COLORADO SPRINGS – The 42 players gathered here came with the singular purpose to make the 2024 USA Basketball u17 World Cup team, especially those 11 returning gold medalists from last year’s run at the FIBA Americas u16 crown.
After the three-day tryout filled with five sessions was over more than the one or two expected new faces made this new U17 team. Some expected, many not expected and a few disappointed.
The 2024 USAB u17 team comprises of only seven returning players in Jacy Abbi (TX), Addison Bjorn (MO), Lanie Grant (VA), Lola Lampley (IN), Jerzy Robinson (CA), Hailee Swaim (GA) and McKenna Woliczko (CA).
Missing this team were Dee Alexander (OH), Kelsi Andrews (AL), Aaliyah Crump (MN), Jayla Jackson (VA) and an injured Trinity Jones (IL)
Replacing them are Alex Eschmeyer (CO), Jordyn Palmer (PA), Emilee Skinner (UT), Kaleena Smith (CA) and Ivana Wilson-Manyacka (MD).
Last year’s U16 USA Team had many flaws which didn’t affect the team capturing the gold medal over a solid but not dominate Canadian team by 20 points. The u16s did not shoot the ball well and had too many similar position players – swing wings – that just relied on their depth and style to crush teams. This team shot only 27.4% from the three and 70% from the foul line – enough to win in the Americas, deadly against the Euro powers (France and Spain) and Australia.
When everyone gathered on Friday morning for the first of two sessions, it was imperative to see who got better from last year – not just how they did playing in April for their travel teams. Add to that the positional competition for possible open roster spots.
Out of 52 players last year, 23 were missing from this year’s invitees: Ava Black (NH), Taylor Brown (PA), Devin Congriff (CA), Jaliya Davis (KS), Reiyan Desouza (TX), Oliviyah Edwards (WA), Nora Ezike (IL), Bella Fleming (TX), Amayah Garcia (TX), Logyn Greer (PA), Brooklynn Haywood (CA), Marcayla Johnson (OK), Jenica Lewis (IA), Alya McDowell (TX), Aliyanah Morris (CA), Jhasmin Niver (NC), Kamora Pruitt (TX), Isabella Ragone (GA), Bree Riley (TX), Kaylah Thornton (OH), Gabrielle White (NC), Janiyah Williams (OK) and Zaniyah Williams (VA). Haylen Ayres (TN) and Trinity Jones (IL) were invited (44) but did not attend.
Addred for this new session (15) besides the returners were: Taylor Barnes (TX), Ryan Carter (PA), Ginny Anne Dumont (SC), Jayla Forbes (AL), Sanai Green (VA), Kate Harping (GA), Lauren Hurst (TN), Eve Long (KS), Ashley MacCalla (NY), Jessie Moses (PA), Emilee Skinner (UT), Kaleena Smith (CA), Jordan Speiser (MO), Nation Williams (NV) and Ivana Wilson-Manyacka (MD).
These 13 players were invited back besides the 11 gold medalists: Carly Amborn (CA), GG Banks (DE), Amari Byles (TX), Zhen Craft (MD), Brihanna Crittendon (CO), Sydney Douglas (CA), Kelis Fisher (MD), Autumn Fleary (MD), Saniyah Hall (OH), Holland Harris (FL), Lauren Hassell (TN), Keziah Lofton (OK), Jordyn Palmer (PA).
The only surprise not invited (or responded back) of note were Brown and Ragone.
After two sessions on Friday it was obvious that many of the players returning from last year got better but not better skilled. The only two players who shot the ball well were returner Crittendon and newcomer Skinner. Skinner a big swing wing shooter many though should have been here and could’ve made the team last year impressed.
There was little separation by the finish of Saturday morning’s session before the first cuts were made. Again, shooting was at a premium and at least half the camp all playing for the same swing-wing position including the returning medalists.
The inside was a smaller competition with Andrews (medalists) going up against returners Douglas, Eschmeyer, Hassell and newcomer Forbes.
The guard line competition got better from last year as Swaim (medalists) had comp with Fleary, Smith, Banks.
When the first cuts were posted there was only two surprise subtractions, one truly the other not. The not surprise was medalist Dee Alexander who started for the U16s last year as a defender and rebounder but did not transition from swing forward to swing guard with this competition.
