Women's Basketball | 6/29/2018 11:01:00 AM

MOORHEAD, Minn. — Minnesota State University Moorhead senior Cassidy Thorson was part of the USA Women's Basketball Team that represented the United States at the 2018 Italy Continental Cup earlier this month. The team was put together through USA Athletes International.

USA Athletes International was formed in 1992 and is a nonprofit organization that works to give amateur athletes opportunities to compete on an international level.

Thorson, now an assistant coach for the MSUM women's basketball program, wrapped up her four-year Dragon career this past March. She is MSUM's all-time leader in three-pointers made and also surpassed 1,000 points for her career.

Thorson talks about the trip in her own words:
"I was invited to play basketball with a USA Women's basketball team to represent the USA in the 2018 Italy Continental Cup. The event took place June 5-14.

I was so honored to have been selected to represent the USA. Getting the opportunity to play basketball one last time meant so much to me! My family came with, too, so that was great for them to get to see me playing in a variety of international arenas throughout Italy.

We started our tour in Rome, Italy, where we got to visit the Coliseum, and got to go into Vatican City to visit St Peter's Cathedral. Rome is where we played our first game against SMIT Roma Italian team. Our second game was held in Florence, Italy. From there we traveled to Pisa where we got to visit the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Our third and final game was played in Gorizia against a local club made up of Italy's elite players that were selected from each region of Italy. This was our best competition on the tour. We won this game, along with the two previously played games, also.

The last couple of days were spent touring Venice where we got to experience a gondola ride through the waterway 'streets.'

I am so thankful for all of the opportunities that the game of basketball has given to me throughout my life. Getting to play basketball in Italy, while representing the USA,is definitely one of my greatest highlights!"