USA Women Draw Group B at FIBA Americas U16 Championship
• Schedule
The USA women will compete in Group B at the 2019 FIBA Americas U16 Championship that is being held June 16-22 in Puerto Aysen, Chile, along with host Chile, El Salvador and Mexico. In Group A will be Brazil, Canada, Ecuador and Puerto Rico.
The top four finishing teams at the event qualify for the 2020 FIBA U17 World Cup.
“Playing against host Chile, El Salvador and Mexico in the preliminary round will provide us with good competition, and we will have to be prepared to play our best throughout the tournament,” said USA U16 head coach Mark Campbell (Union University, Tenn.).
Kelly Carruthers (James Bowie H.S., Texas) and Ruth Sinn (University of St. Thomas, Minn.) are the USA’s assistant coaches.
The preliminary round games will be played on June 16-18. All eight national teams will advance to the quarterfinals on June 20, the semifinals will be played on June 21 and the gold medal game will be on June 22.
Trials to select the 12-member USA U16 National Team will be held May 23-27 at the United States Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Following the trials, team finalists will remain for training camp through May 31, when the official 12-member roster is expected to be announced. Training camp will resume June 5-15 before the team departs for Chile. Athletes eligible for this team must be U.S. citizens born on or after Jan. 1, 2003.
The 2019 FIBA Americas U16 Championship features eight national teams from North, South and Central America and the Caribbean.
Since FIBA Americas initiated the U16 Championship in 2009, USA teams have compiled a 24-1 record and won gold in 2009, 2011, 2013 and 2017. USA U16 National Team players of note include: Aliyah Boston (2017), Samantha Brunelle (2017), Lauren Cox (2013), Kaela Davis (2011), Asia Durr (2013), Andra Espinoza-Hunter (2015), Rebecca Greenwell (2011), Arike Ogunbowale (2013), Katie Lou Samuelson (2013), Breanna Stewart (2009) and Elizabeth Williams (2009).
