COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.– And then there were 12. Working their way down from 149 to 92, 70 then 40 and ultimately today’s announced final 12 member roster, the USA Basketball Selection Committee has selected the team to carry the flag to Mexico next month. The FIBA Americas U16 Championship for women begins June 24th and the chosen few will reconvene once again in Colorado Springs June 14 – 20 with Head Coach Dori Oldaker (Mt. Lebanon H.S., Pa.) and her staff to prepare for another championship defense.
“I’m just so excited to get started,” said Oldaker. “The selection committee did a great job selecting this team. We are excited to get ready and have our first practice. It is a little early to know our strengths. I think we will know a lot more when we come back for training camp, but there is a tremendous about of talent.”
The talent she refers to includes six members each from the 2017 and 2018 classes. Four Texans, two Californians and two more from Ohio lead the way with state bragging rights. Single individuals from Missouri, New Jersey and New York make up the remainder of the roster. Two players who were applicant participants, Jayda Adams (Santa Ana, Calif.) and Lauryn Miller (Kirkwood, Mo.) join 10 invited participants who made the final cut.
As always there was plenty of talent on hand and you could have made an argument for many of the athletes who didn’t get the final call. The reality is that a trip to Colorado isn’t a “try out” but a more accurately an “audition” and the committee is charged with filling specific roles when they make their selections. Agree, disagree or scratch your head, unless you’re in the room, you’re guessing about why or why not on the legitimate candidates for the team. Here’s our take on the twelve that got a part in what hopefully will be another Gold Medal production this summer.
We’ve had the chance to see Jayda Adams several times this spring and the reality is that this young lady is continually advancing her game. A 2017 guard, Adams combines good size at 5-11 with an active and aggressive approach to her play. She’s a factor both in the halfcourt as well as in transition. She seems to be looking to create more off the dribble and is finding her way into the paint more and more often. Once there she does a solid job handling the bigs who rotate her way and delivered several sharp interior passes that found the mark. The ballhandling is sound and given time she’s got both the form and range to be a threat from deeper on the perimeter. When rushed the percentage drops but seems to be evolving. A Mater Dei product, she’s got the defensive fundamentals to make a consistent and strong contribution.
We’ve been in a lot of gyms with Desiree Caldwell this spring as well and by far her effort in Colorado Springs was her most productive effort to date. The 2018 grad had several solid sessions early but saved her best performance for literally the last session on Sunday. Her play included both creating her own looks as well as developing some scoring opportunities for teammates as well. Most of her work comes off the dribble which is quick, sure and often deceptive. The crossover creates penetration for the 5-6 point guard as well as improves her passing angles. Despite her diminutive size Caldwell has no reservations about taking it into traffic. While her shot is a somewhat two handed release, she found the range and forced defenders to close out or pay a price. She’s strong on ball defensively but tends to follow too tightly on the weakside of the floor at times.
Without a doubt one of the most dynamic athletes on hand was 2018 forward Aquira DeCosta. Long and lean, she’s an impact player from baseline to baseline. She’s a nightmare match up for opposing defenses with the speed of a guard and the vertical play of an interior player. DeCosta appears to be looking to create more of her own looks off the dribble and on occasion played a little more east – west than north – south. From the high post her first step is almost unstoppable as she slashes through and over traffic. Several times she drew helpside rotations and dropped off some nice passes leading to easy looks for teammates. An enormous asset is that she can work from 15 feet or just as efficiently post up down low and work both the middle and baseline side. At 6-2 she’s can be a force on the boards at both ends but occasionally relies a little too much on her physical tools rather than some good old fashioned box outs to get the job done. A “sky’s the limit” kind of player…literally.
Easily one of the more consistent start to finish efforts during the trials came from UConn early verbal Andra Espinoza – Hunter. The 5-11 guard already has established her ability to connect from deep on the perimeter and her efforts off the drive provided some good results throughout the competition as well. The 2017 Hunter appears to be reading defenders better and finding gaps that get her deeper in the paint leading to more looks closer to the rim. While a legitimate threat as a scorer she sees the floor well on the break and even off early entry passes. Her willingness to make the extra pass is in turn creating more looks for herself and keeping defenders honest. Espinoza – Hunter is resilient as well taking several hard shots on penetration and handling them well. She’s active and aware on the defensive and of the floor but got caught looking a few times two passes away from the ball.
There’s a strong, physical approach to the guard play of Destiny Littleton. Her solid build at 5-9 comes with the added caveat of her being willing to use both that size and strength in creating her opportunities. Off the dribble she’s a challenge for most guards. The 2017 Littleton has a low and quick crossover that serves her well often leading to an impressive step back move. The form, stroke and range are there to make her a threat 20 feet and in and she’s not hesitant about putting it up. She’s doing a better job of looking to create from the cut as well as off the dribble which in turn is making the job of defending her more difficult. On the defensive end she’s challenged by the ultra – quicks but does a good job on more physical guards or wings. Consistency is a key for her both with USA Basketball and beyond.
