Although the start of the Stanford Cardinal women’s basketball season is still a couple of months away, that hasn’t stopped La Jolla Country Day grad Candice Wiggins from securing more honors.
Wiggins was recently named the U.S. Olympic Committee’s Athlete of the Month (July) after helping the U.S. win two gold medals “” one in the Under-21 World Championship and the other in the 2007 Pan-American Games. Wiggins, a senior at Stanford University, is the only athlete to have participated in both events.
“It’s a huge honor to be recognized by the U.S. Olympic Committee,” Wiggins said. “Out of the many talented athletes who represent our country in a myriad of Olympic sports, it is a tremendous honor. I’m looking forward to my final year at Stanford, continuing my career in basketball and seeing how far it can go.”
With the gold medals in tow, Wiggins is not taking it easy leading up to the start of play later this fall at Stanford.
Wiggins was selected as one of five internationally experienced players to be part of the USA Senior Women’s Basketball team.
In addition to Wiggins, the four other players named to Team USA’s roster are Rebekkah Brunson (Sacramento Monarchs), Asjha Jones (Connecticut Sun), Kara Lawson (Sacramento Monarchs) and Loree Moore (New York Liberty).
The USA Women’s Senior National Team began training last month in New York in preparation for the 2007 FIBA Americas Championship. During the USA’s pre-FIBA Americas Championship training camp, the U.S., defending Olympic gold medalists, was scheduled to take on 2006 World Championship gold medalist Australia in a pair of exhibition contests at the end of September.
The 2007-08 USA squad now lists a total of 27 players on its roster, including eight Olympic gold medalists, five World Championship gold medalists and all 12 members of the 2006 USA World Championship Team.
The accomplishments for Wiggins started long before arriving at Stanford.
At LJCD, Wiggins led her team to two state championships and four regional championships.
She was named California’s Miss Basketball Player of the Year in 2004.
“Candice continues to amaze her family, friends, coaches and mentors here at Country Day,” LJCD athletic director Jeff Hutzler said. “She was an outstanding student-athlete while she was here and now she has taken it to a whole new level at Stanford University. Being named Pac-10 Freshman of the Year, Pac-10 Player of the Year ” twice in a row ” and participating on two national teams this summer is an extraordinary accomplishment. We are very proud of Candice and look forward to watching her for years to come representing Country Day, Stanford University and the United States in an outstanding fashion, playing a sport she loves.”