U19 World Cup - Kayleigh Heckel

[From Canada]

She’ll need to make her free throws and learn to score on opponents as big as her. Against Korea’s smalls she looks awesome but against Hungarian Big not so much. Does know how to get in position to score.

You're right when you say that it was much harder for her to score against the Hungarians indoors. Especially against #1 Kinga Jesepovits 6'5 (attachment) who was born in 2008, which means she could be back in two years at the U19 WWC, if Hungary qualify of course. Luckily for her, when she finds herself on the game with her sister, their taller opponent's defending player will be defending against Lauren, which should leave her with a defender shorter than her, in most cases. In her defense, however, I must say that I found her to be very solid, neutralizing the opposing players with 5 blk and taking 13 rebounds in 31 minutes of play, a time not often seen on the American side before the elimination phase.

Translated with DeepL.com (free version)

Kinga Josepovits - Hungary - Player Profile - FIBA U19 Women's Basketball World Cup 2025 | FIBA Basketball

All detailed statistics, points, assists and rebounds of Josepovits - Hungary from FIBA U19 Women's Basketball World Cup 2025

www.fiba.basketball

 

[From Canada]

Summary of the first two days at the U19 WWC

The 5 ups and 5 downs of the FIBA U19 WWC so far

With two game days now in the books in Brno, we're taking a look at things to love and other things that have not gone so well.

www.fiba.basketball

 

[Bone Dog]

Luckily for her, when she finds herself on the game with her sister, their taller opponent's defending player will be defending against Lauren, which should leave her with a defender shorter than her, in most cases.

I wonder how many cases there will actually be. With both of the Betts sisters on the floor, UCLA will be a slow team and transition defense will suffer. My guess is Cori will experiment with this, but it will not be common after February. Last season, Cori could put Dugalic or Barker on the floor with Lauren because they had much better foot speed and could get back in transition, and because both of them can score in the midrange. Gardiner could provide good scoring punch next to Lauren, but seemed slower on defense (perhaps due to injury), which meant she was mainly used with Dugalic instead by February. Could Kneepkens’ perimeter shooting change this equation a bit and allow Cori to use two slow moving bigs at once? Maybe.

 

[EricSD]

Kayleigh is 2nd on the team in minutes. I assume she's a starter. The team seems pretty good at assists - something like averaging 25 per game. She's up there in assists/game, minutes/game, steals/game, and shooting 63% from the field. Really solid all around numbers...

Not sure how good the competition is - so this may be like glorified all star games...

 

[BBallF]

I watched Kayleigh carefully against Korea. I like her a lot. She has solid offensive skills. Can drive, shoot the 3 and has a nicely vertical pull up. Good point guard too. One thing I did notice was that she tended to wander on defense and the pick switches are not at the UCONN level right now. Part of it was the defense that was being played. I am sure this will not be an issue. I think she is a great pick up and is a leader out there as well and unselfish.

 

[Monte]

I watched Kayleigh carefully against Korea. I like her a lot. She has solid offensive skills. Can drive, shoot the 3 and has a nicely vertical pull up. Good point guard too. One thing I did notice was that she tended to wander on defense and the pick switches are not at the UCONN level right now. Part of it was the defense that was being played. I am sure this will not be an issue. I think she is a great pick up and is a leader out there as well and unselfish.

I watched many of her games last year. One thing I remember most about her was seeing her steal the ball and dribble the length of the court for a layup.

 

[Zarathustra]

Kayleigh is 2nd on the team in minutes. I assume she's a starter. The team seems pretty good at assists - something like averaging 25 per game. She's up there in assists/game, minutes/game, steals/game, and shooting 63% from the field. Really solid all around numbers...

Not sure how good the competition is - so this may be like glorified all star games...

