COLORADO SPRINGS (2015 FIBA U19 Women's World Championship) - Three-time Olympic winner Dawn Staley has been tasked with leading the United States' defence of their FIBA U19 Women's World Championship crown.

Having served as head coach with the USA side that captured the FIBA Americas U18 Championship title last year, the play-caller will lead the same core group of players on the global stage in Chekhov.

"I'm always excited about playing a role with USA Basketball, because I just feel like it's basketball utopia," said Staley, who first represented her country internationally while playing at U19 level in 1989.

“Now I get an opportunity to work with younger players who have aspirations of becoming Olympians. - Staley

"I always like to share my experiences growing up in USA Basketball, and sometimes those experiences are disappointing.

"But if you stick with it, in the long run, you'll be rewarded in a big way. I'm excited about being able to shape young lives in the USA Basketball system."

Staley was an interested observer in the crowd at the last edition of the event two years ago in Lithuania, but this time will be pacing the sidelines.

She first joined the USA as a women's national team assistant coach at the 2006 FIBA Women's World Championship and the 2007 FIBA Americas Championship for Women and the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

More recently, she was an assistant for the senior team that successfully defended its FIBA World Championship for Women title last year in Turkey and the former guard will also assist the team right through until the end of the 2016 Olympics.

Having recently concluded her seventh season as head coach at the University of South Carolina, Staley led the Gamecocks to their fourth-straight NCAA Tournament and fourth-consecutive season with 25 or more victories.

Indeed this past season was her best yet at the helm, as her team advanced to the first NCAA Final Four in the programme's history and her team spent 12 weeks in the number one slot in the Associated Press poll.

Staley was also named the 2015 SEC Coach of the Year, 2015 WBCA Region 3 Coach of the Year and was a finalist for the 2015 Naismith National Coach of the Year award.

Once again she will be assisted by Kim Barnes Arico of Michigan and Jeff Walz of Louisville, with the USA pitched into Group B with China, Egypt and Spain.

FIBA