FIBA U18 Americas Women's Championship Games

[Carnac]

The 2018 USA Basketball Women’s U18 National Team will compete in the 2018 FIBA Americas Championship that will be played Wednesday August 1 - Tuesday August 7 in Mexico City.

Group A - Argentina - Chile - Puerto Rico - USA
Group B - Canada - Colombia - El Salvador - Mexico.

USA game schedule Aug 1-3
Aug 1 Argentina - 7:30 pm edt [Live stream link]
Aug 2 Chile - 3:00 pm edt
Aug 3 Puerto Rico - 7:30 pm edt

After the conclusion of preliminary round play, which will be played Aug. 1-3, teams will be seeded for the Aug. 5 quarterfinals. The semifinals will be played on Aug. 6 and the finals on Aug. 7.

[Brackets] - USA is team #2 in the A group
Note - All teams play 6 games.

While the USA U18 women will be in the hunt for a remarkable ninth-straight gold medal, also on the line will be a qualifying berth into next summer’s FIBA U19 World Cup 2019, which will be awarded to the top four finishing teams.

The 2018 USA Women’s U18 National Team includes: Aijha Blackwell (Whitfield School/Berkeley, Mo.); Jenna Brown (The Lovett School/Smyrna, Ga.); Desiree Caldwell (Byron P. Steele II H.S./Cibolo, Texas); Maori Davenport (Charles Henderson H.S./Troy, Ala.); Nazahrah Hillmon-Baker (Gilmour Academy/Cleveland, Ohio); Rhyne Howard (Bradley Central H.S./Cleveland, Tenn.); Ashley Joens (Iowa City H.S./Iowa City, Iowa); Olivia Nelson-Ododa (Winder-Barrow H.S./Winder, Ga.); Anaya Peoples (Schlarman H.S./Danville, Ill.); Sedona Prince (Liberty Hill H.S./Liberty Hill, Texas); NaLyssa Smith (East Central H.S./Converse, Texas); and Christyn Williams (Central Arkansas Christian School/Little Rock, Ark.).

[Individual team roster pictures]

The USA’s Head coach is Jeff Walz, Head coach University of Louisville.
Assistant coaches -
Natasha Adair, head coach at the University of Delaware.
Cori Close, head coach at UCLA.

Slomo videos of the 2018 USA women's U18 national team during training camp

[Official FIBA U18 Women's Championship web site]

 

[JordyG]

More joy.

Now, other than CW and ONO, which player(s) do you think will jump off the screen? I have Smith, Caldwell, and Blackwell. Anyone?

 

[MilfordHusky]

I love the kid with the big smile and big hair. I haven't seen a baller smile that much since Magic Johnson.

 

[SCspur]

More joy.

Now, other than CW and ONO, which player(s) do you think will jump off the screen? I have Smith, Caldwell, and Blackwell. Anyone?

Maori Davenport & Rhyne Howard.

 

[JordyG]

Maori Davenport & Rhyne Howard.

Good choices. Davenport was my 3rd.

 

[awhom111]

Game 1 can be seen here:


Every source I have seen has the game at 7:30pm EDT, by the way.

 

[Carnac]

Game 1 can be seen here:


Every source I have seen has the game at 7:30pm EDT, by the way.

Thank you very much for finding the live feed link and verifing the correct starting time. I'll make the corrections on my post.

 

[Mdoggie]

Game 1 can be seen here:


Every source I have seen has the game at 7:30pm EDT, by the way.

I know the date is 8/01/18 lol. Please tell me I'm not the only person who pressed the arrow anyway lol.

 

[Wbbfan1]

Aijha Blackwell and Maori Davenport who have not yet chosen a college to attend.

 

[Blakeon18]

Just wondering: when the 19U world championships come next summer, what would be your prediction as to how many of the 12 teammates will come not from this group but from the recently crowned 17U gold medal team? None? If any....who?

 

[Carnac]

I know the date is 8/01/18 lol. Please tell me I'm not the only person who pressed the arrow anyway lol.

Probably not. My question is what exactly did you expect to see after you pressed the button?!?

 

[CocoHusky]

Just wondering: when the 19U world championships come next summer, what would be your prediction as to how many of the 12 teammates will come not from this group but from the recently crowned 17U gold medal team? None? If any....who?

