Athletics

May 23, 2017 | Athletics Communication

Two Huskies Picked for USA Basketball World Cup Team

Six-time defending gold medalists, the U.S. women's basketball team will look to make it seven in a row at the July 22-30 event in Cividale del Friuli and Udine, Italy.

Crystal Dangerfield (pictured) and Megan Walker were selected to the USA Basketball U19 World Cup Team on Sunday.

Crystal Dangerfield (pictured) and Megan Walker were named to the USA Basketball U19 World Cup Team on Sunday.

Rising University of Connecticut sophomore Crystal Dangerfield and incoming freshman Megan Walker were named to the 2017 USA Basketball U19 World Cup Team as announced by USA Basketball on Sunday. The team was selected by the USA Basketball Junior National Team Committee following four days of trials at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo.

Six-time defending World Cup gold medalists, the U.S. women’s basketball team will look to make it seven gold medals in a row at the July 22-30 event in Cividale del Friuli and Udine, Italy.  The team will return to Colorado Springs July 7 to begin training camp before departing for Italy on July 15.

The U.S. will then compete from July 17-19 in a four-team exhibition tournament against host Italy, Latvia and Spain before tipping off 2017 U19 World Cup play July 22 against Mali.

In addition to Dangerfield and Walker, the squad is comprised of Bella Alarie (Princeton/Bethesda, Md.); Jeannie Boehm (Harvard/Winnetka, Ill.); Chennedy Carter (Timberview H.S./Arlington, Texas);  Tyasha Harris (South Carolina/Noblesville, Ind.); Ruthy Hebard (Oregon/Fairbanks, Alaska); Joyner Holmes (Texas/Cedar Hill, Texas); Kayla Overbeck(Vanderbilt/Newbury Park, Calif.); Reili Richardson (Arizona State/Brea, Calif.); Alecia Sutton (Texas/St. Louis, Mo.) and Christyn Williams (Central Arkansas Christian School/Little Rock, Ark.).

“This group of kids made it a really difficult decision for the committee,” said Jennifer Rizzotti, chair of the selection committee, and head coach at George Washington University. “We felt that the overall competitiveness, coachability and maturity gave us a lot of great options to choose from. We feel confident that we selected a great 12-member team that will proudly represent the United States in the FIBA U19 World Cup.”

After opening against Mali on July 22, the USA will face China on July 23 and cap the preliminary round against host Italy on July 25. Also competing in the 16-nation tournament are Australia, Canada, Egypt, France, Hungary, Japan, Latvia, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Russia, South Korea and Spain.

Following the preliminary round, teams will be seeded according to group play, and all participating teams will advance to the July 26 round of 16. Winners will advance to the July 28 medal quarterfinals, while the remaining teams will continue playing out for classification. The medal semifinals will be held July 29, and the gold and bronze medal games are slated for July 30.

Including five athletes from the 2016 USA U18 National Team, which qualified for the 2017 U19 World Cup by virtue of its 5-0, gold-medal finish, and Dangerfield, who helped the U.S. capture gold at the 2015 FIBA U19 World Cup, a total of 10 athletes on the roster boast of USA Basketball experience. Returning from the 2016 USA U18 National Team are Boehm, Carter, Harris, Hebard and Walker.

Dangerfield, who was named to the 2016 USA U18 team before being sidelined by injury, also captured a gold medal on the 2013 USA U16 National Team and becomes the fifth U.S. athlete to be named to a pair of USA U19 squads. The feat was also accomplished by former UConn players Breanna Stewart (2011, 2013), Morgan Tuck (2011, 2013).