Team USA cruises to the gold at the U16 FIBA Americas

Team USA tops Canada to win the gold medal in Chile

Twelve of the best women’s basketball players in the 2021 and 2022 classes traveled to Aysen, Chile, to compete in the U16 FIBA Americas, where they won gold in convincing fashion, beating Canada 87-37 in the gold medal game. With the win, Team USA earns an automatic berth to the 2020 U17 World Cup.

The tournament, which featured eight countries from North, South, and Central America, marked the first international exposure for a number of these athletes.  Some of the most recognizable names in women’s college and professional basketball, like Arike Ogunbowale, Katie Lou Samuelson, and Breanna Stewart, won gold at this same tournament.

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While none of Team USA’s games were particularly close — the gold medal 50-point win was their closest contest — the experience and exposure on an international stage, was certainly something that these athletes and coaches will never forget. Mark Campbell of Union Unviersity was the team’s head coach, while Kelly Carruthers (James Bowie HS) and Ruth Sinn (St. Thomas University), were the assistant coaches.

The team absolutely dominated the tournament from beginning to end, as they averaged 103 points, while giving up just 32.5 throughout the tournament. According to USA Basketball, the team set tournament records for points, field goals made and field goals attempted, field goal percentage, 3-point attempts, rebounds, and assists averaged. The assists averaged number of 26.5 is particularly striking, as it points to the type of team basketball that the USA showcased. Payton Verhulst was named the tournament MVP after averaging 14.5 points per game. Lauren Betts and Sonia Citron joined Verhulst on the All-Tournament Team.

The players begin their training in mid-May, as they gathered, along with over 100 other athletes, at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado, set to compete for a spot on this team.  After two weeks of intense competition and nerve-wracking cuts, these twelve athletes earned the right to represent their country in Chile. Here are the twelve athletes that made up Team USA:

#4 Saylor Poffenbarger ’21-  6’2 Guard from Middletown, Maryland

#5 Olivia Miles ’21-  5’10 Guard from Phillipsburg, New Jersey

#6 Londynn Jones ’22-  5’6 Guard from Riverside, California

#7 Kiki Rice ’22-  5’11 Guard from Bethesda, Maryland

#8 Calyn Bransford ’22-  5’10 Guard from Cincinatti, Ohio

#9 Amari DeBerry ’21-  6’5 Center from Buffalo, New York

#10 Payton Verhulst-  6’1 Guard from De Soto, Kansas

#11 Janiah Barker ’22-  6’3 Forward from Marietta, Georgia

#12 Timea Gardiner ’22-  6’3 Forward from Ogden, Utah

#13 Aaliyah Moore ’21-  6’3 Forward from Moore, Oklahoma

#14 Sonia Citron ’21-  6’1 Guard from Scarsdale, New York

#15 Lauren Betts ’22-  6’7 Center from Centennial, Colorado

The team brought together twelve athletes, from ten different states, ages 15-16, to compete for a common goal: a championship.  Coming together as a team in such a short period of time, is certainly a compliment to each and every one of these young women, as well as to the coaching staff.

If this is the first time you’ve heard or seen these names, get used to them. As they get set to enter their sophomore or junior years of high school, the exposure and notoriety that will come their way will only expand, as they will be among the top names in their respective recruiting classes.

As they head out on their respective journeys this summer, and continue with their AAU and high school teams, regardless of where they are ranked or where they ultimately decide to go to college, there is one thing they all share: they are champions and gold medalists.

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