Ashley Joens replaces injured Jordan Nixon on USA Women’s U19 World Cup team
By Andy Brown
The Iowa State sophomore helped the U18 team win gold last year in Mexico City
Ashley Joens has been added to the USA Women’s U19 World Cup team in lieu of Jordan Nixon getting injured at training camp in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Joens, a rising sophomore at Iowa State from Iowa City, helped the USA U18 team win gold at last year’s FIBA World Cup in Mexico City, averaging 10.7 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.7 assists in a 6-0 run through the tournament. In her first college season this past year, she recorded 11.7 points, 5.0 rebounds and 0.7 assists a game in a season that saw the Cyclones reach the second round of the NCAA Tournament. She was also named to the 2018-19 Big 12 All-Freshman Team.
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“We’re sorry to see Jordan go, but we’re excited to add Ashley to our group,” Jeff Walz, the USA U19 and University of Louisville head coach, said in a press release announcing the move. “She brings experience from playing on last year’s U18 team that won a gold medal. And then, having a year of college experience, there’s no doubt that that’s going to help her as we get prepared for the U19 World Cup.
The nature of the injury to Nixon, who just over a week ago officially transferred to Texas A&M from Notre Dame, was not disclosed in that press release. She will be ineligible to play for the Aggies until 2020-2021 regardless of its extent, per NCAA rules.
With Joens in the fold as of today, the team will head to Tokyo for practice and scrimmages against the Japan U19 team July 13-15. The USA then has three days of training and scrimmages in Bangkok against Argentina and Germany, July 17-19 leading up to the FIBA U19 World Cup. For the No. 1-ranked Americans, that starts July 20 against No. 7 Australia.
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