Tiger women’s basketball rising senior Khady Dieng started tryouts this week in her home country of Senegal to compete for a spot on the Senegal women’s national team.
Dieng returned to her home country this summer and is now competing with 20 other women for a spot on the team that will be traveling to Rio for the 2016 Summer Olympics. Twelve athletes will be selected from the tryout that will include several international tournaments. The first tournament will take place after the first cut on July 2, where the top 16 athletes will travel to Japan. After eight days in Japan, the remaining women will travel to Italy to practice for 23 days before the final cut.
If Dieng qualifies for the team, she will join Tiger greats Ruthie Bolton, Carolyn Jones and Vickie Orr as the only four women from Auburn women’s basketball to compete in the Olympics. Bolton won gold with Team USA in 1996 and 2000. Jones and Orr were a part of the Bronze medal team in 1992.
Last season for the Tigers, Dieng started 14 games and appeared in 29. She averaged 2.6 points, 1.7 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game.
The 2016 Summer Olympics will kick off on August 5 with the opening ceremonies. Basketball competition will begin on August 6, and Senegal will compete in Group B alongside the United States, Canada, Serbia and two teams to be determined.
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