Talent a-plenty converge on Amsterdam for U17 Worlds Women

REGENSBURG (David Hein's Eye on the Future) -  The next wave of superstars are about to shine in Amsterdam as the 2012 FIBA U17 World Championship for Women tips off on Friday with many of the brightest starlets of the game.

Pick a team in the tournament and each side has at least one promising player if not a bona fide superstar prospect. The Eye is going to offer a quick glimpse at some of the top players in the Netherlands from August 17-26.

Obviously the most talented team at the championship is the United States with the Americans’ top star being Diamond DeShields, who comes into the competition having won gold the last two summers – the 2011 FIBA U19 World Championship for Women and the 2010 FIBA Americas U18 Championship.

DeShields is also one of two players who has committed to attend the University of North Carolina along with Jessica Washington while Team USA also features two players – Lindsay Allen and Taya Reimer – who will go to the University of Notre Dame, who reached the USA collegiate NCAA final the past two seasons. And Rebecca Greenwell will be another strong performer for the Americans.

Sticking with the Americas, there is Brazilian ace Izabella Sangalli, who is only improving that much more with former world champion and Olympic silver and bronze medalist Janeth Arcain coaching her. And the Canadians’ leader is Kia Nurse.

Africa’s sole representatives in the Netherlands are Mali and one of their top player is the 15-year-old Mariam Maiga, who was a 13-year-old at the 2010 U17 World Championship and averaged 16.7 points in her last four games that summer in France.

Asia have two sides at the competition and Ghana-born Evelyn Mawuli is one of the leading forces for Japan while Kim Sion will be one of Korea’s top leaders.

And Australia have the promising twins Alicia and Keely Froling as well as Vanessa Panousis.

Europe have five teams in the tournament and with that a number of star talents. Spain’s Leticia Romero is no stranger to Eye readers as the forward also has international experience at the club level while Maria Arrojo will help the European champions try and grab a medal.

Italy’s brightest star in Amsterdam is a year younger as Cecilia Zandalasini was named MVP of the 2012 U16 European Championship, while Belgium’s top star is Hind Ben Abdelkader, and Turkey will be guided by Bürsa Akbas.

The host side Netherlands meanwhile have some solid talent including Isabella Slim and 16-year-olds Laura Cornelius and Emese Hof – all three of whom played at this summer’s U18 European Championship and helped the Dutch qualify for the 2013 FIBA U19 World Championship for Women.

Let the games begin.

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