Team USA set off for the 2025 AmeriCup tournament in Chile with a lot of ambition and a roster stacked with the top collegiate talent in the world (and led by Duke's head coach Kara Lawson). Though the squad was up against professional athletes — including WNBA stars Kamilla Cardoso and Damiris Dantas — they racked up win after win, and ultimately took home the championship trophy after besting Brazil 92-84.
Team USA's roster included Olivia Miles (TCU), Hannah Hidalgo (Notre Dame), Flau'jae Johnson (LSU), Mikayla Blakes (Vanderbilt), Madison Booker (Texas), Gianna Kneepkens (UCLA), Hannah Stuelke (Iowa), Kennedy Smith (USC), Joyce Edwards (USC), Raegan Beers (Oklahoma), Grace Van Slooten (Michigan State), and Audi Crooks (Iowa State). Again, to reiterate: this roster was entirely made up of college students.
Age and experience did little to slow Team USA down. They easily bested their first opponent, host country Chile, 108-47. The team's next match on June 29 pit them against Colombia, who Team USA toppled 80-43. June 30 saw USA take down Puerto Rico 80-62, and the team racked up a 104-48 win over Mexico on July 2.
July 4 saw Team USA run the Dominican Republic off the court with a 110-44 win. That pushed the squad into the semi-finals, and Team USA faced off against Canada on July 5.
Team USA vs Team Canada
Team USA's match against Team Canada was expected to be closer than most of their games up to that point. Part of the reason is that Canada's team is almost entirely made up of athletes who have played professionally — many of whom who have multiple years of professional experience, and all of whom have international basketball experience. And still, Team USA pulled off a 65-53 win.
USA headed into the half down, but rallied after the break and went off on a series of runs that tipped the scales in their favor. Canada failed to put up any kind of effort that could have pulled off a win in the fourth and were held to only 5 points. Hidalgo in particular ran the court on both ends and clocked 19 points, four assists, and four steals.
Team USA vs Team Brazil
That win set Team USA up for championship game against Brazil (featuring Dantas and Cardoso) on Sunday, July 6. The Americans bested Brazil 92-84, securing the gold medal — the fifth for Team USA in the tournament — and an automatic ticket to the 2026 Women's World Cup in Berlin.
The Americans again put in a massive performance during the game's fourth quarter. Blakes was named tournament MVP after putting in a 27-point performance against Brazil; Hidalgo added another 16 points of her own, and Edwards and Stuelke each contributed seven rebounds.