St. John's University Athletics
Da'Shena Stevens Invited To USA Basketball Trials
4/27/2009 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
April 27, 2009
QUEENS, N.Y. -
St. John's women's basketball player Da'Shena Stevens has been invited by USA Basketball to participate in the 2009 U-19 National Team Trials held at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo., May 14-17.
The U-19 National Team will be participating in this year's FIBA World Championship, held in Bangkok, Thailand, July 23-Aug. 2.
"I am really excited that Da'Shena received this honor," Red Storm coach Kim Barnes Arico said. "Da'Shena worked extremely hard and her performance this season got her name out there. This is such a great honor for our program and for Da'Shena. I hope she enjoys the experience, plays to the best of her ability and represents herself and the program."
The reigning BIG EAST Freshman of the Year is one of approximately 30 invitees that will compete against some of the nation's top talent at the trials. If Stevens advances past the try-out, she will take part in training camp held July 9-17 in Colorado Springs. The eventual 12-member roster will be announced prior to the team departing for Thailand.
"I was very excited when coach (Barnes Arico) told me that I was invited to try-out for the team," said Stevens. "This is such a great honor to be recognized as one of the top players in my age group, and then to be able to compete against the best players at the U.S. Olympic Training Center will be a great experience."
Stevens had a breakout rookie campaign for the Red Storm, as she was the only unanimous selection to the All-BIG EAST rookie team and was an All-Met first team honoree. She finished the season as the team's second-leading scorer, averaging 11.9 points. She was St. John's defensive leader, grabbing a team-best 6.6 rebounds per game, while recording 35 blocks.
The forward broke the rookie scoring record at St. John's with 406 points this past season, surpassing the previous record of 364 points that was set by Anne Marie McNamee in 1982-83.
On the season, Stevens recorded 24 double-digit scoring contests, five double-digit rebounding contests and four double-doubles, all of which were team highs.
The forward had the biggest game of her young career against the No. 1 team in the nation, UConn, on Feb. 11. She scored a game-high 27 points, which were the most scored all season by an individual player against the eventual National Champions. She also came close to recording a double-double with nine boards.
Stevens' efforts were noticed throughout 2008-09, as she earned BIG EAST Freshman of the Week honors twice and earned All-Met Basketball Writers Association (MBWA) Honor Roll accolades.
The Stamford, Conn., native is the second player under Barnes Arico to be selected to try out for USA Basketball. In 2006, former Red Storm standout Kia Wright was invited to try out for the U-20 squad.
The 2009 FIBA U19 World Championship features 16 national teams comprised of athletes 19-years-old or younger (born on or after Jan. 1, 1990) that that qualified through their FIBA zone tournaments. Included in the field of nations are: Australia, Argentina, Brazil, Canada, China, Czech Republic, France, Japan, Lithuania, Mali, Russia, South Korea, Spain, Thailand, Tunisia and the USA.
After coming up short in the medal count in the first three FIBA U19 World Championships, the U.S. has been on the podium in each of the last four competitions, winning gold in 1997, bronze in 2001 and gold in 2005 and 2007, compiling a 29-2 slate during that run.
