MSU women's basketball senior forward Liz Shimek was chosen as one of 12 members for the 2005 USA Women's World University Games Team which competed Aug. 10-19 in Izmir, Turkey.
Shimek, who averaged 14.8 points and 9.1 rebounds during the 2004-05 season, trained with 16 other finalists in Colorado Springs, Colo., beginning July 28. The finalists continued to train through Aug. 4 and traveled to Turkey where they continued to train until Aug. 9.
The team opened the competition against the Czech Republic on Aug. 10, scoring an 88-64 victory. The USA team competed with 20 other teams during the games.
Shimek led the USA World University Games Team with a double-double scoring 13 points and grabbing 10 rebounds in the victory over the Czech Republic in the opening game of the World University Games.
Shimek was a starter and shot 6-for-12 from the field and was 1-for-1 from the free-throw line. Four of 10 rebounds were offensive, and she added two assists and two steals to her stat line.
"Liz (Shimek) came out today and played very well for us," USA co-captain Cappie Pondexter said in a written statement. "She got every board and made some shots for us when we needed them."
Along with Shimek's double-double, Notre Dame's Megan Duffy scored a team-high 14 points to lead the team. Other double figure scorers were Ohio State's Jessica Davenport with 13 and Pondexter added 11.
As of Aug. 11, the team was 2-0 - for complete results see http://usabasketball.com.
Whether or not she was selected, Shimek said it would have been a good experience whether she had made the team or not.
"It's a huge honor just to be down there trying out for the team," she said. "It's a great honor to play with the nation's best players, competing against them and learning more about them - not as just basketball players but as people."
MSU women's head coach Joanne McCallie said she has seen all the hard work Shimek has put in over the last three to four years.
"Liz is one of the most remarkable people I know," McCallie said. "Her success this summer is a direct reflection of the hard work and energy she's put into herself, her game and everything that she does."
McCallie added that Shimek has stepped up her game to another level, and if selected, she will be a good representative for the U.S. and MSU. Shimek feels part of her chance with the USA team is a credit to the successful program McCallie is building.
"Our team did really well this past year and the year before that, and coach McCallie has just been building a great program here," Shimek said. "As we become successful, individuals get opportunities.
"Coach McCallie always talks about our culture here at MSU and building on it. It's just amazing that we get to go learn about other people's cultures across the world."
