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Women’s Basketball: UConn’s Crystal Dangerfield among players named to U19 USA Basketball Team

By Daniel Benjamin

Feb 27, 2017; Tampa, FL, USA; Connecticut Huskies guard Crystal Dangerfield (5) passes the ball to Connecticut Huskies guard Katie Lou Samuelson (33) in the first half against the South Florida Bulls at USF Sun Dome. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Dyer-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 27, 2017; Tampa, FL, USA; Connecticut Huskies guard Crystal Dangerfield (5) passes the ball to Connecticut Huskies guard Katie Lou Samuelson (33) in the first half against the South Florida Bulls at USF Sun Dome. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Dyer-USA TODAY Sports /
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The USA Women’s Basketball Committee recently announced the 12 players that made the U19 World Cup squad. Nine of the 12 players that were selected played college basketball this past season.

UConn sophomore Crystal Dangerfield is the most decorated of the 12 players that made the team. Dangerfield won gold medals with the U19 team in 2015 and U16 squad in 2013. The Murfreesboro (Tenn.) native averaged 6.1 points and 3.7 assists in 31 games with the Huskies this past season as a freshman. She was named to the American Athletic Conference All–Rookie team.

“I just hope to lead them from experience. In 2015, it was hard. I remember our championship game (a 78-70 win over host Russia) – that was our toughest game,” said Dangerfield. “And, the teams out there, like they said in the room, it’s tougher out there than it has been in previous tournaments. The World Cup games, you have to stay strong out there. Any game can go any way.”

South Carolina sophomore Tyasha Harris, Harvard’s Jeannie Boehm, and Oregon’s Ruthy Hebard are back on the team after spending last summer winning Goldberg medals with the U18 squad. Harris, along with Dangerfield, will be one of the U19 catalysts. The All-SEC Freshman selection averaged 5.6 points and 2.0 boards for the Gamecocks. She led South Carolina with 3.2 assists a contest.

Hebard had perhaps the best first collegiate season of the nine players on the roster. The 6-foot-4 interior player recorded 11 double-doubles as she averaged 14.9 points along with a team-high 8.5 caroms for the Ducks. She topped the 20-point plateau 11 times and shot 58.8 percent from the floor.

Boehm also had a fantastic inaugural season for the Crimson. The 6-foot-3 forward compiled 7.2 and 6.5 rebounds along with a team-high 73 blocked shots.

Bella Alarie (Princeton), Joyner Holmes (Texas), Kayla Overbeck (Vanderbilt), Reili Richardson (Arizona State), and Alecia Sutton (Texas) round out the players on the roster who have one year of collegiate experience. High schooler’s Chennady Carter (Mansfield, Texas), Megan Walker (Chesterfield, Virginia), and Christyn Williams (Little Rock, Arkansas) also made the roster. Carter will be suiting up for Texas A&M and Walker will be playing for UConn this fall. In the meanwhile, Williams has one more year of high school.

University of Pittsburgh head coach Suzie McConnell-Serio will lead the squad. McConnell-Serio guided the U18 team last summer and is 5-0 as a head coach in international competition. Northern Colorado head coach Kamie Etheridge and Elon head coach Charlotte Smith will once again be on the bench next to McConnell-Serio.

Team USA has won six straight gold medals at the U19 World Cup. The red, white, and blue has a 73-12 all-time record in the competition. This year’s competition will consist of 16 teams and will be held in Italy from July 22-30.

The U.S. will open World Cup play against  Mali. They will also play preliminary round games against China and Italy.

Next: Arizona Basketball: Wildcats add Duke transfer Chase Jeter and Emmanuel Akot

Australia, Canada, Egypt, France, Hungary, Japan  Latvia, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Russia, and South Korea will also participate in the  2019 World Cup.

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