June 27, 1998

NOTRE DAME, Ind. – Notre Dame center Ruth Riley (Macy, Ind.) is one of 12 players chosen to USA Basketball’s 1998 Women’s Select Team. The announcement was made today by USA Basketball Women’s Select Team Committee following the National Team Trials held this week at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo.

Riley, named to the Basketball Times’ 1998 All-Rookie Team, was one of six players from the class of 2001 who has named to the squad.

The team will train June 26-30 in Colorado Springs and then play a four-team tournament in Puerto Rico July 3-5. The USA Select Team will face a Puerto Rico Team on July 3, a Dominican Republic Select Team on July 4, and the Puerto Rico National Team on July 5. The U.S. also will play two games in Poland against its Select Team on July 8 and 9 and then will finish its tour with three games in Spain against a Spanish Select Team July 12, 13 and 14. University of Florida head coach Carol Ross will serve as the USA squad’s head coach, and will be assisted by Cal State Fullerton head coach and two-time Olympian Denise Curry and St. John’s University head coach Charlene Thomas-Swinson.

Riley was team’s second-leading scorer and top rebounder this past season as a rookie averaging 11.5 ppg. and 7.3 rpg., while also leading the team in blocked shots (71). She played in all 32 games as the helped the Irish into the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 for the second consecutive season as Notre Dame finished with a 22-10 record.

Riley was the leading scorer for the Irish in all three of their NCAA tournament games as she averaged 18.0 points and 7.3 rebounds.

She earned BIG EAST Rookie of the Week honors three consecutive weeks during the month of January and registered nine double-doubles during the season while becoming the first Notre Dame women’s basketball player to record double figures in both scoring and rebounding in five consecutive games.

Riley scored in double figures in 19 games during the 1997-98 campaign and netted 20-plus points in five consecutive outings.

She is the second Notre Dame players in the last three years named to the U.S. Select Team. Beth Morgan (’97) was selected to the squad in 1996. Morgan and Katryna Gaither (’97) were teammates on the World Championship Qualifying Team which captured the silver medal at the World Championship Qualifying Tournament in Brazil last May. Morgan also was a member of the gold medal team at the 1997 World University Games in Italy.