View attachment 110623

The "other pools" have the future competition: Canada, France, Australia, and
Spain. One of the reasons for our lowish Free Throw % is that the FIBA rule has
a time limit for getting the shot off (something like 5 seconds). The commentator
reported that the need to meet this standard has players not shooting with
their regular timing/rhythm = more missed shots. Also, just to nit-pick, one of
Kayleigh's turn overs occurred due to another different rule for FIBA. A in-bounds
throw in, if initiated in the forecourt, cannot go into the backcourt. It then
becomes a turnover. On one play the in -bounder for the USA threw it over
Kayleigh's head and she had to retrieve it in the backcourt = Backcourt
violation, turnover. The commenter noted that USA Head Coach Morin
has been working to make the team more aware of these rule differences.
I'm not sure how 3 seconds is called differently but I think there is a
wrinkle there also. In the 3x3 completion recently in Mongolia many
players were caught by the 3 second rule (a turnover) and also the
a travel violation while attempting to initiate offensive play after the
score by the opponent team. Many 3x3 players either did not know
the different 3x3 (FIBA) rules or just could not make the adjustments.

 

[Zarathustra]

and she is a black hole. doubled-, even triple-teamed and she doesn't respond well.
many on the team seem unorganized. k9 clearly had a purpose; the team needed her savvy. some played selfishly. in particular, the highly touted #6 has the temperament of a ball hog -- not in the DT way; in the arike way.

IMHO, # 9 was more egregious than #6.
I loved K9 transition passes and also her being out in
front on some transition plays for easy buckets. Kayleigh would
also have more assists if certain players finished better under the
basket (again, how I saw it). Finally, watch Kayleigh move without
the ball... she reminds me of ASH!

 

[TheGOAT23]

What about the tackling and riding the opponent into the floor and diving on top of a player on the floor? Body chops? Has Team USA adjusted the WWE FIBA rules? One of the Hungarian players tried to swipe the ball from Harpring (I believe) in the 4th quarter. Let’s just say that Harpring almost took her arm as a souvenir. I felt the pain from CT. There was no foul call on the play (obvi).

 

[PacoSwede]

I watched Kayleigh carefully against Korea. I like her a lot. She has solid offensive skills. Can drive, shoot the 3 and has a nicely vertical pull up. Good point guard too. One thing I did notice was that she tended to wander on defense and the pick switches are not at the UCONN level right now. Part of it was the defense that was being played. I am sure this will not be an issue. I think she is a great pick up and is a leader out there as well and unselfish.

i'd bet that is why she's starting. she should do well in storrs.

 

[HuskyNan]

and she is a black hole. doubled-, even triple-teamed and she doesn't respond well.
many on the team seem unorganized. k9 clearly had a purpose; the team needed her savvy. some played selfishly. in particular, the highly touted #6 has the temperament of a ball hog -- not in the DT way; in the arike way.

1. You don’t know what the coach told them to do. With limited practice time together before the competition, the coach may have told certain players they’re supposed to shoot when they get the ball since the team hasn’t had time to build chemistry
2. That #6 “ball hog” is Saniyah Hall, the #1 ranked player in the class of 2026 and she holds a UConn scholarship offer

 

[Bone Dog]

What about the tackling and riding the opponent into the floor and diving on top of a player on the floor? Body chops? Has Team USA adjusted the WWE FIBA rules? One of the Hungarian players tried to swipe the ball from Harpring (I believe) in the 4th quarter. Let’s just say that Harpring almost took her arm as a souvenir. I felt the pain from CT. There was no foul call on the play (obvi).

I know what you mean. The Korea-NZL was another brawl. Korea won in the end, and they showed out much better in this game than against the US.

As far as I can discern the rules, it's okay to whack someone on the head while trying to block their shot as long as you also knock them to the floor.

 

[visitingcock]

Interesting international prospect to watch is Sitaya Fagan, a 6-4, “ forward/guard” for Australia. Has dozens of offers from US schools including UCLA, U$C, SCar and Texas.

 

[oldhusky]

i'd bet that is why she's starting. she should do well in storrs.

I got that impression too. Kayleigh at least on this team is relatively older and experienced. Among players that are used to being the star and number 1 option in HS, a complimentary role player who distributes the ball and does the little things can be the glue that keeps them on track.

