The Women's USA National Team improves to 7-0 on "College Tour."
Looking up toward the ceiling at USC's Galen Center, one can't help but notice Lisa Leslie's retired jersey number 33 next to fellow basketball veteran Cheryl Miller's 31.
SC fans young and old were reminded Tuesday why Leslie's is up there.
Trailing by 3 points at the half, the Women's USA National Basketball Team came from behind to conquer the USC Women of Troy, 88-64 in chapter 7 of USA's 8-game 2007 College Tour. Leslie, just five months removed from her first pregnancy, posted a double-double of 25 points and 10 rebounds. She scored 17 in the second half.
"I thought in our second half, we showed up and played USA Basketball," says Leslie. "It took us a while, to kind of move back and then forward. I was really surprised by their effort, their defense, and the score at halftime."
Leslie sank 8 of the 13 field goals she tossed, and made 9 of 11 free throws. USA's Kara Braxton scored 21, and guard Diana Taurasi drilled 14 points, and came in second in rebounds with 9.
L.L. admits though that while her professional level teammates played well, she's equally proud of her college squad.
"You can tell when a team is well coached," she adds. "Based on the way that they play together and their poise...I thought that SC showed a lot of poise, a lot of fight."
The Women of Troy led in the first half by as many as 11 points, and ended the first 20 minutes of play with the score in their favor, 36-33. Later though, clutch USA second chance opportunities and key 3-pointers from Taurasi and her former UCONN teammate Sue Bird helped USA outscore SC 55-28 in the second half.
It wasn't the closest game that the national team has played on the College Tour, yet perhaps the one that surprised the WNBA icons the most, going up against a vastly changed group of USC women.
"They took me off guard a little bit," admits USA coach Anne Donovan, also of Seattle Storm fame. "To lose four starters and Shay Murphy...they really did a nice job tonight."
SC guard Hailey Dunham finished with 14 points, and along with Morghan Medlock (12 points) and Brynn Cameron (11 points), represented the Troy trio in double figures. Center Nadia Parker grabbed 7 rebounds.
For the national team, they improve to 7-0 on their 8-university tour. The final stop comes Thursday when they will visit Stanford. The tour has given the pros an opportunity to play together and function like an all-star team, yet some are also glad to catch a preview of what they may be up against in the near future at WNBA arenas.
"College kids these days, they're very talented," says Bird, who beat her own Alma Mater in a 90-74 victory over Connecticut on November 2 in Storrs. "I've seen a lot of good players, I'm not sure they need my 'old school' advice!"
Following Thursday's game at Stanford, the USA players will go their separate ways, most to overseas playing commitments.
They will rejoin their respective WNBA squads in the spring when the 2008 season tips off.
