COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — And the verdict is in.
What began with 124 wannabes at the U.S. Olympic Training Center, the USA Basketball Women’s Developmental National Team Committee announced Monday morning the 12-member roster for the 2013 USA Basketball Women’s U16 National Team.
Named to the team were:
DeJanae Boykin of Flowers (Springdale, Md.); Kalani Brown of Salmen (Slidell, La.); Chassity Carter of Dickson County (Dickson, Tenn.); Lauren Cox of Flower Mound (Texas); Crystal Dangerfield of Blackman (Murfreesboro, Tenn); Chelsea Dungee of Preston (Okla.); Asia Durr of St. Pius X Catholic (Atlanta); Sabrina Ionescu of Miramonte (Walnut Creek, Calif.); Tori McCoy of St. Thomas More (Champaign, Ill.); Taylor Murray of Annapolis (Md.) Christian; Arike Ogunbowale of Divine Savior Holy Angels (Milwaukee); and Katie Lou Samuelson of Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.).
“The level of talent at trials was exceptional. They were eager to learn and show their skills,” said Carol Callan, USA Basketball Women’s National Team Director and non-voting chair of the Women’s Developmental National Team Committee. “We had planned the weekend so that they would walk away better basketball players and people, and we hope that they do.
While 10 of the 12 team members were invited to trials by the USA Basketball Women’s Developmental National Team Committee, Ionescu and Murray attended trials as applicant athletes.
Additionally, Nancy Mulkey of Cypress Woods (Cypress, Texas) was named as an alternate and will train with the team during training camp.
“I’m just thrilled at the opportunity to work with these talented, young women. I think kudos to the committee, they picked a very versatile and well-rounded team,” said Sue Phillips, USA head coach and head mentor at Archbishop Mitty High School (San Jose, Calif.) and for the San Jose Cagers AAU. “I think we are well-rounded. So, I think we can defend to win basketball games. I think we can push tempo to win basketball games. I think we can crash the boards. So, our versatility I think is our primary strength, and I’m looking forward to continuing to develop that.”
The 2013 USA Women’s U16 National Team will reassemble for training camp June 10-16 at the USOTC prior to the team’s departure for the 2013 FIBA Americas U16 Championship, which will be played June 19-23 in Cancun, Mexico.
Serving as USA assistant coaches are Mary Coyle Klinger of Rutgers Prep (Somerset, N.J.) and Brian Robinson of Bishop McGuinness (Kernersville, N.C.).
Six players will graduate high school in the Class of 2015, including Boykin, Brown, Durr, Murray, Ogunbowale and Samuelson; while six players belong to the Class of 2016, including Carter, Cox, Dangerfield, Dungee, Ionescu and McCoy.
