May 11, 1999
Notre Dame, Ind. —- University of Notre Dame women’s basketball standouts Sheila McMillen (Rochester, Ind.) and Ruth Riley (Macy, Ind.) are two of the top 44 women’s basketball players invited to attend the 1999 USA Women’s University Games Trials May 19-24 in Colorado Springs, Colo. The invitees were selected by the USA Women’s Basketball Select Team Committee, chaired by Ann Donovan.
The United States will be coached by Penn State women’s basketball coach Rene Portland. Assisting Portland will be Bonnie Hendrickson, the head coach at Virginia Tech, and Britt King, who is the head mentor at Fresno State.
The 1999 World University Games will be July 1-13 in Palma de Mallorca, Spain. The World University Games is a multi-sport competition open to men and women between the ages of 17 and 28, who are, or have been within the past year, a student at a college or university.
The 12-member women’s squad will be announced May 24, and will train June 14-23 at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, then will participate in a four-team tournament in Logrono, Spain from June 25-27. The women’s World University Games basketball competition is slated to be played from July 5-11.
Defending World University Games gold medalists, the USA women have earned a total of 10 medals in 12 appearances, including four golds, five silvers and one bronze medal, and have compiled an overall record of 64-12 since beginning World University Games play in 1973.
McMillen and Riley are one of five BIG EAST players invited to the tryout. Others attending the trials are Natasha Pointer and Shawnetta Stewart of Rutgers and Brianne Stepherson of Boston College. Riley is among 11 of the invitees with previous USA Basketball experience. Last summer, she competed on the USA Women’s Select Team, and finished as the second leading scorer and top rebounder averaging 10.3 points and 7.6 rebounds in helping her squad to a 7-1 mark.
Notre Dame has had one of its former players earn a spot on the World University Games Team. Beth Morgan, a 1997 graduate and the school’s all-time leading scorer, was a member of the 1997 squad which captured the gold medal at the World University Games in Italy.