SWEET 16: USA Women’s U16 National Team trials produces 16 finalists; Zoe Brooks, Breya Cunningham, JuJu Watkins headline selections

INDIANAPOLIS — Call it the Sweet Sixteen.

That’s how many players survived the eight trials sessions featuring 34 athletes in the hunt for one of 12 roster spots on the 2021 USA Basketball Women’s U16 National Team.

The finalists, who were selected by the USA Basketball Women’s Developmental National Team Committee, will remain in Indianapolis through June 18, when it is anticipated the 12-member team will be finalized.
The finalists are:

K.K. Arnold (Germantown, Wis.); Madison Booker (Germantown/Ridgeland, Miss.); Zoe Brooks (Trenton Catholic Academy/Hamilton Township, N.J.); Jaloni Cambridge (Ensworth/Nashville, Tenn.); Breya Cunningham (La Jolla Country Day School/San Diego); Jadyn Donovan (Sidwell Friends School/Washington, D.C.); Kendall Dudley (Sidwell Friends); Milaysia Fulwiley (Keenan/Columbia, S.C.); Ella Hobbs (Robinson/Mooresville, N.C.); Margaret Mendelson (Fremont/Plain City, Utah); Olivia Olson (Benilde-St. Margaret’s/New Hope, Minn.); Grace Slaughter (Grain Valley, Mo.); Delaney Thomas (St. John’s College/Washington, D.C.); Kennedy Umeh (McDonogh School/Owings Mills, Md.); Judea “JuJu” Watkins (Windward School/Los Angeles); and Jada Williams (Blue Springs, Mo.).

“The committee did a terrific job in pairing down the roster to 16,” said Sue Phillips of Archbishop Mitty High School in San Jose, Calif., who is serving for a second time as the USA U16 National Team head coach after having led the 2013 USA U16 squad to gold. “We had some incredibly talented athletes, who made it such a difficult journey for the committee. I could tell they were working tirelessly throughout the week to evaluate such a hard-working group of young athletes.

“I’m excited for this group and the opportunity to see them over the next two days to determine which 12 will be joining us at the FIBA Americas U16 Championship.”

Team members will return to USA Basketball for training camp on Aug. 4, to prepare for the 2021 FIBA Americas U16 Championship, which is expected to be played Aug. 16-22 in Santiago, Chile.

Players eligible for this team must be U.S. citizens born on or after Jan. 1, 2005.

Five athletes have prior USA Basketball experience after having participated in the 2019 USA U16 National Team trials, including Brooks, Cunningham, Slaughter, Watkins and Williams.

Eleven of the finalists are in the high school class of 2023, while five will graduate in 2025.

The USA’s assistant coaches are Tom McConnell of Indiana University (Pa.) and Sophia Witherspoon of Fort Pierce (Fla.) Central.

The top four finishing teams at the 2021 FIBA Americas U16 Championship will qualify for the 2022 FIBA U17 World Cup.