TAYLOR MADE: Texas A&M head coach Joni Taylor will lead USA Basketball Women’s U18 National Team at 2022 FIBA Americas tournament this summer

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — Joni Taylor, the head coach at Texas A&M, has been named as the head coach  of the 2022 USA Basketball Women’s U18 National Team this summer. Taylor, who was an assistant coach for the gold medal 2021 USA U19 World Cup Team, will be assisted by by collegiate head coaches DeLisha Milton-Jones (Old Dominion) and Teri Moren (Indiana).

Aiding the coaching staff in on-court skills and drills and scrimmages during the May 31-June 4 trials, in Colorado Springs will be collegiate head coaches Amaka Agugua-Hamilton (Virginia) and Denise Dillon (V

“Anytime you have an opportunity to be a part of USA Basketball it is very humbling,” said Taylor, who returns for her fourth USA Basketball coaching assignment. “I’m excited about working with and learning from DeLisha [Milton-Jones], Teri [Moren], Amaka [Aguaga-Hamilton] and Denise [Dillon]. To have the ability to impact and lead young women while representing our country is very special and some of my greatest basketball memories have come with being associated with this great organization.”

A biennial event launched in 1988, the FIBA Americas U18 Championship features eight national teams from North, South and Central America and the Caribbean. The USA Basketball women claimed 10-straight gold medals from 2000-2018, as well as in 1988, and silver medals in 1992 and 1996.

Taylor, whose previous USA Basketball experience also includes twice serving as a court coach, was announced on March 23, 2022, as the Texas A&M head coach. Taylor spent seven seasons as the head coach at Georgia, where she compiled a 140-75 record, posted seven winning seasons and advanced to the NCAA Tournament four of the six years it was held.

Two-time Olympic and World Cup gold medalist, Milton-Jones enters her first assignment as a coach at the international level after having served as a court coach for the 2019 USA Basketball U19 and Pan Am Games team trials. A 17-year WNBA veteran and two-time WNBA champion, Milton-Jones recently completed her second season at ODU and finished with a 24-10 mark and advance to the second round of the WNIT.

Moren also marks her first international stint with USA Basketball after being a court coach for the 2021 USA U19 World Cup Team trials. A 19-year head coaching veteran, Moren spent the past eight seasons leading Indiana to a 172-89 record, including the 2022 NCAA Sweet 16, 2021 NCAA Elite Eight, 2018 WNIT championship and three additional postseason berths.

Both court coaches have been selected for their first USA Basketball coaching assignment.

Agugua-Hamilton recently took over as head coach at Virginia after a three-year stint at the helm of Missouri State’s program. She piloted her teams to a 73-15 record, a pair of NCAA Tournament berths and advanced to the 2021 Sweet 16.

Dillon spent the past two seasons as head coach at Villanova, where she piloted her teams to a 41-16 mark, the 2021 WNIT quarterfinals and the 2022 NCAA second round. Prior to Villanova, Dillon was a 17-year head coach at Drexel and in compiling a 329-211 record, and guided teams to 10 postseason appearances in her final 12 seasons, including claiming the 2013 WNIT championship.