A’ja Wilson, Kesley Plum qualify for Team USA

Aces stars A’ja Wilson and Kelsey Plum have earned roster spots on USA Basketball’s women’s World Cup Team.

Wilson and Plum have been practicing with USA Basketball since the first week of September and have excelled in a series of exhibition games in preparation for the World Cup, which starts Sept. 22 in Tenerife, Spain.

The 12-member roster was unveiled Thursday morning.

“I feel that we got the best 12 to represent us, although it was extremely hard getting down to that number. But, that’s what it’s all about, having a great pool of players to get down to 12,” American coach Dawn Staley said in a statement. “We have great experience. We have some up-and-coming younger players who need to get experience playing at this level.

“So, we have a great mix of both, and we are looking forward to forging ahead, getting as much time together as possible before we start and as we continue throughout the tournament.”

Wilson was named WNBA Rookie of the Year last week and averaged 20.7 points and 8.0 rebounds for the Aces in 2018. Plum averaged 9.7 points and led the league in 3-point shooting for most of the season, finishing at 43.9 percent.

The Americans are the two-time defending gold medalists.

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Contact reporter Sam Gordon at sgordon@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BySamGordon on Twitter.