Tyasha Harris Picked for USA U19 World Cup Team

May 21, 2017

COLUMBIA, S.C. — South Carolina guard Tyasha Harris is part of the 12-player team that will represent the United State in the 2017 FIBA U19 World Cup for Women, USA Basketball announced today. It is Harris’ second selection by USA Basketball following her role in the 2016 FIBA U18 Americas Championship gold-medal team and marks the fourth-straight season that a current or future Gamecock will don a USA Basketball uniform in international competition.

Harris made the cut from the 33-player trials that concluded Sunday. She is now part of the team that will train at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo., before traveling to the World Cup event in Cividale del Friuli and Udine, Italy, July 22-30.

In her inaugural season at South Carolina, Harris took the reins of the high-powered offense, starting 27 of the team’s 37 games en route to the program’s first NCAA National Championship, including all 16 SEC outings for the four-time league champion Gamecocks. Her team-high 117 assists were the third-most ever by a Gamecock freshman and included 60 in SEC games, the fourth-most in league play in program history. She added 5.6 points per game, including six double-figure scoring games, en route to SEC All-Freshman Team honors. Two of those double-digit outings came in the final three games of the NCAA Tournament, during which she shot 53.8 percent from the field to average 6.8 points over South Carolina’s six games at the event.

Harris made her international debut at the FIBA U18 Americas Cup in 2016, starting all five games and averaging 20.4 minutes on the court. Contributing in all areas, she was second in the tournament with 5.4 assists per game, including a tournament-high nine against Puerto Rico in the semifinals. Harris shot 57.1 percent from the field for 10.6 points per game, highlighted by a team-high 18 points in the gold medal game against Canada, and swiped a team-best 2.6 steals per game.

The 2017 USA Basketball Women’s U19 World Cup Team will be led by a trio of former USA Basketball players and current collegiate head coaches in Suzie McConnell-Serio (Pittsburgh) as the USA head coach and Kamie Ethridge (Northern Colorado) and Charlotte Smith (Elon) as assistant coaches. Athletes eligible for the U.S. U19 World Cup team must be U.S. citizens who are 19 years old or younger (born on or after Jan. 1, 1998).

Tyasha Harris on USA Team Trials
While waiting to hear who had been selected for the USA Team, were you nervous?
Yeah, I was a little bit nervous, because I felt like everybody had a good day at least once out of the three or four days we here, and I think everyone showed what they can do. I think we equally played well, and I knew it was going to be hard decision for the committee.

What did you think overall of your trials?
I think I did pretty well. I kind of knew what they were looking for, because I made the team last year, so I kind of took what I did last year and added a little bit more stuff this year. I just tried to do the little things well, like talking on the floor, being vocal, being a leader and just trying to separate myself from other point guards.

With your U18 experience last year, you have a feel for things, what do you think it takes to win a gold medal?
Everyone buying into the system, just listening to the coach and playing as one, and playing for the name on the front of the jersey and not the name on the back of jersey. Just teamwork and sharing the ball and everyone going for the ultimate goal, which is the gold medal.

USA Basketball FIBA U19 World Cup Team
Bella Alarie, G/F, Bethesda, Md., Princeton
Jeannie Boehm, F, Winnetka, Ill., Harvard
Chennedy Carter, G, Mansfield, Texas, Timberview HS
Crystal Dangerfield, G, Murfreesboro, Tenn., UConn
Tyasha Harris, G, Noblesville, Ind., South Carolina
Ruthy Hebard, F/C, Fairbanks, Alaska, Oregon
Joyner Holmes, F, Cedar Hill, Texas, Texas
Kayla Overbeck, G, Newbury Park, Calif., Vanderbilt
Reili Richardson, G, Brea, Calif., Arizona State
Alecia Sutton, G, Austin, Texas, Texas
Megan Walker, G, Chesterfield, Va., Monacan HS
Christyn Williams, G/F, Little Rock, Ark., Central Arkansas Christian School