May 17, 2015

USA Basketball U19 World Championship Roster
USA Basketball Pan Am Games Roster | Pan Am Games Schedule

COLUMBIA, S.C. – USA Basketball selected all three South Carolina Gamecocks who participated in this weekend’s trials to teams for international competition this summer. Rising junior Alaina Coates and rising senior Tiffany Mitchell earned spots on the 2015 U.S. Pan American Team, and rising sophomore A’ja Wilson will play on the 2015 U.S. U19 World Championship Team. Both competitions take place in late July.

“I’m truly proud of Tiffany, Alaina and A’ja for putting themselves in a position to represent our country,” said South Carolina women’s basketball head coach Dawn Staley, who is also the head coach of the U19 World Championship Team. “Their USA Basketball experience this summer will only help our team in the upcoming season.”

Coates and Mitchell were selected from a pool of 51 athletes who took part in the three-day trials at the United States Olympic Training Center (USOTC) in Colorado Springs, Colo. The 12-player roster for the 2015 Pan Am Games features seven players who have won at least one gold medal with USA Basketball, including Mitchell, who earned hers in the 2015 FIBA 3×3 World Championships. Coates will make her USA Basketball team debut when the team competes in the Pan Am Games in Toronto, Canada. The team will return to Colorado on July 3 for the start of training camp with the Pan Am Games women’s basketball competition taking place July 16-20.

“In all honesty, I was mentally preparing myself to not have my name called, but then they called my name,” Coates said. “It was just a rush of relief, and I’m excited. I tried out for U16 team and didn’t make it, but now I’m able to make this team, and I’m excited. I feel like I had my moments [during trials] where I was up and down, but for the most part I did what they looked at me for.”

“It was a sigh of relief [to hear my name called],” Mitchell said. “My first two days [of trials] went pretty well, but I didn’t play as well my last day. I’m just glad they had the confidence in me to choose me. [Playing in the Pan Am Games] will be pretty cool. I know it will be really competitive, and we’re going to be one of the youngest teams there. But, I’m a real competitive person, so I’ll be up for the challenge.”

Wilson headlines the U19 roster, set for her second appearance in the FIBA U19 World Championships after helping the U.S. to gold at the event in 2013. She joins seven other gold medalists on the squad of 13 selected from 34 athletes age 19 and under at the three-day trials. Wilson was named the MVP of the 2014 FIBA Americas U18 Championships, which secured the Americans’ spot in this summer’s event. The U.S. team will regroup for training June 30-July 7 at the USTOC prior to traveling to Alicante, Spain, to compete in a round-robin tournament July 11-13 against U19 national teams from Australia, Canada and Spain ahead of its arrival in Russia for the 2015 FIBA U19 World Championships, which run July 18-26.

“It’s great to be out here with a great group of girls,” Wilson said. “I’m excited to see what this summer holds. My role will change tremendously. I was one of the youngest on the [U19 World Championship Team in 2013], and I want to take what I learned from the older girls then and transfer it over to this time so we can have another great gold medal season.”

USA Basketball U19 World Championship Team

Kristine Anigwe, C, Desert Vista HS (Ariz.)
Napheesa Collier, G/F, Incarnate Word Academy (Mo.)
Lauren Cox, F, Flower Mound HS (Texas)
Crystal Dangerfield, G, Blackman HS (Tenn.)
Asia Durr, St. Pius X Catholic HS (Ga.)
Mariya Moore, G/F, Louisville
Gabrielle Ortiz, G, Oklahoma
Katie Lou Samuelson, F, Mater Dei HS (Calif.)
Azurá Stevens, F, Duke
Shakayla Thomas, F, Florida State
Chatrice White, C, Illinois
A’ja Wilson, F, South Carolina
Alternate – Ali Patberg, G, Columbus North HS (Ind.)

USA Basketball Pan American Games Team

Sophie Brunner, F, Arizona State
Alaina Coates, C, South Carolina
Carolina Coyer, G, Villanova
Linnae Harper, G, Kentucky
Moriah Jefferson, G, Connecticut
Stephanie Mavunga, F, North Carolina
Tiffany Mitchell, G, South Carolina
Kelsey Plum, G, Washington
Taya Reimer, F, Notre Dame
Breanna Stewart, F, Connecticut
Shatori Walker-Kimbrough, G, Maryland
Courtney B. Williams, F/G, Texas A&M