Twenty-Six Athletes Expected to Participate in USA Basketball Women’s U18 National Team Trials that begin on May 15

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. —  USA Basketball announced 26 athletes expected to participate in the 2024 USA Basketball Women’s U18 National Team trials at the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Training Center. Trials begin May 15 with the 12-member team expected to be announced at the conclusion of trials.

The 2024 FIBA U18 Women’s AmeriCup is scheduled for June 17-23 in Bucaramanga, Colombia, and the team will reconvene in Colorado Springs on June 8 for training camp.

Athletes attending trials were selected by the USA Basketball Women’s Junior National Team Committee, chaired by DePaul University women’s basketball head coach Doug Bruno.

Twelve athletes represent the graduating class of 2024, while 14 represent the graduating class of 2025. Athletes eligible for this team must be U.S. citizens, born on or after January 1, 2006.

Several of the players played for teams that were ranked in the Blue Star Media Elite 25.

The class of 2024 includes Joyce Edwards, Kayleigh Heckel, Zamareya Jones, Jordan Lee, Madisen McDaniel, Alivia McGill, Me’Arah O’Neal, Arianna Roberson, Kennedy Smith, Zania Socka-Ngueman, Sarah Strong and Blanca Thomas.

From the class of 2025 are Sienna Betts, Divine Bourrage, Nyla Brooks, Kaelyn Carroll, Jasmine Davidson, Madison Francis, Layla Hays, Adelaide Jernigan, Zakiyah Johnson, Grace Knox, Leah Macy, Brynn McGaughy, Mia Pauldo and Aubrey Shaw.

Fifteen athletes have previous USA Basketball experience.

Tori Moren (Indiana University) will serve as the USA’s head coach along with assistants Jose Fernandez (University of South Florida) and Niele Ivey (University of Notre Dame).

Helping as court coaches during trials will be Shea Ralph (Vanderbilt University) and Charmin Smith (University of California). Both will undertake their first USA Basketball assignments. Ralph is a seven-time national champion as a player or coach who spent 13 seasons as an assistant coach at the University of Connecticut before being named the head coach at Vanderbilt in 2021.

Smith, who helped Stanford to three Final Fours as a player, just completed her fifth season coaching at California after previously serving as an associate and assistant coach for the Bears, Stanford and Boston College.

The 2024 FIBA U18 Women’s AmeriCup features eight teams. Recently, FIBA announced that the U.S. drew Group B with Brazil, Mexico and Puerto Rico. The USA will tip off competition June 17 vs. Brazil followed by tilts against Puerto Rico and Mexico on June 18 and 19, respectively. For more information, click here.

The USA women own 11 of 13 gold U18 gold medals and 10 consecutive dating back to 2000. The top four teams will earn a berth to the 2025 FIBA U19 Women’s World Cup.

— From USA Basketball Communications