COLORADO SPRINGS (FIBA U17 World Championship for Women/Youth Olympic Games) - A total of 36 athletes will take part in the 2010 USA Basketball Women's U17 World Championship/Youth Olympic Games team trials from Tuesday to Friday at the US Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

The 36 players - including 10 who helped the USA take gold at last summer's FIBA Americas U16 Championship - will battle it out for the 12 roster spots on the U17 team that will play in the first ever FIBA U17 World Championship for Women in Toulouse and Rodez, France from 16th to 25th July.

The trials will also deal with the matter of the Youth Olympic Games (YOG). Four players will be selected to make up the team that will compete in the 3on3 tournament organised by FIBA and the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

The inaugural YOG take place in Singapore from 14th to 26th August. The 3on3 tournaments for both young men and young women will involve a total of 40 teams (20 for the men; 20 for the women) from 38 different countries.

"I know the entire coaching staff is excited to start trials," said USA U17 head coach Barbara Nelson. "I am hopeful the young women feel as though they have grown as an individual and as a player when trials are completed."

"I'm definitely excited," said Kathy Richey-Walton who was recently appointed as mentor of the USA Youth Olympic Games team. "I think in these three days we are going to get a good idea of the talent we have, what they are capable of doing and trying to figure out the best personnel to be successful in the Youth Olympic Games 3on3 format."

USA U17 Women Trials roster
Players returning from the 2009 inaugural U16 national team (10): Elizabeth Williams (Princess Anne HS/Virginia Beach, Virginia); Kaleena Lewis (Mater Dei HS/Anaheim, California); Jordan Adams (Mater Dei HS/Irvine, California); Cierra Burdick (Butler HS/Matthews, NC); Bashaara Graves (Clarksville HS/Clarksville, Tennessee); Betnijah Laney (Smyrna HS/Clayton, Delaware); Ariel Massengale (Bolingbrook HS/Bolingbrook, Illinois); Breanna Stewart (Cicero North Syracuse HS/North Syracuse, New York); Kiah Stokes (Linn Mar HS/Marion, Iowa); Alexyz Vaioletama (Mater Dei HS/Fountain Valley, California).

Rounding out the roster (26): Ameryst Alston (McKinley HS/Canton, Ohio); Danielle Ballard (Memphis Central HS/Memphis, Tennessee); Alyson Beebe (St Joseph HS/Santa Maria, California); Kayla Brewer (Jean Ribault HS/Jacksonville, Florida); Briyona Canty (Trenton Catholic Academy/Willingboro, New Jersey); Andraya Carter (Buford HS/Flowery Branch, Georgia); Sidney Cook (Southmoore HS/Moore, Oklahoma); Kaela Davis (Norcross HS/Norcross, Georgia.); Diamond DeShields (Norcross HS/Norcross, Georgia); Alexa Gallagher (Germantown Academy/Elkins Park, Pennsylvania); Taylor Greenfield (Ballard HS/Huxley, Iowa); Isabelle Harrison (Hillsboro HS/Nashville, Tennessee); Amber Henson (Sickles HS/Tampa, Florida); Rachel Hollivay (New Hope HS/Columbus, Mississippi); Malina Howard (Twinsburg HS/Twinsburg, Ohio); Moriah Jefferson (Texas Home Educators Sports Association/Glenn Heights, Texas); Niya Johnson (PK Yonge Developmental Research School/Gainesville, Florida); Alexis Jones (Irving MacArthur HS/Irving, Texas); Jewell Loyd (Niles West HS/Lincolnwood, Illinois); Xylina McDaniel (Spring Valley HS/Blythewood, South Carolina); Alexis Prince (Edgewater HS/Maitland, Florida); Tiffany Rice-Mitchell (Providence Day School/Charlotte, North Carolina); Bonnie Samuelson (Edison HS/Huntington Beach, California); Bria Smith (Christ the King HS/Massapequa, New York); Imani Stafford (Winward HS/Los Angeles, California); Morgan Tuck (Bolingbrook HS/Bolingbrook, Illinois).

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