Tina Charles earns gold medal in FIBA World Cup
TENERIFE, Spain – September 30, 2018 – Leading from start to finish, Tina Charles and the 2018 USA Basketball Women’s World Cup Team (6-0) defeated Australia (5-1) 73-56 to claim a third-straight FIBA World Cup gold medal Sunday night at Santiago Martin Arena in San Cristobal de La Laguna, Canary Islands.
It is the first time the U.S. women have captured three FIBA World Cup titles in a row, and the USA’s World Cup winning streak now totals 22 games, dating back to a 2006 bronze medal win.
While the USA was in control throughout, Australia was within striking distance, 35-27 at halftime, until a 26-11 third quarter helped the USA pull away.
The USA jumped ahead 10-0 to start the game, but Australia, helped by a 7-0 spurt, cut it to 18-15 late in the quarter. The USA led 20-15 after the first 10 minutes.
The USA pushed its advantage to as many as 12 points, 35-23, in the second quarter, but after two scores by Australia, the score was 35-27 at halftime.
At the midway point, with Australia holding a slim, 27-26 rebounding advantage at that point, the USA was bolstered by 13-of-15 shooting from the free throw line.
The third quarter was all USA, which held Australia scoreless for the first 5:02 of the period, and while the USA raced to 26 points, it gave up just 11 overall to Australia to lead 61-38 after 30 minutes.
The fourth quarter was an opportunity for all 12 U.S. players to see minutes in the game as the USA had the win under control, and, in fact, all 12 U.S. players put points on the board.
Charles’s six points accompanied four rebounds and one assist. She was a perfect free-throw shooter on the evening.
Since the 1996 Olympic Games, the USA Basketball Women’s National Team program will have posted a 100-1 slate in major international competitions, winning an amazing six consecutive Olympic gold medals (1996, 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012, 2016), five FIBA World Championship golds (1998, 2002, 2010, 2014, 2018), one FIBA World Championship bronze medal (2006) and one FIBA Americas Championship gold medal (2007), including its 6-0 slate in Tenerife.
Tina Charles’ USA Basketball Experience
Charles was tabbed a 2009 USA Basketball Female Athlete of the Year. She won gold medals at the 2012 and 2016 Olympics, 2010 and 2014 FIBA World Cups, 2009 World University Games, 2006 FIBA Americas U18 Championship. She took home the Bronze Medal at the 2005 Youth Development Festival. Internationally, she earned gold at the 2009 UMMC Ekaterinburg International Invitational (gold). She was a part of the 2017-20 USA National Team that participated in the winter 2018 USA camp in Columbia, South Carolina. Charles accepted an invitation to participate in the 2017 USA Women’s National Team training camp Sept. 30-Oct. 2 in Santa Barbara, California, but was unable to attend the camp due to injury.
After playing for three USA junior teams from 2005-09, was invited to attend the USA National Team’s 2009 fall training camp and was later named to the 2010-12 USA National Team, one of just two collegiate athletes on the roster at the time. Since then, has captured a pair of FIBA World Championship gold medals and two Olympic gold medals. Charles helped the USA post a 19-2 record in exhibition games from 2009-16. She averaged a tournament fifth-best 7.4 rpg. in the 2012 Olympics.
Charles was the USA’s third-leading scorer (10.7 ppg.) and second-best rebounder (4.8 rpg.) at the 2010 FIBA World Championship, while playing just 16.4 minutes a game. She was a member of the 2009 USA Women’s World University Games Team that posted a 7-0 record and earned the gold medal in Belgrade, Serbia as well as a member of the 2006 U18 National Team that went 4-0 to win the gold medal; set a USA U18 all-time record for rebounding (9.5 rpg.).
She was also a member of the 2005 Youth Development Festival Red Team that finished 3-2 and earned the bronze medal.
USA Basketball Women’s National Team
Members of the USA Basketball Women’s National Team will compete in the 2018 FIBA World Cup and, if the USA qualifies, the 2020 Summer Olympic Games (July 24-Aug. 9 in Tokyo), as well as additional USA training camps and exhibition games.
