketball League). Three players, Herrig, Umoh and Walker, completed their collegiate careers in 1998-99, while the two remaining players, Brown and Pride, are slated to conclude their senior collegiate year in 2000.

The 1999 USA Women's Pan American Games Team is not short on international experience. While 11 players boast of past USA Basketball team experience, eight of those members have played for USA Basketball as recently as 1997. In 1998, Brown and Pride were leading members of the USA R. William Jones Cup Team that finished 5-0 and won the gold medal, while Walker was the leading scorer at 16.0 ppg. with the 1998 USA Select Team that compiled a 7-1 record while facing national teams in Puerto Rico, Poland and Spain.

In 1997, Pride was a member of the USA's gold medal winning Junior World Championship squad, while Herrig was part of the gold medalist World University Games team, and Crawley, Cunningham, Gaither and Marciniak were part of the USA World Championship Qualifying Tournament Team that collected a silver medal and earned the U.S. a qualifying spot for the 1998 FIBA World Championship.

Also, while Crawley was among 18 finalists for the 1996 USA Olympic Team, she and Marciniak were part of the '96 USA Jones Cup Team that claimed gold with a perfect 9-0 mark, Cunningham and Herrig were members of USA Basketball's 1996 Select Team and Crawly and Marciniak were part of the 1995 World University Games that claimed a silver medal. Additionally, Herrig (1995), Marciniak (1989, 1990, 1991), McCulley (1994), Walker (1995) and Webb (1994, 1995) have all participated in a U.S. Olympic Festival.

The U.S. has medaled in every Pan Am Games entered since 1955, earning six golds, three silvers and one bronze medal in 10 competitions and has compiled an overall 58-7 record. Last capturing the gold in 1987, the U.S. finished with the bronze in 1991 and its hopes of reclaiming gold in 1995 were dashed when the '95 Pan American Games women's basketball competition was canceled because not enough teams entered.