USA Basketball names its 2014-2016 talent pool

The 2014-2016 USA talent pool has been named.

The names:

Highlighting the returning veterans are three-time Olympic gold medalists Sue Bird (Seattle Storm), Tamika Catchings (Indiana Fever) and Diana Taurasi (Phoenix Mercury); two-time Olympic gold medalists Seimone Augustus (Minnesota Lynx), Sylvia Fowles (Chicago Sky) and Candace Parker (Los Angeles Sparks); 2012 Olympic gold medalists Tina Charles (Connecticut Sun), Angel McCoughtry (Atlanta Dream), Maya Moore (Minnesota Lynx) and Lindsay Whalen (Minnesota Lynx); and Kara Lawson (Connecticut Sun) and Cappie Pondexter (New York Liberty), who were members of the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team. Further, Jayne Appel (San Antonio Silver Stars) and Candice Dupree (Phoenix Mercury), members of the 2010 USA World Championship Team that won gold, have been named to the pool.

Also named to the 2013-16 USA National Team roster were: DeWanna Bonner (Phoenix Mercury), Elena Delle Donne (Chicago Sky), Skylar Diggins (Tulsa Shock), Stefanie Dolson (University of Connecticut), Brittney Griner (Phoenix Mercury), Lindsey Harding (Los Angeles Sparks), Briann January (Indiana Fever), Glory Johnson (Tulsa Shock), Jantel Lavender (Los Angeles Sparks), Kayla McBride (University of Notre Dame), Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis (University of Connecticut), Nnemkadi Ogwumike (Los Angeles Sparks), Danielle Robinson (San Antonio Silver Stars), Odyssey Sims (Baylor University), Breanna Stewart (University of Connecticut), Alyssa Thomas (University of Maryland), Courtney Vandersloot (Chicago Sky), Monica Wright (Minnesota Lynx) and Sophia Young (San Antonio Silver Stars).

College news:

Vanderbilt's Jasmine Lister is ESPN's player of the week.

Portland Pilots coach Jim Sollars will retire at the end of this season, after 28 years.

Baylor's Odyssey Sims is soaring through her senior season.

Colorado's Jasmine Sborov is out indefinitely with a fractured foot.

Former Virginia Cavalier Amanda Fioravanti will transfer to St. Joseph's.

Former Purdue center Taylor Manuel is transferring to Loyola Chicago, to play for Sheryl Swoopes.

Virginia's Kelsey Wolfe: anatomy of a student athlete.

Los Angeles Sparks:

More from swishappeal on the possible purchase of the team by the NBA's Golden State Warriors. This is interesting:

Now, back to my anonymous source. My source tells me that the WNBA has no interest in running the Sparks on its own dime. If the current negotiations with the Warriors' ownership fail, the WNBA will just fold the Sparks and deal with the disappointment. My theory is that the WNBA wanted to avoid the situation in 2008 when they were left running the Comets.

That's not what I heard happened with the Comets.