COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The quest for fourth straight gold medal is the goal for the 2023 USA Women’s U16 National Team and it begins on May 25.
USA Basketball announced today 55 athletes expected to participate in the USA Women’s U16 National Team trials at the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Training Center.
Trials run from May 25, with the final 12-member roster expected to be announced on May 30. The team will travel to Mérida, Mexico for the FIBA U16 Women’s Americas Championship from June 13-19.
Trials participants represent the high school graduating classes of 2025, 2026, 2027 and 2028. Athletes eligible for this team must be U.S. citizens, born on or after January 1, 2007. Athletes and coaches were selected by the USA Basketball Women’s Developmental National Team Committee.
“We are excited to have such a talented group set to compete for roster spots on the 2023 Women’s U16 National Team,” said Kirsten Moore, chair, USA Basketball Developmental National Team Committee. “For many of these athletes, this will be their first time participating in USA Basketball trials and we are excited to see who rises to that challenge.”
The Class of 2025 includes:
Darriana “Dee” Alexander, Carly Amborn, Ava Black, Zhen Craft, Aaliyah Crump, Jaliya Davis, Alexandra Eschmeyer, Nora Ezike, Kelis Fisher, Lanie Grant, Logyn Greer, Holland Harris, Marlayla Johnson, Keziah Lofton, Ayla McDowell, Aliyanha Morris, Jasmine Nivar, Keeley Parks, s, Bree Riley, Hailee Swain, Gabrielle White and Janiyah Williams.
The Class of 2026:
Jacy Abii, Kelsi Andrews, GiGi Battle, Addison Bjorn, Amari Byles, Devin Cosgriff, Brihanna Crittendon, Rieyan DeSouze, Oliviyah Edwards, Autumn Fleary, Bella Flemings, Amayah Garcia, Sanai Green, Maddyn Greenway, Saniyah Hall, Brooklynn Haywood, Jayla Jackson, Trinity Jones, Lola Lampley, Karisma Lewis, JenicaLewis, Kamora Pruitt, Isabella Ragone, Jerzy Robinson, Kaylah Thornton, Olivia Vukosa, Zaniyah Williams and McKenna Woliczko.
From 2027, it’s Haylen Ayers, Taylor Brown, Lauren Hassell and Jordyn Palmer, while Sydney Douglas is the only athlete from 2028.
The group features 22 athletes with past USA Basketball experience. Twenty-one recently participated in the inaugural USA Basketball Women’s Junior National Team April minicamp in Dallas, including Abii, Alexander, Andrews, Battle, Bjorn, Byles, Cosgriff, Craft, Crittendon, Crump, DeSouze, Edwards, Greenway, Jackson, Lampley, Lewis, Lofton, Parks, Robinson, Vukosa and Zaniyah Williams.
Additionally, Johnson and Crump return to Colorado Springs after participating in the 2022 USA Women’s U17 National Team trials.
The coaches for the team include Dan Rolfes of Incarnate Word Academy (Bel Nor, Mo.), whose team captured the Blue Star Media Elite 25 National Championship in April for the second straight year, and Bobbi Morgan of Ursinus College and Trenia Tillis-Hoard of Tyler Junior College in Texas.
Court coaches for trials will be Karen Self of Seton Catholic (Chandler, Ariz.) and Audrey Taylor of Franklin (N.J.)
The 2023 FIBA U16 Women’s Americas Championship features eight teams. FIBA recently announced that the U.S. drew Group A with Colombia, Mexico and Puerto Rico.
The USA has won the gold medal at the competition in six of the seven editions, including the last three.
Here’s the complete roster for the trials.
— From USA Basketball Communications
