Team USA's women's roster has local flavor

Asjha Jones and Renee Montgomery of the Connecticut Sun and UConn's Tina Charles and Maya Moore were among 12 players added to the USA Basketball Women's National Team roster Wednesday.

The four are part of a pool of 20 players from which the 2010 USA World Championship Team and the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team will be selected, should the U.S. qualify. Sun guard Kara Lawson, who played for the 2008 Olympic gold medal-winning team, was previously named to roster.

Player selections were made by a five-member selection committee.

Other players added to the roster were: Alana Beard (Washington Mystics), Swin Cash (Seattle Storm), Shameka Christon (New York Liberty), Candice Dupree (Chicago Sky), Lindsey Harding (Mystics), Angel McCoughtry (Atlanta Dream), Lindsay Whalen (Minnesota Lynx) and Candice Wiggins (Lynx).

Olympic veterans Sue Bird (Storm), Diana Taurasi (Phoenix Mercury), Tamika Catchings (Indiana Fever), Seimone Augustus (Lynx), Sylvia Fowles (Sky), Candace Parker (Los Angeles Sparks) and Cappie Pondexter (Mercury) had already been named to the roster.

A number of players from the roster are expected to be at the 2010 WNBA All-Star Game on July 10th at Mohegan Sun Arena. The game will be played between a team of WNBA All Stars and the USA Basketball Women's National Team.