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When USA Basketball hands out jerseys to members of its national womens basketball team before they attempt to win a sixth straight Olympic gold medal at the Rio Games, it will also provide them with a history lesson.We let every player know who has worn that number before, said Carol Callan, the director of the national team. I think its important they have an appreciation for that when they put that uniform on.A lot of credit has been given to the 1996 team , which started the Americans string of gold medals. But the list Callan is referring to starts with names like Nancy Lieberman, Pat Summitt and Ann Meyers Drysdale. Summitt, who died Tuesday morning , wore No. 14. In Rio, that number will be worn by former UConn standout and New Liberty center Tina Charles.USA Basketball, which plans to honor the 1976 team during exhibition games before the Rio Olympics this summer, only uses jersey numbers 4-15. FIBA recently lifted that limitation though USAB continues to use just those numbers.Lieberman, Meyers Drysdale and Summitt were part of a group of college players who 40 years ago participated in the first womens basketball tournament at the Olympics in Canada and won the USAs first medal in the sport -- a silver.The United States, currently on a 41-game Olympic winning streak, was not expected to qualify for the games in 1976.The national team had finished eighth in the world championships in 1975. The U.S. was not assured a berth in the Montreal Games until two weeks before, when they won a qualifying tournament in Hamilton, Ontario.To prepare for the Olympics they were given a budget of $500 and the use of a personal credit card belonging to Bill Wall, the executive director of what would become USA Basketball.We were lucky we had uniforms, said Meyers Drysdale.Guard Sue Rojcewicz said the team practiced at the University of Rochester, where they stayed in dorm that was under construction and had no air conditioning. They trained three times a day. When they got to Montreal, the coaches would get them up at 4 a.m. to practice, because their first game against Japan was at 9 a.m.As a joke, Rojcewicz said, the players once showed up to the gym in their pajamas.One time we showed up in shower curtains and fins and goggles, she said. The coaches made us play like that for about a half hour.But all of that created a bond, the players said.They developed a style built around a fast pace, ball movement and pressure defense.They lost the Olympic opener of the five-game round-robin tournament to Japan and lost another game in the tournament to the dominant Soviet Union, the eventual gold medalists. But they beat Bulgaria and Canada. That set up a must-win game against Czechoslovakia to earn silver.Lieberman, now an assistant with the Sacramento Kings, said Billie Jean Moore -- coach of that 1976 team -- told the squad before the game that what we do today will impact the next 25 years. And she was right.The game was tied at halftime, before the Americans pulled away to win by 17 points.We threw that press on in the second half, said forward Gail Marquis. I remember Nancy Lieberman. Truly, I really think she jumped over somebody or she fouled somebody with her knees or her ankles, she was jumping so high.Meyers Drysdale said she understands that a silver medal today would be considered a disappointment. But 40 years ago, it was an amazing achievement.When we realized we won our medal, we just all flopped on top of each other like a pile of puppies in a kennel or something, said forward Mary Anne OConnor.Marquis said once she had that medal around her neck, she kept it there. She now wears it on a silver chain.Not too often do I take the medal off, she said. I like for people to see it.Before the players could receive their medals, Lieberman was selected for a random drug test, but had a problem providing a sample with some standing over her.I finally was able to go to the bathroom, and America has not been the same since, she quipped.Callan agrees, saying the win was bigger than that group or that year. Todays players, she said owe a lot to the 1976 team.They started it all, she said. They set the standard for how womens basketball teams have had success at the Olympics through great individual talent, a group that played together well as a team and enjoyed the journey along the way. Darious Williams Jersey . The Nashville Predators were glad their captain was still on their side. Weber had a goal and two assists, and Roman Josi scored the shootout winner to lift the Predators to a 4-3 win over the Flyers on