There’s not a bigger date for Georgia football fans than the day of the Bulldogs’ game against Florida. Yet Kara Braxton’s college friends could not entice the former Lady Bulldog to join the festivities in Jacksonville, Fla., where the Bulldogs prevailed, 42-30, last Saturday.

“I was glad Georgia won,” said Braxton, Class of ‘05, “put another bone (decal) on their helmet.”

The Detroit Shock center had other schools on her mind this past week, such as Maryland, Connecticut and Tennessee - her first three opponents on USA Basketball’s eight-game college tour. Braxton was invited to join the team last week. “It kind of took me by surprise,” said Braxton, who also represented USA Basketball in tournaments in 2000, 2002 and 2006. “They just called me and said they wanted me to come.”

Braxton has stayed in the Detroit area since the Shock’s season ended six weeks ago, doing “nothing much, just hanging with Jelani,” her two-year-old son. (“Jelani, get your feet off the pumpkin,” Braxton interspersed during the interview.) Not anticipating the USAB invitation, she had been working out casually and playing pickup games.

Braxton won’t have to rush into game shape, however. Her return to USA Basketball has been overshadowed by that of another center, 2006 WNBA MVP Lisa Leslie. “It’s a great opportunity and it’s an accomplishment just to be asked to play on the U.S.A. team, so I’m just soaking up all the people that are around me,” she said. “I’ve got veterans like Taj [McWilliams-Franklin] and Lisa and people like that so I’m really soaking everything in and trying to enjoy myself.”

Braxton is one of three Shock players going on the college tour. Center Katie Feenstra has been added to the USA Basketball program after she made the right impression in her first international tournament the past two weeks in Russia. She will be with the team for the first half of the tour. Forward Swin Cash also returns to action after playing for USAB in the Olympic qualifying tournament, the FIBA Americas Championship, in September.

“It always makes things feel easier because you’re not alone,” Braxton said. “You always have someone. Even though everyone’s your teammate, you’re real close with your regular teammates, so it makes stuff a lot easier.”

Cash will get to visit her alma mater, Connecticut, Friday. Though Georgia is not on the tour, Braxton will make a homecoming of sorts next season when the WNBA’s expansion franchise in Atlanta, not far from Athens, Ga., begins play. ”I think Atlanta is a thriving, young city for young people, and having a team like that brings out a lot of families and the younger audiences,” Braxton said.

“They need a team with the (NBA) Hawks. There are a lot of girls there. I know from playing at Georgia, there were a lot of (girls’) teams that came to our games. I know being downtown in the heart of Atlanta it’ll bring a great a crowd.”

There’s a lot of basketball to be played before that happens, starting with the tour, which begins Wednesday night against Maryland. “I’m playing the whole eight games and then probably going overseas in January,” said Braxton, who has yet to sign with a team. She played in Istanbul, Turkey, last winter.

The way things are working out, it’s only a matter of time before her phone rings again.