Great question!
PG: Azzi Fudd, Caitlin Clark
SG: Christyn Williams, Paige Brueckers
SF: Jordyn Horston, Rickea Jackson
PF: Haley Jones, Aliyah Boston
C: Olivia Nelson-Ododa, Sedona Prince
Would be my team. 1st Player listed would be my projected starter. Bolded players are the ones from the U17 team . Players in blue did not make the U17 team in 2018.
This leaves 1 open slot on the team to add another guard where (Van Lith, Zia Cooke, Celeste Taylor, Jenna Brown, Anaya Peoples, Aijha Blackwell, Kaitlyn Gilbert, Jordan Nixon, or Abby Prohaska) will be the likely candidates. Don't forget that (Kaitlyn Gilbert, Jordan Nixon, & Abby Prohaska) ALL made the U18 team this year but could not play due to ND overseas trip.
This would also leave 1 post or F position open where (Cameron Brink, NaLyssa Smith, Maori Davenport, Hannah Gusters, Amari DeBerry, or Samantha Brunelle). Smith, Davenport, Gusters & DeBerry all have a motor that Carla would love. Obviously Brunelle and Brink would need to crank the motor up substantially to make this team.
My assumption is that Carla will still be coaching=up tempo style of play. Prince might not be an idea fit for up tempo but at U19 internationally you might encounter size which might cause match up problems. 6'7" is always good to have on these teams.
One weakness of U17 team (except for Fudd) was 3Pt shooting. The rest of the team shot 22% from behind the 3Pt line = same as the US opponents during the tournament. This is why I think Clark makes the squad, she can keep up in transition, run the break an can stroke it efficiently form range. Jackson was added because she can keep up and much like Horston gives Carla another defensive ace to cover positions 1-4.
One other interesting thing is what USA basketball does with Fudd. She is only 15 and USA basketball has the option of sending her down to anchor the younger teams as was supposed to be the plan with Brunelle.
Even without Fudd (for the record Fudd has earned the right to stay up) this is going to be a very formidable squad, looking forward to it.

 

[UConnCat]

One other interesting thing is what USA basketball does with Fudd. She is only 15 and USA basketball has the option of sending her down to anchor the younger teams as was supposed to be the plan with Brunelle.
Even without Fudd (for the record Fudd has earned the right to stay up) this is going to be a very formidable squad, looking forward to it.

Every even year the U17 team competes in the world cup and the U18 team competes in the FIBA Americas qualifying tournament. Every odd year the U16 competes in the FIBA Americas qualifying tournament and the U19 team competes in the world cup. But for the nightmare in 2015, the U16 team has had little trouble winning the Americas tournament.

So, next year the U19 team will be seeking to reclaim the world cup trophy that was lost to Russia last year while the U16 team will play for the FIBA Americas crown. Given Fudd's immense talent and the maturity of her game, I think there's a good chance USA BB will put her on the U19 team. A little historical perspective, only 3 sixteen year olds have ever played for USA's U19 team: Diamond Deshields, Breanna Stewart and A'ja Wilson.

 

[UConnCat]

 

[Bronx23]

Very sweet!
Bronx23

 

[JordyG]

Loved this.

 

[MilfordHusky]

Nobody has more fun than the Legend.

 

[awhom111]

