BERKELEY – California junior Courtney Range begins completion this weekend with USA Basketball at the World University Games in Gwangju, South Korea.
Range (Manteca, Calif.) will make her first appearance for USA Basketball as a member of the World University Games team that will be coached by Joe McKeown (Northwestern), Holly Warlick (Tennessee) and Tanya Warren (Northern Iowa). The 2014 All-Pac-12 selection saw marked improvement as a sophomore in 2014-15 despite missing significant time due to injury. The forward improved her field goal and three-point shooting by substantial margins in her second collegiate campaign, going from .345 to .442 from the field and .225 to .365 from beyond the arc as a sophomore. The 2014 All-Pac-12 selection finished the season averaging 8.7 points and 5.4 rebounds per game.
“Training camp went really well,” Range said after the USA completed training camp in Colorado Springs before traveling to Gwangu. “I had a great time with different players, made friendships, learned different stuff that I didn't know. I'm looking forward to heading to Korea. I can't wait to start playing actual games and hopefully bring home the gold.”
The USA won both of its pre-tournametn scrimmages, dismantling Russia 71-58 Wednesday before beating Canada 68-51 Friday in South Korea.
The USA women have drawn Group C and will play Italy at 10 a.m. (all times listed are local, Gwangju is +13 hours from EDT) on July 5, China at 5:30 p.m. on July 6 and Czech Republic at 8 p.m. on July 7. Playing in Group A will be Canada, Hungary, Mozambique and South Korea; Group B includes Japan, Mexico, Russia and Sweden; and Group D features Australia, Brazil, Taipei and Uganda.
The quarterfinals will be played on July 9, the semifinals are on July 11, the bronze medal game is on July 12 and the gold medal game is set for July 13.
USA ScheduleUSA vs. Italy • July 5 (live on ESPNU on July 4 @ 9 p.m. EDT)
USA vs. China • July 6
(live on ESPNU: July 6 @ 4:30 am EDT)
USA vs. China • July 7 (July 6 @ 11 a.m. EDT)
Quarterfinals • July 9 (TBD)
Semifinals • July 10 (TBD)
Finals • July 12 & 13 (TBD)
World University Games
The 2015 World University Games women's basketball competition will be held July 4-13 in Gwangju, South Korea.
Held every other year, the World University Games is organized by the International University Sports Federation (FISU). The WUGs are a multi-sport competition open to men and women who are between the ages of 17 and 24 (born between 1/1/88 and 12/31/98), who are enrolled as a full-time college student with remaining eligibility for the 2015-16 school year.
USA Basketball women's teams have participated in 17 World University Games and collected a record nine golds, six silvers and one bronze medal. Since 1973, the first year the USA women competed in the World University Games, USA women's teams have compiled a 101-15 all-time record. The USA has won gold medals in the past five WUGs in which it has competed (2001, 2005, 2009, 2011, 2013).
In 2013, led by tournament co-MVP Odyssey Sims, who went on to earn gold as a member of the 2014 USA World Championship Team, the USA won by an average of 34.8 points per game and finished 6-0 to claim the gold medal.