The other surprise was a shocker (for me and many) was the cut of young star 6-6 ’28 post Sydney Douglas. It was hard to figure out as the USA team traditionally keep future stars on a roster knowing their pathway and trajectory. Most of the post competition took place on the far court, hard to see and watch. Douglas played well, ran the floor and competed. The only answer could be the solid play of an older Eschmeyer who has a similar long lean build. But, possessing a “bad” birthdate for FIBA events and knowing that this is her cycle (16-17 group) not next year despite her grade made this a very disappointing decision. More on that later in the next story.
The remaining 22 players were then divided (by me) into five positions of pg (Banks, Fleary, Smith, Swain), shooter (Bjorn, Grant, Harping, Skinner), swing/wing (Abii, Crump, Jackson, Speicer), swing/small forward (Crittendon, Lampley, Williams, Wilson-Manyacka) and post (Andrews, Eschmeyer, Hassell). Robinson, Palmer and Wolizcko were the three multi-positional players that fit across many categories.
By looking at the matchups above it was easy to see the makeup of a final team depending on how the Committee was going to select from each position. They simply took two pgs, three shooters, only one swing/wing, in Abbi, one new small forward and one post. Skinner replaced Crump, Smith replaced Jones, Palmer replaced Alexander, Wilson-Manyacka replaced Jackson, Eschmeyer replaced Andrews. This is how they added five faces.
Compared to last year, this 12-player roster is smaller and more swing oriented an interesting decision when you have to face Australia, Croatia, and possibly France, Spain, Canada on the road to defend their FIBA U17 title.
This squad does not even come close to the 2022 FIBA u17 gold medalists headlined by Juju Watkins, Mikayiah Williams, Sunaja Agara, Madison Booker, Jalonie Cambridge, Morgan Cheli, Breya Cunningham, Jadyn Donovan, Hannah Hildalgo, Mackenly Randolph, Jada Williams, Kennedy Umeh. Most of these played meaningful roles in college this year.
When asked by some people about this 2024 roster I gave this response.
The point guard line will be solid with Swain who ran the team efficiently last year but now has Kaleena Smith as a backup who can shoot the ball.
The issue that needs to be addressed is still the shooting and wing scoring. Both Grant and newcomer Skinner did not play the entire third day of the trails but both made the team as the shooters. Skinner is a copy of Morgan Cheli.
The USA struggled to shoot the ball from the three (27.4%) last year and some of their big wings Alexander (cut), Crump (cut), Jackson (cut) didn’t get it done. Bjorn made it back with her versatile play but didn’t shoot the ball extremely well. Lampley made it playing great the last two sessions but very little before. Skinner and Jordan Palmer (who was solid last year too) ended up replacing players in their column.
McKenna Woliczko who serves this team as a leader and do everything player will be called upon to defend the power and post position next to Eschmeyer.
The obvious star and leader of this team Jerzy Robinson who’s always a bucket or a point with her tenacious play to and around the basket. While still not the shooter like Juju Watkins, her play reminds you of Mikayiah Williams. This team will miss Trinity Jones who I thought was their third best swing scorer after Robinson and Abii.
If I had any issue it was the dismissal of three days (except for the last session) of 6-3 Brihanna Crittendon who shot the ball very well and was one of the few who got way better this year for the trials.
Lauren Hassell rebounded from ok play the first day to play strong in the third session on Saturday and also the two session on Sunday. Eschmeyer didn’t dominate but she didn’t falter either. I thought they needed one of both of these players on the roster if they were going to subtract Andrews (still playing with a knee brace) and Douglas.
Addison Bjorn, Jayla Jackson, Trinity Jones and Kelsi Andrews played the least minutes last summer. Robinson (17.3), Wolizcko (11.8) both made the FIBA Amerias All-Star team. Grant (11.2) and Swaim (10.3) was the other USA double figure scorers.
NOTES: The USA team will play Australia in their first game at the 16-team FIBA u17 World Cup in Irapuato / Leon, Mexico on July 13th. Their third pool game will be against Croatia which features Christ the King star and NY resident Olivia Vukosa in the post. She helped Croatia get to the Worlds last summer with her play at the European u16 tournament in Turkey. The USA will seek their sixth gold medal, having won the title in all but one iteration of the event (2016, bronze losing to Brazil in the quarterfinals). The Americans hold a 40-1 all-time record in the competition
