RUSTON - Louisiana Tech Amber Obaze is one of 36 of the nation's top players 20-years-old and under who have accepted invitations to try out for the 2002 USA Basketball World Championship For Young Women Qualifying Team, announced by USA Basketball Tuesday.
Obaze will attend the three-day tryouts May 17-19 at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo. The USA Basketball Women's Collegiate Committee will then announced the 12-member team May 20 by following the trials.
The trials will mark the third-straight year that Obaze has participated, although the second team all-WAC selection didn't make either one of the teams in her first two tries. Last summer, Obaze was one of 30 participants selected to attend the USA Basketball Women's Junior National Team Trials in Colorado Springs.
The Dallas, Texas, native averaged 12.1 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.4 assists during a sophomore campaign that saw her earn Kodak District VII honors as well as WAC All-Defensive team accolades.
All told there are 34 NCAA Division I players, including 20 rising juniors and 14 rising sophomores; 19 previous USA Basketball participants; six 2002 All-Americans; six 2002 conference Freshmen of the Year and 25 who were listed among their 2002 all-conference or all-freshman teams.
The final 12-member squad will compete in the Confederation of Pan American Basketball Association World Championship for Young Women Qualifying Tournament hosted by Brazil July 17-21, featuring eight teams from North, South and Central America as well as the Caribbean.