For many observers 6-1 forward Lauryn Miller was a bit of a surprise selection. If you watch her game closely it helps explain why that might have been. This is a compliment in the most sincere way…there is no flash to her game. Miller is text book and solid. Making that all the more impressive is her willingness to work and battle. On one hand you want to call the 2017 power player a “jack of all trades” but that would be underselling her skill set. She contributes in almost every facet of the game. She can finish around the rim, score from the mid-range, put it on the floor from the high post and aggressively attacks the glass. For good measure she even led the break one possession delivering a threaded pass from just over halfcourt. Her size and strength is something she’s more than willing to use defensively and, as mentioned, on the boards. Miller is the kind of player you would rather play with than against.
Point guard Alexis Morris seemed almost conservative at times in Colorado Springs. Her normal, all out, every possession attack had its moments but the decision making and efficient management of possessions won the day…and a spot on the team. She’s an individual press breaker and demonstrated that she has the depth to her game to play at whatever pace the situation might call for. The 2017 Morris can get to the rim to score or dish as needed. The pull up is there as is the deeper range on the perimeter when called for. Off the dribble few people on the scholastic level utilize the change of speed and direction as this wishfully listed 5-6 guard. The quickness and speed she has is an asset off the cut and she’s creating more options with plenty of effort without the ball. On ball defensively she’s quick and aggressive and gets a hand on more than her share of passes and sloppy ballhandling.
There were a few moments during the trials that 6-3 Valencia Myers looked like she had discovered the meaning of “high altitude”. The 2018 post admitted she was tired to one evaluator but seemed to find a second wind, so to speak, as the trials wore on and catch the selection committee’s attention. Myers has been a work in progress and is showing flashes of turning a corner in her performance against her peers in the top tier of the class. She can step off the block and connect from the 10 to 12 foot range and even took it to the rim one time off the reversal in transition. Down low she keeps it high but is more content to take what the defense gives her rather than create an opportunity. On one possession Myers did offer up an eye catching hook off a drop step to the baseline which could be a sign of things to come. She’s a solid contributor on the boards but tends to defend after the catch rather than taking away options.
On one hand you want to call Sedona Prince another one of the “works in progress” that we often see at this age. At the same time the 6-6 2018 post provides plenty of productivity already and plays with that all too hard to find consistency coaches look for. It’s obvious she’s been well coached somewhere along the line already. She not the one dimensional player that we often find at her height and it appears that she’s just scratching the surface. Prince can finish at a high percentage in the low post but also offered up several examples of her ability to create of the one or two dribble drive. Her lean build takes some hits that affect her shot at times but she handles it well and keeps battling. Off the defensive board she gets it out quick and has the ability to run the floor and be a factor on the break herself. Defensively her size makes her an impact but she’s often too reliant upon it rather than her footwork to limit touches for opposing posts.
Obviously with some of the surprises in the this year’s roster nobody was a “lock” but the consensus that Honesty Scott – Grayson was close to it proved to be true in the end. The 2018 combo is a factor on virtually every play and even more impressive is making her teammates bigger threats. In transition or the halfcourt her attack is leading to good looks for herself or breakdowns by the defense and lay up for her pals. The choices she’s making with the ball are maturing and she’s even pulled it out a few times when the numbers weren’t in her favor. Scott – Grayson has always been productive off the drive and the open looks are on the money more often than not. Her base is narrow on her spot up shot which might lead to some inconsistency if rushed at times. Defensively, the long legged, athletic 5-10 guard anticipates well off the ball and has the quickness to match up with virtually anything the opposition throws her way.
Bexley Wallace is evolving. The 6-3 forward seems to be finally embracing a role that she’s well suited for and finding some results along the way. The trials weren’t a cakewalk for her and a spot on the roster was hardly a guarantee. At the same time, each session she seemed to make a play here, make a play there and limit mistakes that might have sunk her ship. The size and strength are there to be a force on the block but she can also work efficiently from the high post. The touch she demonstrated from the mid-range challenges bigs and is unstoppable by smaller defenders. Wallace is looking more fit and provided the most consistent effort we’ve seen in a while. Just a 2018, she’s been on the radar for a while and held to a somewhat unfair higher standard. Of course the key to improved performances is the ability reproduce them again each time out.
The post that most folks on the media / evaluator end of the floor had on their “safe bet” list was long and lean Jade Williams. At 6-3 she’s fluid, smooth and has the speed to run with the guards. Her versatility challenges match ups. She can put it on the floor well for her size but can go down low and spin off defenders trying to muscle her. There’s a nice touch in place that lets her connect at the elbow or from the trail spot. A 2017, Williams works efficiently as well stepping out on the baseline to the short corner and the ability is there to exploit slower footed bigs off the drive. She keeps it high on the catch and sees the floor well as she’s looking at her own opportunities. There’s really not a physical nature to her game and that might be the direction the opposition goes to make her less of a factor. However, to put a body on her you do have to catch her first.
