USA – Americans, Aussies and Spaniards to clash in Connecticut

HARTFORD (2010 FIBA World Championship for Women) - The United States, Australia and Spain will face each other over a three-day stretch in Connecticut ahead of the FIBA World Championship for Women.

The USA will take on defending world champions Australia - the side they beat in the Beijing Olympics Final - on September 10.

Spain will meet the Aussies the following day and then the Americans will take on the Spanish on September 12.

All of the games will be played at the XL Center in Hartford.

Geno Auriemma is coach of the USA and he said: “One of the things you always want to do is to try to play some really good competition leading up to the (FIBA) World Championship.

“Usually those games are held overseas where we don’t have a lot of fans.

"It’s fortunate for us that we’re able to get teams of the caliber of Spain and Australia, two of the top five teams in the world, to come to Hartford and play exhibition games."

Auriemma is the long-time coach of the University of Connecticut women's team and he knows better than anyone how huge the appetite is for the sport in the state.

"I think people here in the Hartford area, in Connecticut especially, appreciate women’s basketball as much, if not more, than any other place in the country," Auriemma said.

"I think those two teams will get a great reception and people will get a chance to see what we’re going to be seeing in the Czech Republic.

"I’m excited for our team. I’m excited for our fans. I’m excited for the city of Hartford, and I’m really appreciative of the XL Center for working with us to put that together.”

At the FIBA World Championship for Women, which tips off in the Czech Republic on September 23, Australia will play in Group A against Belarus, China and Canada and the USA will be in Group B against France, Senegal and Greece.

Those Preliminary Round games and the Eighth-Final Round games involved sides from the two pools will be in Ostrava.

Spain are in Group C in Brno and will take on Brazil, Korea and Mali.

The USA are No 1 in the FIBA World Rankings for Women with Australia third and Spain fifth.

FIBA