Candace Parker Named to 2012 U.S. Olympic Roster

USA Basketball Announces First 11 Players for Olympic Team  

Los Angeles (March 30, 2012) – USA Basketball today announced that Los Angeles Sparks star Candace Parker was among 11 players named to the final 2012 U.S. Olympic Women’s Basketball Team.  This is Parker’s second selection to the team, her first was as a member of the 2008 Olympic gold medal team in Beijing.  One roster spot remains open for the eventual U.S. squad and will be filled by the National Team Player Selection Committee at a later date.  The U.S. squad will compete for a fifth-consecutive Olympic gold medal in London this summer.  

After being the No. 1 draft pick in 2008, Parker, a 6’4” forward/center out of the University of Tennessee, became the first player to earn WNBA MVP and Rookie of the Year in the same season.  In 2009, she was named Second Team All-WNBA and was voted to the 2011 All-Star Game.  She is currently one of seven U.S. team members competing this weekend in Istanbul, Turkey for the 2012 EuroLeague title as a member of UMMC Ekaterinburg.

“This is a great honor for Candace as there’s nothing like playing for your country in the Olympics,” said Sparks General Manager and Vice President Penny Toler.  “We look forward to seeing Candace and the whole National Team bring home the gold.”

Joining Parker on the Olympic team are as follows: Seimone Augustus (Minnesota Lynx), Sue Bird (Seattle Storm), Swin Cash (Chicago Sky), Tamika Catchings (Indiana Fever), Tina Charles (Connecticut Sun), Sylvia Fowles (Chicago Sky), Angel McCoughtry (Atlanta Dream), Maya Moore (Minnesota Lynx), Diana Taurasi (Phoenix Mercury) and Lindsay Whalen (Minnesota Lynx).

The Olympic women's basketball competition will be held July 28-Aug. 11 in the Olympic Park Basketball Arena (preliminary round and quarterfinals) and North Greenwich Arena (semifinals and finals). For more information and competition schedule, visit www.USABasketball.com.