In the game one blowout it was pretty much equal opportunity minutes for everyone, but in at least a somewhat competitive second game Kayleigh got more minutes. I think that is a sign she is more trusted when needed.

 

[BBallF]

I watched many of her games last year. One thing I remember most about her was seeing her steal the ball and dribble the length of the court for a layup.

She has very good instincts. No one plays defense like us so she will be challenged there and will succeed.

 

[Boreifs]

Kayleigh is 2nd on the team in minutes. I assume she's a starter. The team seems pretty good at assists - something like averaging 25 per game. She's up there in assists/game, minutes/game, steals/game, and shooting 63% from the field. Really solid all around numbers...

Not sure how good the competition is - so this may be like glorified all star games...

View attachment 110623

Kayleigh has played that many minutes because her backup got in foul trouble in the second game. Betts is playing that many minutes because her backup is way too young for the team and is not competitive when she is on the floor.

 

[Bone Dog]

The array of talent on Team USA is pretty awesome. Some of them are just rounding into D1 form, like Jazzy, and others are bursting with potential, like Jerzy, Maddyn and Kate. I can't imagine this group will be challenged by any other team.

 

[NYCHUSKIES]

I see KK and Kayleigh playing the same position but serving different roles, both are quick PG's with the ability to drive to the basket but I see Kayleigh as the better shooter/passer in the half court while KK is a better finisher at the rim and better in transition.

I agree, Kayleigh, if I have to compare, is like an upgraded version of Caroline Dory and Kelly Farris, but a better defender. Without a doubt though, having her on our team next year is a huge plus.

 

[Sluconn Husky]

I agree, Kayleigh, if I have to compare, is like an upgraded version of Caroline Dory and Kelly Farris, but a better defender. Without a doubt though, having her on our team next year is a huge plus.

I think you've forgotten how good a defender Faris was.

 

[Bone Dog]

I agree, Kayleigh, if I have to compare, is like an upgraded version of Caroline Dory and Kelly Farris, but a better defender. Without a doubt though, having her on our team next year is a huge plus.

I’m with @Sluconn Husky on this one. Kayleigh will need to up her defensive intensity to be like Kelly Faris. The good news is she has the time to progress. Currently, Ash seems rather more comparable to her fellow Hoosier. And Kelly became a great perimeter shooter by the end of her time at UConn.

 

[Charliebball]

Interesting international prospect to watch is Sitaya Fagan, a 6-4, “ forward/guard” for Australia. Has dozens of offers from US schools including UCLA, U$C, SCar and Texas.

You guys already had a Fagan........

 

[DefenseBB]

I wonder how many cases there will actually be. With both of the Betts sisters on the floor, UCLA will be a slow team and transition defense will suffer. My guess is Cori will experiment with this, but it will not be common after February. Last season, Cori could put Dugalic or Barker on the floor with Lauren because they had much better foot speed and could get back in transition, and because both of them can score in the midrange. Gardiner could provide good scoring punch next to Lauren, but seemed slower on defense (perhaps due to injury), which meant she was mainly used with Dugalic instead by February. Could Kneepkens’ perimeter shooting change this equation a bit and allow Cori to use two slow moving bigs at once? Maybe.

You realize Barker transferred to Tennessee and the $500k they offered her right? Kneepkens at 6’0 will play the wing and CLW the 2/SG. Gardner, when at OSU was clearly the second option inside after Beers and the top outside shooter at almost 40% from 3. However, at UCLA, Betts, Dugalic, Barker and even Jacquez were inside more. Timea still shot the 3 well but was the 5th option and got a lot less opportunities. While that OSU team had a nice run to the Elite 8 in 2024, it was not nearly as talented as last years Bruin team and will still be immensely talented this year with Gardner player a supporting actor role.

 

[From Canada]

Looking forward to this morning's game at 8:30 AM Eastern time

 

[Huskee11]

Israel’s top player is Gal Raviv, a guard who scored 17.9 per game as a first year at Quinnipiac in 2024-2025. She has scored 35 and 30 points in Israel’s two games.

