Completed Event: Women's Basketball versus UCF on January 31, 2026 , Win , 65, to, 52
Final
Women's Basketball
65
UCF
52
Iowa State University Athletics
Fennelly Excited for World Championships
06.30.2009 | Women's Basketball
AMES, Iowa ? Bill Fennelly is spending his second summer serving as an assistant coach for USA Basketball, but like his Iowa State teams, each year is unique and different from the other.
Last summer, Fennelly helped head coach Carol Owens lead the USA Women's U18 Team to a gold medal (5-0) at the 2008 FIBA Americas U18 Championship. Now the pair, along with assistant coach Amanda Butler, will take on an even bigger challenge and try to lead the USA U19 National Team to a third consecutive gold medal in the 2009 FIBA U19 World Championships in Bangkok, Thailand.
“One thing we know is that the competition is going to be a lot better,” Fennelly said. “This is the World Championships and last summer was a regional deal in South America.”
The USA team was chosen after trials in mid-May in Colorado Springs, Colo. Fennelly says that about half of last year's team is back, while half of the players will be brand new to USA Basketball, as well as the international version of the sport. Fennelly will face the same rebuilding situation with his 2009-10 Cyclone squad this fall, which will be made up of seven returners and five newcomers.
“We'll have about half of the players that were on the team last year that kind of know the drill, and there will be about half that are brand new to the team,” he said. “Some of them will be new to international basketball which is always an interesting part of it. I think it could be a really good team. We have nine days to do what we in college have two or three months to build. We only have a certain amount of time, so hopefully they are ready to go when practice starts.”
The schedule for the U19 World Championships takes a little larger chunk out of Fennelly's summer. The team will practice in Colorado Springs July 9-16 and will be in Thailand from July17-Aug. 3. The USA U19 National Team will play two exhibition games against France and Australia before starting pool play.
The U.S. is slated to open preliminary round play against Spain on July 23, followed by China on July 24 and Mali on July 25. The top three finishing teams in each preliminary round group will advance to the July 27-29 second round, the quarterfinals will be played on July 31, semifinal action is scheduled for Aug. 1 and the gold medal will be contested on Aug. 2.
Fennelly is honored to work with Owens, who is her fourth straight summer coaching for USA Basketball.
“Carol is really good,” Fennelly said. “The kids love her. She gives the assistants a lot of responsibility and we're very involved in what's going on. Most of all, she is just a really good person. She has a really good understanding of not just how to play international basketball, but certainly what's involved in getting a team ready, the process of going to a foreign country and having young people in a place that is totally different.”
Fennelly will be in a totally different place as well, traveling to Thailand for the first time in his life. As a self-proclaimed picky eater, it is the menu that worries him most. He doesn't have to worry about the Cyclones, however, as he has complete trust in his staff and has everything already lined up to communicate with his assistants as often as necessary. Besides food, his only concern will be trying to bring home a gold medal for the United States.
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