USA - USA Basketball names 35 players for FIBA U19 Women's World Championship team trials

COLORADO SPRINGS (2011 FIBA World Championship for Women) - USA Basketball on Thursday announced that 35 of the country's top 19-and-under women's basketball players have accepted invitations to try out for the national team that will compete at this summer's FIBA U19 World Championship for Women in Puerto Montt, Chile.

The 35 players - including an impressive 24 medalists - will attend the 2011 USA Women's U19 World Championship Team Trials to be held between 22 and 25 May at the US Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

"The committee is very excited about the young talent that will be at this year's USA Basketball U19 World Championship Team Trials," said USA Basketball Women's Junior National Team Committee chair Sue Donohoe.

"So many of these athletes already know what it takes to win a gold medal, and that will make the trials so much more competitive and that much harder for the committee to narrow down this group to just one team."

Eight members of the 2010 USA U18 National Team that earned the USA its 2011 FIBA U19 World Championship berth are returning to compete for a spot on the 2011 USA U19 World Championship Team - as is the coaching staff.

The USA again will be led by the University of Hartford's Jennifer Rizzotti, with assistant coaches Sue Semrauof Florida State University and Joi Williamsof the University of Central Florida.

Ariel Massengale and Elizabeth Williams (pictured), who led the USA to gold at the inaugural FIBA U17 World Championship for Women last summer in France, will be among the 35 players trying out for one of the 12 spots on the U19 team.

As winners of the last three FIBA U19 World Championship for Women, the USA will look to defend their title when things get underway in Puerto Montt and Puerto Varas, Chile between 21 and 31 July.

The USA has been drawn in Group B and will take on Argentina, Japan and Russia in the Preliminary Round.

USA U19 World Championship Team Trials: Jordan Adams; Cierra Burdick; Briyona Canty; Andraya Carter; Diamond DeShields; Stefanie Dolson; Aaryn Ellenberg; Chassidy Fussell; Karla Gilbert; Bashaara Graves; Bria Hartley; Justine Hartman; Kaneisha Horn; Malina Howard; Moriah Jefferson; Alexis Jones; Betnijah Laney; Allyson Malott; Tyaunna Marshall; Ariel Massengale; Khaalidah Miller; Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis; Cassie Peoples; Theresa Plaisance; Shoni Schimmel; Meighan Simmons; Odyssey  Sims; Bria Smith; Imani Stafford; Breanna Stewart; Kiah Stokes; Alyssa Thomas; Morgan Tuck; Alexyz Vaioletama; Elizabeth Williams.

FIBA