I suspect Kayleigh will be matched up against her. That will be interesting.

 

[Basingstoke]

Thanks so much for the link to today's live stream.
Impressions from the first half...
Just an amazing amount of talent on the US team, and, on the whole, they play unselfishly.
Jazzy looks electric and so much more under control than last summer.
Hall is a finisher and looks very strong.
Kayleigh is a really good no-frills point guard (except for her speed). She pushes the ball up, her passes are crisp, aggressive and accurate. Though she has no problem being deferential, she balances her assists with 3 level scoring. She sticks to her man well and fights through screens on defense.
Jersey looks strong, efficient and plays under control.
I hope that Bean gets good coaching in the next 2 years. There is a wealth of potential there, but,
right now, it seems like she rushes herself. Hopefully, in time the game will slow down for her.
Harpring & Bjorn are both impactful players.
Actually, everyone on the floor during the first half should have a good to great college career.

 

[Boreifs]

Thanks so much for the link to today's live stream.
Impressions from the first half...
Just an amazing amount of talent on the US team, and, on the whole, they play unselfishly.
Jazzy looks electric and so much more under control than last summer.
Hall is a finisher and looks very strong.
Kayleigh is a really good no-frills point guard (except for her speed). She pushes the ball up, her passes are crisp, aggressive and accurate. Though she has no problem being deferential, she balances her assists with 3 level scoring. She sticks to her man well and fights through screens on defense.
Jersey looks strong, efficient and plays under control.
I hope that Bean gets good coaching in the next 2 years. There is a wealth of potential there, but,
right now, it seems like she rushes herself. Hopefully, in time the game will slow down for her.
Harpring & Bjorn are both impactful players.
Actually, everyone on the floor during the first half should have a good to great college career.

There was a significant drop in efficiency when the second team replaced the first, as well as a significant rise in efficiency when the first team came back at the end of the second quarter.

 

[BBallF]

I am excited about Kayleigh. She looks up court every time she gets th ball, something that KK did not do enough of. She has a sweet little pull up and knocked in a long 3 in the first 6 minutes. She is a pure PG, intent on setting up the offense and delivering the ball. Our bigs should flourish with her. She is so much better than she appeared to be last year and seems like a very heady, controlled player with a good handle left and right. Looks pretty, pretty good to me.

 

[The CDR-Ret]

USA plays China at 08:30 EDT tomorrow, 7/16/25 in the round of 16 (which is actually 14). The bracket is here:

Standings - FIBA U19 Women's Basketball World Cup 2025 | FIBA Basketball

Latest FIBA U19 Women's Basketball World Cup 2025 groups and standings, bracket and classification

www.fiba.basketball

Here is the link to the live game tomorrow (need to scroll down):

USA vs China - Round of 16 - FIBA U19 Women's Basketball World Cup 2025 | FIBA Basketball

USA vs China - Browse boxscore, game information & live stats, team rosters, photos and video highlights

www.fiba.basketball

 

[Aluminny69]

I am excited about Kayleigh. She looks up court every time she gets th ball, something that KK did not do enough of. She has a sweet little pull up and knocked in a long 3 in the first 6 minutes. She is a pure PG, intent on setting up the offense and delivering the ball. Our bigs should flourish with her. She is so much better than she appeared to be last year and seems like a very heady, controlled player with a good handle left and right. Looks pretty, pretty good to me.

Virtually EVERY player looks better in a UConn uniform.

 

[From Canada]

Group Phase complete - USA yesterday's result - Yesterday's summary - Last link for today's game 1/8 final vs China at 8:30 AM Eastern time

Day 3 Top Performers: who did it best?

Another action-filled day wrapped up at the FIBA U19 Women's Basketball World Cup 2025 – but who truly stole the spotlight?

www.fiba.basketball

LIVE - USA v China | FIBA U19 Women's Basketball World Cup 2025 | Round of 16