Basketball players asked to come home

This country’s national women’s basketball team has a realistic chance of taking a place in the 2012 London Summer Olympics; and these chances could be magnified greatly if our two international super stars are on the team.{{more}}

The possibility of an Olympic appearance has caused local basketball officials to appeal to the national pride of WNBA players Sophia Young and Sancho Lyttle to join the team.

President of the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Basketball Federation (SVGBF) Cleophas Glynn said in a press conference on Tuesday, June 8, that they have been reaching out to the players to join the team either at the upcoming FIBA Basketball Tournament to be held in Puerto Rico next month, or for the Olympics, should they qualify.

“We have been in touch with them and we have been trying to get them to come back home,” Glynn explained.

“Them being a part of this whole thing would really put some impetus in us even winning and even going to the world championship; and we believe that having them as part of the team will say a lot for St. Vincent and the Grenadines.”

Lyttle who plays forward with the Atlanta Dream, and Young also a forward for the San Antonio Silver Stars, are currently in action in the WNBA in their 5th and 4th professional career, respectively.

Young has been released by the local federation to play for the United States in the Olympics if she chooses.

Incidentally, the six-foot four-inch Lyttle, who has scored over 1200 points to date and the six-foot one-inch 2,000 plus points Young are expected to face each other in competition this Sunday; but it is the hope of Glenn and others, including International Olympic Committee coach Nelson Isley that they would at sometime play together for St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

Isley, who is here on a ten-day coaching clinic, said that this country may be on the verge of a once in a lifetime chance of making the Olympics, especially with the international boost.

“It’s an absolute shame that the two great players that were born here may not have a possibility to play for their country,” Isley stated.

“If they were able to have those two players, I’ll guarantee you that they would be in the top three without a doubt; and the FIBA tournament would qualify them for the Olympic tournament.”

“So I just hope that maybe it would be a reality in getting those two to play for the country because with them, the sky’s the limit, honestly.”

Without the girls, Glynn admitted that the local lasses still possess a chance of making it through the tournament which runs from July 10 to 15, with SVG coming up against Guatemala, Trinidad and Tobago and Puerto Rico in the opening round.

Following that tournament they will compete in the Central American and Caribbean tournament, which also takes place in Puerto Rico.

“We are preparing the best possible team that we can for these games; we are also exploring the possibility of taking the team overseas for a camp.” Glynn said.