From USA Basketball Communications
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — The USA Basketball Women’s U18 National Team is back in business.
Including 27 athletes overall and headlined by 14 players boasting of prior USA Basketball experience, including 2015 FIBA U19 World Championship gold medalists Lauren Cox (Flower Mound H.S./ Flower Mound, Texas) and Crystal Dangerfield (Blackman H.S./Murfreesboro, Tenn.), the roster today was announced for the 2016 USA Basketball Women’s U18 National Team Trials that will take place May 28-30 at the United States Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Trials will be utilized to select the 12-member roster for the 2016 USA Basketball Women’s U18 National Team. The USA will look to defend its 2014 U18 gold at the 2016 FIBA Americas U18 Championship July 13-17 in Valdivia, Chile. Athletes eligible for this team must be U.S. citizens who are 18 years old or younger (born on or after Jan. 1, 1998).
The 2016 USA Basketball Women’s U17 World Championship Team Trials will take place from May 26-30 at the USOTC, and all U17 athletes are eligible for the 2016 USA Women’s U18 National Team.
“There is a strong group of returning athletes that will benefit from the additional opportunities. We also have a strong group of first-time participants,” said Jim Foster (Tennessee-Chattanooga), chair of the USA Basketball Women’s Junior National Team Committee, which is responsible for issuing the invitations to participate in trials. “This should allow us to choose a team very capable of qualifying the United States for next year’s FIBA U19 World Championship.”
Cox also won gold as a member of the 2014 USA Women’s U17 World Championship Team, and she and Dangerfield won gold as members of the 2013 USA Women’s U16 National Team.
Sidney Cooks (Saint Joseph H.S./Kenosha, Wis.), Amber Ramirez (Karen Wagner H.S./San Antonio, Texas) and Megan Walker (Monacan H.S./Chesterfield, Va.) recently teamed up to win the 2016 USA Basketball 3×3 U18 National Tournament on May 1, which qualified them to represent USA Basketball at the 2016 FIBA 3×3 U18 World Championship, which will be played June 1-5 in Astana, Kazakhstan. Additionally, Oliana Squires (Sand Creek H.S./Colorado Springs, Colo.) played on the runner-up team at the 2016 USA Basketball 3×3 U18 National Tournament.
Six players will arrive at the 2016 U18 trials with two previous USA Basketball trials experiences. Tori McCoy (High School of St. Thomas More/Champaign, Ill.) attended the 2014 U17 trials and was named to the 2013 USA Women’s U16 National Team but could not participate due to injury; and players with experience at the 2013 U16 and 2014 U17 trials include: Nicole Ekhomu (Joliet Catholic Academy/Bolingbrook, Ill.); Ramirez; Kylee Shook (Mesa Ridge H.S./Colorado Springs, Colo.); Squires; and Dominique Toussaint (Christ the King H.S./Staten Island, N.Y.).
Returning after having taken part in the 2014 U17 trials are: Nadia Fingall (Choctawhatchee H.S./Navaree, Fla.); Ruthy Hebard (West Valley H.S./Fairbanks, Alaska);Megan Walker; and Evina Westbrook (South Salem H.S./Salem, Ore.); while Tyasha Harris (Heritage Christian School/Noblesville, Ind.) was at the 2013 U16 trials.
Thirteen players will be taking part in their first USA Basketball national team event, including: Jeannie Boehm (New Trier H.S./Winnetka, Ill.); Chennedy Carter (Timberview H.S./Mansfield, Texas); Dana Evans (West Side H.S./Gary, Ind.); Vivian Gray (Argyle H.S./Argyle, Texas); Nia Hollie (Hopkins H.S./Brooklyn Park, Minn.); Kiara Lewis (Whitney Young H.S./Chicago, Ill.); Chasity Patterson (North Shore H.S./Houston, Texas); Reili Richardson (Brea Olinda H.S./Brea, Calif.); Jenna Staiti (West Forsyth H.S./Cumming, Ga.); Jasmine Walker (Jefferson Davis H.S./Montgomery, Ala.); LaDazhia Williams (Lakewood Ranch H.S./Bradenton, Fla.); Aaliyah Wilson (Muskogee H.S./Muskogee, Okla.); and Micaela Wilson (Rayville H.S./Rayville, La.).
The 2016 USA Basketball Women’s U18 National Team will be led by a trio of former USA Basketball players and current successful collegiate head coaches in Suzie McConnell-Serio (Pittsburgh) as the USA head coach and Kamie Ethridge (Northern Colorado) and Charlotte Smith (Elon) as assistant coaches.
Senior Writer and national analyst for Blue Media and compiles the Blue Star Elite 25 national boys and girls high school basketball and football rankings during the season. Lawlor, an award-winning writer, is a voting committee member and advisor for several national high school events, including the McDonald’s All-American Games. He previously wrote for USA TODAY and ESPN.com, where he was the national preps writer, while compiling the national rankings in four sports.
