IRAPUATO (México) - The United States and Canada secured the top spots in their respective groups on Wednesday at the FIBA U16 Women’s AmeriCup. Both teams remained undefeated at the Inforum in Irapuato, Mexico, solidifying their status as favorites heading into the Quarter-Finals on Friday. The Americans, leaders of Group A and winners of the last four editions of the tournament, will take on Panama. Canada, first in Group B, will clash with Puerto Rico. The other two Quarter-Final matchups will feature Argentina vs. Colombia and Mexico vs. Venezuela. The winners of each game will advance to the Semi-Finals and, more importantly, secure a ticket to the FIBA U17 Women’s Basketball World Cup 2026. The remaining teams will enter the classification round for positions 5th through 8th place. Here’s a recap of the Day 3 highlight:
VEN 64 - 45 PUR
Albanys Ramírez delivered a dominant double-double performance with 18 points and 15 rebounds to give Venezuela (1-2) its first win of the tournament. The victory helped the team avoid finishing last in Group A and, more importantly, a Quarterfinal matchup against powerhouse Canada.
Ramírez also tallied 4 steals and 1 assist. The power forward grabbed 9 of Venezuela’s 15 offensive rebounds, leading to 21 second-chance points. The team also scored 38 points off Puerto Rico’s 41 turnovers. The reigning South American U15 champions also recorded 29 steals, adding another key stat from the game. Camila Sangronis led the way with 5, followed by Ramírez, Valeria Astudillo (4), and Anyelis Motabán (4). Greidysmar Camacaro chipped in 11 points, while Sangronis rounded out the top scorers with 9, all coming from beyond the arc (3 three-pointers). For Puerto Rico (0-3), Lucianna Parrotta posted a double-double of her own with 11 points and 13 rebounds. She also had 2 steals and 1 block.
USA 101 - 46 ARG
The United States (3-0) extended its record at the FIBA U16 Women’s AmeriCup to 45-1. This time, it was Eve Long leading the offense with 17 points, followed by Micah Ojo with 15, and Caroline Bradley, who notched her first double-double of the tournament with 10 points and 10 rebounds.
The defending champions dominated the boards 59-36 and scored 56 points in the paint. They also excelled in transition with 42 fast-break points. For Argentina (2-1), Sofía Rosso and Kiara Miró each scored 10 points. Rosso also grabbed 4 rebounds.
CAN 107 - 15 PAN
Canada’s perimeter shooting was on fire with 15 made three-pointers—just one shy of tying the all-time team record in a single game since 2013. That record of 16 threes was set by Mexico, also against Panama, on the opening day of the current tournament. Pippa Gibb led the long-range attack with 4 triples and finished with 18 points. Portia Reisen, Jordyn Nohr, Stella Evans, and Ashley Vande Ven each added two threes, while Frances Vollett recorded a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds.
Panama (0-3) was led by Jasmín Flores, who contributed 6 points and 7 rebounds. The 15 total points tied with the third-lowest scoring output in the history of the tournament.
MEX 45 - 39 COL
Mexico (2-1) bounced back from a sluggish first quarter in which they scored just eight points to claim a crucial win that secured second place in Group B. The hosts came alive in the next two quarters, scoring 26 points while limiting Colombia to 10. In the fourth quarter, Mexico managed to hold off a late push from the Colombians, who came within six points with 1:48 remaining, but couldn’t score again. Yania Valverde led Mexico’s offense with 10 points and 8 rebounds. Belén Velázquez was a standout on both ends with 8 points, 7 steals, and 5 rebounds. Jordan Martin also had a solid showing with 7 points, 6 recoveries, and 3 blocks.
For Colombia (1-2), María Millán finished with 12 points, including three triples. Keren Bertel added 10 points, along with 3 rebounds and 3 assists.
Top performers - Day 3
Caroline Bradley (USA) PTS: 10 | REB: 10 | AST: 2 | STL: 2 | BLK: 2 | EFF: 23 Nation Williams (USA) PTS: 8 | FG: 3-4 | REB: 13 | AST: 3 | BLK: 2 | EFF: 22 Ashley Vande Ven (CAN) PTS: 12 | 3PT FG: 2-3 | REB: 8 | AST: 2 | STL: 3 | EFF: 22 Frances Vollett (CAN) PTS: 16 | 2PT FG: 6-10 | REB: 10 | STL: 2 | BLK: 1 | EFF: 20 Gabrielle Fajemirokun (CAN) PTS: 7 | 2PT FG: 6-10 | REB: 11 | AST: 4 | STL: 2 | BLK: 2 | EFF: 20 Micah Ojo (USA) PTS: 15 | FT: 6-7 | REB: 2 | AST: 2 | STL: 5 | BLK: 1 | EFF: 20
Upcoming games
Friday, June 20 (Quarterfinals): USA vs. PAN - 12:30 p.m. (local time) CAN vs. PUR - 3:00 p.m. ARG vs. COL - 5:30 p.m. MEX vs. VEN - 8:00 p.m.
FIBA