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Monarchs' Lawson, Harper help lift Team USA in basketball
Published 12:00 am PDT Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Story appeared in SPORTS section, Page C2
They may be 6,000 miles from Sacramento, but new Monarchs teammates Kara Lawson and Laura Harper already have shown they can work well together.
Playing for Team USA in the Olympic preview Good Luck Beijing Tournament in China, Lawson had six assists and made a pivotal three-pointer, and Harper went 3 for 4 from the field for six points in a 92-56 victory over South Korea on Monday.
Both Lawson (29 minutes) and Harper (10 minutes) came off the bench and helped turn what had been a relatively tight contest into a rout during a 31-14 fourth quarter.
Harper, the Monarchs' first-round pick in this month's draft and No. 10 overall, was a last-minute addition to the national squad, which is preparing for the 2008 Summer Games in Beijing. The former Maryland center-forward bypassed her first week of WNBA training camp for this opportunity.
Before her invitation, Harper said playing in the Olympics was a lifelong goal.
"I played for the under-21 national team, and it was a great experience for me," she said. "This is an Olympic year, and one of my biggest goals is to play in the Olympics. I'm a very patriotic person. I really respect my country and the people who fight for it. If that kind of opportunity was to come my way, it would be very special to me."
Team USA (2-1 in this tournament) faces New Zealand today at 7:15 a.m. PDT (10:15 p.m. in Beijing), then plays host China on Thursday (5 a.m. PDT). NBA-TV will broadcast the USA-China match live with a rebroadcast at 1 p.m. the same day.
Lawson and Harper are expected to join the Monarchs' camp Tuesday in Sacramento after Saturday's tournament finale.
– Debbie Arrington
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