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Women’s Basketball: 2017 USA U19 World Cup Trials

By Daniel Benjamin

Jan 12, 2017; South Bend, IN, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers head coach Suzie McConnell-Serio watches in the first quarter against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at the Purcell Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 12, 2017; South Bend, IN, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers head coach Suzie McConnell-Serio watches in the first quarter against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at the Purcell Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports /
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The USA U19 Women’s basketball team is gearing up to begin its training camp in preparation for the 2017 World Cup.

USA Basketball recently announced that 33 high school and college players will attend its four-day U19 women’s basketball trial session (May 18-21) in Colorado Springs, CO. 24 of the players that will be attending the trials played NCAA D-I basketball this past season. In addition, 23 of the players have previous USA Basketball experience.

USA Basketball selection committee made one change to its trial roster on Monday, choosing Princeton’s Bella Alarie to replace Tori McCoy — who withdrew from consideration. McCoy played this past season at Ohio State but recently decided to transfer to Marquette. McCoy, a top-10 recruit last year, averaged  8.1 points and 4.9 rebounds in less than 17 minutes a game for the Buckeyes. She will have three years of eligibility remaining starting in 2018-19.

Alarie had a fabulous freshman season for the Tigers. The 2017 Ivy League Rookie of the Year averaged 12.6 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks per game. Alarie joins Syracuse’s Gabby Cooper, UConn’s Crystal Dangerfield, Harvard’s Jeannie Boehm, South Carolina’s Tyesha Harris, Oregon’s Ruthy Hebard, Texas’ Joyner Holmes, and Arkansas’ Aaliyah Wilson are among the most recognizable college players at the trials. High school stars Chennedy Carter, Sidney Cooks, Dana Evans, Megan Walker, along with Boehm, Harris, and Hebard won gold medals with the U18 team in 2016.

“These athletes represent the top talent our country has to offer at this age level,” said George Washington University head coach Jennifer Rizzotti, chair of the selection committee. “This is a very versatile group that will give the coaching staff a lot of options. They are all tough competitors, and it is not going to be easy for us to pare it down to the final 12-member team. The committee feels we will be able to select from this group a team that will represent the USA well on and off the court, and these athletes have what it takes to win a seventh straight gold medal at the FIBA U19 World Cup.”

University of Pittsburgh head coach Suzie McConnell-Serio will lead the squad. McConnell-Serio, a former Olympian gold medalist, led USA National Team to the U18 gold medal last summer. Northern Colorado head coach Kamie Ethridge and Elon head coach Charlotte Smith will once again serve as assistant coaches.

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USA is a six-time defending U19 World Cup champions. They will look to win their seventh straight gold medals in Italy where the event will take place from July 22-30.

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