FIBA today conducted the draw for the 2018 FIBA U17 World Cup for Women in Minsk, Belarus, and the USA was placed into Group B where it will face Italy on July 21, Mali on July 22 and China on July 24 in preliminary round play. Game times are still to be determined.

The FIBA U17 World Cup will take place at Minsk's Sport Palace and Falcon Club from July 21-29.

Group A includes Belarus, Colombia, France and Japan; playing in Group C will be Argentina, Hungary, New Zealand and Spain; while Group D features Angola, Australia, Canada and Latvia.

The FIBA U17 World Cup, which is held every two years, originated in 2010 and features the world’s top 17-year-old and younger players. Athletes eligible for this team must be U.S. citizens who are 17 years old or younger (born on or after Jan. 1, 2001).

Following the preliminary round, all teams will advance to the round of 16. The winners of the round of 16 will advance to the medal quarterfinals on July 27, and the losers will play out for ninth-16^th places. The semifinals will be played on July 28, and the gold and bronze medal games on July 29.

The USA earned its qualifying spot for the U17 worlds last summer by capturing gold at the FIBA Americas U16 Championship with a 5-0 record.

Trials to select the finalists for the 12-member 2018 USA Women’s U17 World Cup Team will be held May 24-28 at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

The finalists will remain in Colorado Springs for training camp and the naming of the official roster. The team will begin training camp on July 4, and athletes will return home following the conclusion of the tournament.

Athletes will receive invitations to attend the trials during March 2018. It again will be possible for athletes who do not receive an invitation to participate in trials by submitting an application no later than April 3. Due to space limitations, a maximum of 115 applicant athletes will be permitted to attend the trials, as determined by the USA Basketball Developmental National Team Committee. Athletes will be notified of the committee’s decision to attend the trials by April 13.

USA women's teams are 29-1 all-time in U17 World Cup play, capturing three gold medals (2010, 2012 and 2014) and one bronze medal (2016).

Most recently, the 2016 USA U17 World Cup Team rebounded from a semifinal loss to eventual gold medalist Australia and earned the bronze medal with a 65-50 victory over China. In 2014, Joyner Holmes and Katie Lou Samuelson were named to the five-member all-tournament team after helping the USA edge host Spain 77-75 in the gold medal game. In 2012 Diamond DeShields was named MVP of the tournament, with Linnae Harper joining her on the all-tournament team. And in 2010, the USA squad outscored opponents by 37.4 points a game, led by Elizabeth Williams (13.5 ppg, 7.9 rpg.) and Breanna Stewart (12.8 ppg., 7.5 rpg.).

Notable players to represent the U.S. include: Lindsay Allen (2012), DeShields (2012), Rebecca Greenwell (2012), Holmes (2014), Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis (2010), Ariel Massengale (2010), Olivia Nelson-Ododa (2016), Mercedes Russell (2012), Samuelson (2014), Stewart (2010), Christyn Williams (2016) and Elizabeth Williams (2010).