The U.S. and Staley first will look to capture the title at the 2018 FIBA Women’s World Cup of Basketball, with an automatic berth to the 2020 Olympic Games being awarded to the gold medalist. Should the U.S. not finish with the gold medal in 2018, it would have two additional opportunities to qualify for the Olympics: the 2019 FIBA AmeriCup (dates and site TBD) and the 2020 FIBA World Olympic Qualifying Tournament (dates and site TBD).
FIBA World Cup of Basketball
Winners of back-to-back World Cup titles and four of the past five FIBA World Cups, the USA owns a record nine gold medals, one silver medal and two bronze medals in FIBA World Cup play, while compiling an all-time 103-21 record at the event. In 2014, the most recent World Cup, the U.S. took the gold medal, while Spain captured silver and Australia won bronze.
The USA will compete in preliminary round Group D and will play Senegal on Sept. 22, China on Sept. 23 and Latvia on Sept. 25.
Group A includes Canada, France, Greece and South Korea; Group B is comprised of Argentina, Australia, Nigeria and Turkey; while Group C features Belgium, Japan, Puerto Rico and Spain.
Following the preliminary round, teams will be seeded, and the top team from each group will earn an automatic berth to the quarterfinals, while the No. 2 and No. 3 teams from each group will advance to the Sept. 26 quarterfinals play-in round. From there, winners will compete in the Sept. 28-30 medal round.
About USA Basketball
Based in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and chaired by retired Gen. Martin Dempsey, USA Basketball is a nonprofit organization and the national governing body for basketball in the United States. As the recognized governing body for basketball in the U.S. by the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) and the United States Olympic Committee (USOC), USA Basketball is responsible for the selection, training and fielding of USA national teams that compete in FIBA-sponsored five-on-five and 3×3 international competitions, as well as for some national competitions and for the development of youth basketball.
The USA Basketball Youth Development division is tasked with the development of youth basketball initiatives that address player development, coach education and safety, while promoting, growing, and elevating the game. USA Basketball is committed to providing youth throughout the country safe, fun and developmentally appropriate environments in which they can enjoy the game. Current USA Basketball youth initiatives include coach licensing and education; organization accreditation; coach academies; regional camps; youth clinics; open court programs; Women in the Game conferences; and the U.S. Open Basketball Championships.
2018 USA Basketball Women’s World Cup Team
6 Sue Bird G 5-9 150 37 Seattle Storm Connecticut ’02 Syosset, NY
14 Tina Charles C 6-4 192 29 New York Liberty Connecticut ’10 Jamaica, NY
7 Layshia Clarendon G 5-9 140 27 Connecticut Sun California ’13 San Bernardino, CA
11 Elena Delle Donne F/G 6-5 188 29 Washington Mystics Delaware ’13 Wilmington, DE
15 Brittney Griner C 6-9 205 27 Phoenix Mercury Baylor ‘13 Houston, TX
4 Jewell Loyd G 5-11 150 24 Seattle Storm Notre Dame ’15 Lincolnwood, IL
13 Nneka Ogwumike F 6-2 188 28 Los Angeles Sparks Stanford ‘12 Cypress, TX
5 Kelsey Plum G 5-8 145 24 Las Vegas Aces Washington ’17 Poway, CA
10 Breanna Stewart F 6-4 170 24 Seattle Storm Connecticut ‘16 North Syracuse, NY
12 Diana Taurasi G 6-0 164 36 Phoenix Mercury Connecticut ‘04 Chino, CA
8 Morgan Tuck F 6-2 200 24 Connecticut Sun Connecticut ‘16 Bolingbrook, IL
9 A’ja Wilson F 6-5 197 22 Las Vegas Aces South Carolina ’18 Hopkins, SC
Head Coach: Dawn Staley, University of South Carolina
Assistant Coach: Dan Hughes, Seattle Storm
Assistant Coach: Cheryl Reeve, Minnesota Lynx
Assistant Coach: Jennifer Rizzotti, George Washington University
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