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Former Tennessee Lady Vols Candace Parker, Kara Lawson and Tamika Catchings, from left, pose in their Team USA uniforms.

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BEIJING — Kara Lawson knew who to call when she made the Olympic team.

“One of the first persons I called was Tamika Catchings having played two years with her at Tennessee,” she said Thursday at a press conference of the U.S. women’s basketball team. “I was so excited. Then she started screaming over the phone.”

The two were final additions to the team that already included forward Candace Parker to form a trio of Lady Vols. Pool play starts Saturday night against the Czech Republic.

“I’ve seen a lot of Kara and Candace all year. To have both of them alongside of me has been fun,” Catchings said.

It has also been noisy.

“Kara always wants to know: ‘What do we do now? ‘Where do we do that?’ ” said Catchings. “She’s the kind of a person who wants to know everything before it actually happens.”

Catchings is the only returnee from 2004 among the three, and Lawson freely admits she’s not shy about asking questions.

“The best way I think to learn is to lean on your veterans, and that’s something I’ll do. She’s been great for me as a friend. ‘What do we need to bring? What do we wear? Is it going to be hot? How long do we have to stand in the opening ceremonies?’ I try to ask her everything I can just to know what is expected.”

What is expected here is a gold medal like the one won in 2004 with many of the same players. It isn’t expected to be easy. Much like in the men’s game, the world is catching up with the Americans. Rosters throughout the Olympic field are sprinkled with WNBA players.

Still, the team appears as strong as ever with the addition of players like former LSU stars Sylvia Fowles and Seimone Augustus and ex-Rutgers standout Cappie Pondexter to a squad that has veterans like Lisa Leslie, Tina Thompson and Diana Taurasi.

Then there is Parker, one of the most decorated players in women’s college basketball history.

“She’s the next great player from Tennessee,” Lawson said.

Seemingly healed from a recent shoulder injury, Parker is taking a more laid back approach to it all.

“It’s great to represent your country alongside people you are familiar with,” Parker said. “What’s so cool is that we all sit together and hang out. Tamika is there to give me advice if I ask for it. She is all about making me feel comfortable. Kara is in her first Games like me. We all chill and hang out. We all kind of go with the flow. We work hard to motivate each other.”

Lawson said the fact that three Lady Vols are on the team is not totally a coincidence.

“I am real proud of what Coach (Pat) Summitt and the UT basketball program have done for our basketball careers,” Lawson said, “enabling us to compete and improve and to make it so. Our ultimate goal was the U.S. Olympic team.”

Catchings left UT in 2001 and Lawson in 2003. Parker left after last season meaning hadn’t played college ball with either of the other two.

Still the bonding is tight.

“It is really unique to have three players from the same school on the team,” Lawson said. “We can feel really proud.”

Now that they are on the team, it’s time to see what they can do together.

The women, who has won gold medals in the last three Olympics, will play four games in the preliminary rounds then are expected to advance to the quarterfinals on Aug. 19. The semifinals are Aug. 21 and the finals Aug. 23.

U.S. Olympic women’s basketball team coach Anne Donovan runs down the abilities of the three former Lady Vols on her team:

Candace Parker: “How do you guard her? She’s too big for a guard and too fast for a forward. She’s also a tough player. Although this is her first Olympics, she brings so much experience from her world play. She has already played every player in the tournament.

Kara Lawson: She brings energy and passion for the game. She gets excited and shows it then the rest of the team shows it. She brings a super attitude.

Tamika Catchings: “She gives you that extra possession. She does all of the little things right. A great defender and rebounder.”

© 2008, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.