Great question!
PG: Azzi Fudd, Caitlin Clark
SG: Christyn Williams, Paige Brueckers
SF: Jordyn Horston, Rickea Jackson
PF: Haley Jones, Aliyah Boston
C: Olivia Nelson-Ododa, Sedona Prince
Would be my team. 1st Player listed would be my projected starter. Bolded players are the ones from the U17 team . Players in blue did not make the U17 team in 2018.
This leaves 1 open slot on the team to add another guard where (Van Lith, Zia Cooke, Celeste Taylor, Jenna Brown, Anaya Peoples, Aijha Blackwell, Kaitlyn Gilbert, Jordan Nixon, or Abby Prohaska) will be the likely candidates. Don't forget that (Kaitlyn Gilbert, Jordan Nixon, & Abby Prohaska) ALL made the U18 team this year but could not play due to ND overseas trip.
This would also leave 1 post or F position open where (Cameron Brink, NaLyssa Smith, Maori Davenport, Hannah Gusters, Amari DeBerry, or Samantha Brunelle). Smith, Davenport, Gusters & DeBerry all have a motor that Carla would love. Obviously Brunelle and Brink would need to crank the motor up substantially to make this team.
My assumption is that Carla will still be coaching=up tempo style of play. Prince might not be an idea fit for up tempo but at U19 internationally you might encounter size which might cause match up problems. 6'7" is always good to have on these teams.
One weakness of U17 team (except for Fudd) was 3Pt shooting. The rest of the team shot 22% from behind the 3Pt line = same as the US opponents during the tournament. This is why I think Clark makes the squad, she can keep up in transition, run the break an can stroke it efficiently form range. Jackson was added because she can keep up and much like Horston gives Carla another defensive ace to cover positions 1-4.
One other interesting thing is what USA basketball does with Fudd. She is only 15 and USA basketball has the option of sending her down to anchor the younger teams as was supposed to be the plan with Brunelle.
Even without Fudd (for the record Fudd has earned the right to stay up) this is going to be a very formidable squad, looking forward to it.

I would assume that Jeff Walz will coach the U19s next year unless he changes jobs or something problematic happens this week. I think that the only time that a U18 to U19 or U16 to U17 cycle involved a coaching change was when Shaka Smart had a poor season at Texas and needed to focus on that and then John Calipari was brought in to the U19s. Given how that went, USA Basketball is likely to hope to avoid that.

It would be good for them to consider having Carla coach the next U16 to U17 cycle. On the boys' side Don Showalter has been coaching at that level for multiple cycles and it would be cool to find somebody like that on the girls' side too.

I would assume that Fudd starts in U19 tryouts and gets kicked down to U16s if she is not in position to make it. She could then join the next U17 team either way.

 

[LasVegasYank]

Any link available to today's game with Chile?

 

[CocoHusky]

Any link available to today's game with Chile?

Should be here;

 

[Dillon77]

Great question!
PG: Azzi Fudd, Caitlin Clark
SG: Christyn Williams, Paige Brueckers
SF: Jordyn Horston, Rickea Jackson
PF: Haley Jones, Aliyah Boston
C: Olivia Nelson-Ododa, Sedona Prince
Would be my team. 1st Player listed would be my projected starter. Bolded players are the ones from the U17 team . Players in blue did not make the U17 team in 2018.
This leaves 1 open slot on the team to add another guard where (Van Lith, Zia Cooke, Celeste Taylor, Jenna Brown, Anaya Peoples, Aijha Blackwell, Kaitlyn Gilbert, Jordan Nixon, or Abby Prohaska) will be the likely candidates. Don't forget that (Kaitlyn Gilbert, Jordan Nixon, & Abby Prohaska) ALL made the U18 team this year but could not play due to ND overseas trip.
This would also leave 1 post or F position open where (Cameron Brink, NaLyssa Smith, Maori Davenport, Hannah Gusters, Amari DeBerry, or Samantha Brunelle). Smith, Davenport, Gusters & DeBerry all have a motor that Carla would love. Obviously Brunelle and Brink would need to crank the motor up substantially to make this team.
My assumption is that Carla will still be coaching=up tempo style of play. Prince might not be an idea fit for up tempo but at U19 internationally you might encounter size which might cause match up problems. 6'7" is always good to have on these teams.
One weakness of U17 team (except for Fudd) was 3Pt shooting. The rest of the team shot 22% from behind the 3Pt line = same as the US opponents during the tournament. This is why I think Clark makes the squad, she can keep up in transition, run the break an can stroke it efficiently form range. Jackson was added because she can keep up and much like Horston gives Carla another defensive ace to cover positions 1-4.
One other interesting thing is what USA basketball does with Fudd. She is only 15 and USA basketball has the option of sending her down to anchor the younger teams as was supposed to be the plan with Brunelle.
Even without Fudd (for the record Fudd has earned the right to stay up) this is going to be a very formidable squad, looking forward to it.

