U.S. Virgin Islands enter unchartered territory

FREDERIKSTED, ST CROIX (2015 FIBA Americas Women's Championship) - History will be made this summer for U.S. Virgin Islands basketball.

For the first time, the national team is to play at the FIBA Americas Women's Championship.

The competition is to be staged in Edmonton, Canada, from 9-16 August, and the Virgin Islands will be in Group B with Argentina, Ecuador, Venezuela and Brazil.

For Natalie Day, the team's 25-year-old forward, her country has a huge opportunity.

"I think its is a stepping stone for our entire team and country as a whole when it comes to competing," she said.

"Not a lot of people back home even know that we have made it this far.

"I think when people do discover it, they'll look at us in a different light."

The champion will qualify for the Rio de Janeiro Games and the teams that finish second, third and fourth will clinch places in the FIBA Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament (WOQT).

The Virgin Islands will be among the underdogs in the tournament.

"Our goal is to be in the top four," Day said.

"We know we are underdogs but no team knows what to expect from us year in and year out.

"We are always goal oriented."

We know what we are going up against and we know what's on the table. - Day

Day is one of the players in the squad to have played American college basketball.

After a year at Howard University, she transferred to the University of Portland and played for the Pilots for three years.

She has played professionally in Finland, Puerto Rico and most recently, Denmark.

It was in Denmark this past season with club side Lemvig where she led the league in scoring at 24.6 points per game.

Her team made it to the Semi-Finals of the playoffs but lost to eventual champions Horsholm.

Day was recently with her national team at the 2015 CBC Championship for Women in Tortola in the British Virgin Islands and helped it to a third-place finish.

The Virgin Islands team was not at full strength.

When asked about the competition at the FIBA Americas Women's Championship, Day cited Canada and Argentina as teams with big reputations.

"Those are two pretty powerful teams according to the [FIBA] World Ranking [Women]," she said. "We're just going to bring our all and see how we do against teams of this caliber.

"But I have no doubt in our abilities to be able to compete against them."

The squad will be gathering later this month only the location for the training camp will not be in the Virgin Islands but rather Philadelphia.

It promises to be an exciting summer.

"People should keep us on their radar and watch out for us," Day said.

Go to fiba.com/Americaswomen2015 for complete coverage of the 2015 FIBA Americas Women's Championship.

FIBA