Thursday night. Romello Brooker Jersey . Galatasaray said in a statement on its website Monday that Mancini signed a three-year contract and will be paid 3.5 million euros for the upcoming season, with his salary upped to 4. http://www.cheapramsjerseyschina.com/mike-thomas-jersey/ . Colin Wilson had two goals and an assist, and Mike Fisher scored a goal and helped set up two others in the Predators 6-4 victory over the Red Wings on Monday night. Aaron Neary Jersey . The nimble-footed quarterback got his wish, dashing through the snow and a weary defence all the way into the NCAA record book. Justin Davis Jersey . Pierce was ejected in the third quarter of Indianas 103-86 win Monday. George Hill stole a bad pass and was going in for a layup, and Pierce hustled back and appeared to be trying to wrap him up. Western Michigan is undefeated and in control of the Mid-American Conference race, but coach P.J. Fleck is getting a lot of attention about where he could spend next season.Fleck has the Broncos at 7-0 entering Saturdays game (3:30 ET) at Waldo Stadium against Eastern Michigan. Western Michigan is up four spots and ranked 20th after debuting last week in the AP Top 25 poll.Ive been part of rumors and speculation my entire life, and that will never change, he said. Its elite exposure for Western Michigan. My focus is on today, and thats the way Ive lived my life. ... I cant control rumors or speculation, and Ill never comment on rumors or speculation. Just like I didnt in Year 1, or last year or the year before. Im not interested in that. Im interested in coaching this football team and being the best head coach I can be today. Thats all Im focused on.Last season, the 35-year-old Fleck guided Western Michigan to its second consecutive eight-win season and first-ever bowl victory. Western Michigan (3-0 MAC) started the season with two wins over Big Ten teams -- Northwestern and Illinois -- and might get a longer look in a David vs. Goliath matchup if the wins keep coming. For now, Fleck doesnt want to talk about whether hes staying or going.His team insists there is no distraction away from the focus on winning football games. Senior quarterback Zach Terrell said Tuesday that Flecks future -- and his own -- has not been a topic of conversation.Its not distracting us at all, Terrell said. He comes in the same every day, hes the exact same person and brings it. If he were to come in and be a different person and maybe be reserved, we might be concerned. That outside noise about coach Fleck may be leaving, all the people putting pressure on us ... we are such a tight-knit group, and we only focus on us. It starts with him.Eastern Michigan is 5-2, 2-1 and hopes of a transformation from a MAC West doormat could hit fast forward with a victory on Saturday. Eastern Michigan coach Chris Creighton outlined two goals in preseason for the Eagles -- beat Westeern Michigan and get his seniors to a bowl game.ddddddddddddWe have a really tough opponent coming in this weekend, Terrell said. Im completely focused on the season. Im focused on today.NFLDraftScout.com ranks Terrell the eighth-best quarterback in the 2017 class but with Corey Davis and Jarvion Franklin behind a proven offensive line, hes not the only weapon the Broncos have.We were the doormat three years ago, and theyre kind of doing what we were doing two years ago, Terrell said. They are playing tough. They have a lot of confidence. For people to think its just going to be a cakewalk, that couldnt be further from the truth.Firepower and depth are two big differentiators between the teams. Western Michigan has the top recruiting class in the MAC three years in a row under Fleck. Creightons depth chart is jammed with inexperience.But the emergence of junior quarterback Brogan Roback has put a charge in the Eastern Michigan offense.He had 347 passing yards and three touchdowns last week and EMU is off to its best start since 1995.We know this is going to be a huge challenge. Western is a great football team, and theyre playing great football. A lot of talent, a lot of momentum, Creighton said. Our guys look at this like a great challenge and a great opportunity to get out there and compete again.Fleck said the Broncos do have grand goals in mind but hes stressing a collection of one-game seasons as the teams collective mindset. That wont be easy with national attention growing and the first College Football Playoff rankings coming soon.We focus on changing our best every single day.Weve prepared for this all the way back in January, Fleck said. We told them this could possibly happen, so everything we did was base