Great post. Minor tweak: Katlyn Gilbert didn't make the final cut on the U18 team this year -- that was her AAU buddy, Anaya Peoples (as well as Nixon and Proshka), who we watched in action last night. I suspect Gilbert will be invited back to tryouts next year so we'll see.

Right now, she, Prohaska and Nixon (and fellow frosh Danielle Cosgrove) are enjoying one more day in Rome with the rest of the Irish WCBB team before hitting the Croatian coast on the next leg of ND's international trip. (the one that was canceled last year because of the injury situation). I could use some cool water right around now. Good think I'm headed on vacation on Saturday.

BTW, I think Clark comes back to international play next year, giving the U.S. another long-range shooter and a very competent field general, both on half-court sets and in transition.
And gosh knows we're in consistent agreement on Ms. Jackson joining Horston and Jones up front.

 

[Golden Husky]

Great question!
PG: Azzi Fudd, Caitlin Clark
SG: Christyn Williams, Paige Brueckers
SF: Jordyn Horston, Rickea Jackson
PF: Haley Jones, Aliyah Boston
C: Olivia Nelson-Ododa, Sedona Prince
Would be my team. 1st Player listed would be my projected starter. Bolded players are the ones from the U17 team . Players in blue did not make the U17 team in 2018.
This leaves 1 open slot on the team to add another guard where (Van Lith, Zia Cooke, Celeste Taylor, Jenna Brown, Anaya Peoples, Aijha Blackwell, Kaitlyn Gilbert, Jordan Nixon, or Abby Prohaska) will be the likely candidates. Don't forget that (Kaitlyn Gilbert, Jordan Nixon, & Abby Prohaska) ALL made the U18 team this year but could not play due to ND overseas trip.
This would also leave 1 post or F position open where (Cameron Brink, NaLyssa Smith, Maori Davenport, Hannah Gusters, Amari DeBerry, or Samantha Brunelle). Smith, Davenport, Gusters & DeBerry all have a motor that Carla would love. Obviously Brunelle and Brink would need to crank the motor up substantially to make this team.
My assumption is that Carla will still be coaching=up tempo style of play. Prince might not be an idea fit for up tempo but at U19 internationally you might encounter size which might cause match up problems. 6'7" is always good to have on these teams.
One weakness of U17 team (except for Fudd) was 3Pt shooting. The rest of the team shot 22% from behind the 3Pt line = same as the US opponents during the tournament. This is why I think Clark makes the squad, she can keep up in transition, run the break an can stroke it efficiently form range. Jackson was added because she can keep up and much like Horston gives Carla another defensive ace to cover positions 1-4.
One other interesting thing is what USA basketball does with Fudd. She is only 15 and USA basketball has the option of sending her down to anchor the younger teams as was supposed to be the plan with Brunelle.
Even without Fudd (for the record Fudd has earned the right to stay up) this is going to be a very formidable squad, looking forward to it.

Well, as usual, I learned a lot. Is there anything about women's college basketball you don't know, Coco? Never mind. That's one question I can answer myself.

 

[Charliebball]

The 2018 USA Basketball Women’s U18 National Team will compete in the 2018 FIBA Americas Championship that will be played Wednesday August 1 - Tuesday August 7 in Mexico City.

Group A - Argentina - Chile - Puerto Rico - USA
Group B - Canada - Colombia - El Salvador - Mexico.

USA game schedule Aug 1-3
Aug 1 Argentina - 7:30 pm edt [Live stream link]
Aug 2 Chile - 3:00 pm edt
Aug 3 Puerto Rico - 7:30 pm edt

Slomo videos of the 2018 USA women's U18 national team during training camp

[Official FIBA U18 Women's Championship web site]

 

[Carnac]

Thanks Charlieb, I was out all morning grocery shopping with the Mrs. Didn't get back in time to set up the link for today's game.

 

[Charliebball]

Thanks Charlieb, I was out all morning grocery shopping with the Mrs. Didn't get back in time to set up the link for today's game.

not much of a game..............USA looking better but they should against a truly bad Chile team..........I've seen far better high school teams...........CW with a couple if nice moves...........she could get her shot any time she wants it in this game but she's not that kind of player..........have a feeling Geno's going to push her to become more selfish offensively as they are going to need her points......