Louisville WBB To Represent USA in 2021 World University Games

[KY Card Fan]

Press Release from the University of Louisville:

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – University of Louisville women's basketball has been selected to represent the United States at the 2021 World University Games, which will be played August 18-29 in Chengdu, China.

"We are extremely excited that our team will get an opportunity to represent the United States in the World University Games," Louisville head coach Jeff Walz said. "One of the joys of my coaching career has been representing the United States, and I am thrilled that our entire team will get to experience that next summer. This will be a tremendous opportunity for everyone involved with our program, and we can't wait to play on an international stage against the world's best teams."

The full story is on Sports Illustrated site.

 

[CocoHusky]

Congrats to Louisville. Hopefully these games will happen. Believe this is a first on the women's side where an Entire University gets to play. Kansas men played in these games in 2015.

 

[TerpWomenFan]

Maryland was in the World University games in 2017 which was in Taiwan. Hopefully Louisville will have a full roster when they compete in the summer of 2021.

 

[Jmsdawg]

Congrats to Louisville. Hopefully these games will happen. Believe this is a first on the women's side where an Entire University gets to play. Kansas men played in these games in 2015.

I think MSST was in the World University games last year, came in second to Australia.

 

[DEpup]

Has UConn ever done this?

 

[eebmg]

Maryland was in the World University games in 2017 which was in Taiwan. Hopefully Louisville will have a full roster when they compete in the summer of 2021.

We should give Louisville a taste of International Play.

 

[visitingcock]

Well, Go Cards.

I don’t remember saying that since the Crablegs football game.

just kidding. I say it every time they play Clemson in any sport

 

[donalddoowop]

Has UConn ever done this?

No. They have never had a team that was good enough.

 

[eebmg]

Well, Chengdu China seems to be one of the worst Air Quality cities in the world.

The Covid Masks will be particularly useful.

 

[CL82]

Wait, don’t you actually have to be a university to go to the world university games? Not just an athletic program with a Community college loosely associated with it?

I kid, I kid… Sort of.

 

[Alydar]

Wait, don’t you actually have to be a university to go to the world university games? Not just an athletic program with a Community college loosely associated with it?

I kid, I kid… Sort of.

Not really. I believe that players only need to be taking one course. Keep in mind that most of the world doesn't have college basketball.

 

[CompSci87]

I thought USA Basketball usually sent an all-star team, similarly to the various U16/17/18 international tournaments. Sending the whole team from a particular school is a fairly new thing.

 

[DaBball]

I thought USA Basketball usually sent an all-star team, similarly to the various U16/17/18 international tournaments. Sending the whole team from a particular school is a fairly new thing.

This is for the World University Games (also known as Universiade). It's entirely independent, as I believe USA Basketball ended its affiliation after the 2015 games.

McCall played on the team in 2015, Ogwumike in 2011, Pohlen and Pedersen in 2009, etc. I believe those were years in which the USAB trials formats were utilized.

Maryland was sent in 2017, Mississippi State in 2019, and now Louisville in 2021.

 

[CompSci87]

That's what I meant, though 2015 is long enough ago that "fairly new" was maybe not the best phrase. Thanks for filling in the details!

 

[eebmg]

This is for the World University Games (also known as Universiade). It's entirely independent, as I believe USA Basketball ended its affiliation after the 2015 games.

McCall played on the team in 2015, Ogwumike in 2011, Pohlen and Pedersen in 2009, etc. I believe those were years in which the USAB trials formats were utilized.

Maryland was sent in 2017, Mississippi State in 2019, and now Louisville in 2021.

So how did we do? Do we just show up and get golds?

 

[CompSci87]

So how did we do? Do we just show up and get golds?

There's a history through 2015 on Wikipedia: United States women's World University Games basketball team - Wikipedia

To summarize very briefly, the US team has often won gold, but certainly not always, and they always face at least a couple of tough opponents.

In particular, they US hasn't won gold in any of the years that USA Basketball didn't assemble the team. The US teams from single universities won silver in 2019 and did not medal in 2017, 2007, or 2003.

 

[eebmg]

There's a history through 2015 on Wikipedia: United States women's World University Games basketball team - Wikipedia

To summarize very briefly, the US team has often won gold, but certainly not always, and they always face at least a couple of tough opponents.

In particular, they US hasn't won gold in any of the years that USA Basketball didn't assemble the team. The US teams from single universities won silver in 2019 and did not medal in 2017, 2007, or 2003.

Looking at the 'All Star' team roster for 2015, is their an underlying reason no UConn representation (players or coaches) occurred?

 

[Alydar]

Looking at the 'All Star' team roster for 2015, is their an underlying reason no UConn representation (players or coaches) occurred?

My guess is that they were playing in USA events that summer. Weren't the Pan Am games at about the same time as the WUG's?

 

[awhom111]

Wait, don’t you actually have to be a university to go to the world university games? Not just an athletic program with a Community college loosely associated with it?

I kid, I kid… Sort of.

It is actually pretty funny. When you go on the site for the games and click on athlete profiles, it will list their university. There are plenty of athletes who are in fact full time students, but plenty who are not. Those Russian athletes sure seem to enjoy their time at Moscow Sports University.

My guess is that they were playing in USA events that summer. Weren't the Pan Am games at about the same time as the WUG's?

Yes, USA Basketball conducted tryouts for both teams at the same time and sent a stronger team to the Pan American Games. The team featuring Breanna and Mo lost the Gold Medal Game to Kia and hosts Canada.