The Senior Women's National Team is coming off a great start to the summer having won the Gold Medal at the Pan Am Games in Toronto. The next step for them is to qualify for the 2016 Olympics Games in Rio de Janeiro by winning the FIBA Americas Tournament taking place in Edmonton. Leading up to the Americas Tournament we spoke to our SWNT members and they gave us their thoughts on a few things and here's what they had to say. To buy tickets for the 2015 FIBA Americas Championship for Women, click here.

Nirra Fields

I’ve grown so much since being in the National Program. I feel like it’s only right that I commit to the National Program and give it my all. It’s given me so much just by playing with other players, seeing another side of the game outside of the U.S. I’ve really excelled my game and I’ve improved so much in a short period of time. And obviously playing for your country is something that not a lot of people get to do. Having that opportunity is great and I wouldn’t want to give that up.

There was one time when I thought about not coming back. It was the summer before my junior year. When the NCAA season is over, I head straight to Team Canada and that takes its toll on you. I didn’t have much time to focus on some things I wanted to for school. At one point I told my coach I didn’t want to go back to National Team camp because the previous summer I missed some time and I was the one of the last players cut.

We had a young team at UCLA and I wanted to focus on the team but my coach said I should go to tryouts and see what happens. Coach said that I return better every time and she thought that it would be good for me skill-wise and IQ-wise. I made the Women’s National Team and we placed fifth at the World Championship. At that point I was in and committed fully.  

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