USA - Women's trials roster named for FIBA U17 World Championship

COLORADO SPRINGS (2010 FIBA U17 World Championship for Women) - USA Basketball announced 36 athletes who have accepted invitations to participate in the 2010 USA Basketball Women's U17 World Championship Team Trials to be held from 8th to 11th June at the US Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Among the 36 names are 10 players who helped the USA take gold at the 2009 FIBA Americas U16 Championship in Mexico City, Mexico, including last summer's tournament MVP Elizabeth Williams and leading scorer Kaleena Lewis.

A total of 12 players will be chosen to make up the national team that will compete at the inaugural FIBA U17 World Championship in Toulouse and Rodez, France from 16th to 25th July.

"The U17 World Championship will feature excellent teams from Europe, Australia and our FIBA Americas rivals," said USA Basketball Women's National Team Director Carol Callan.

"The goal of USA Basketball Women's Development Committee was to put together a trials roster that included talent and depth at every position, and I think we did that. We certainly are fortunate to have so many outstanding young players in this country."

The USA team to compete at the FIBA U17 World Championship will be announced on 11th June. They will stay in Colorado Springs until 15th June and reassemble in Washington, District of Columbia, for training from 5th to 7th July.

They will play several practice games in Spain before arriving in Rodez, where they will face Canada, tournament hosts France, Japan, Russia and Turkey in Group A of the Preliminary Round.

Barbara Nelson of Wingate University, North Carolina, will return as head coach for the USA, as will her 2009 assistant coaches Mike Armstrong of Perry Meridian High School, Indiana,  and Dorena Bingham of Team Alaska AAU.

The coaching trio led the USA to the 2009 FIBA Americas U16 title and in doing so secured a berth into the 2010 FIBA U17 World Championship.
 
Trials roster
Players returning from 2009 FIBA Americas U16 Championship (10): Elizabeth Williams (Princess Anne HS/Virginia Beach, Virgina); Kaleena Lewis (Mater Dei HS/Anaheim, California); Jordan Adams (Mater Dei HS/Irvine, California); Cierra Burdick (Butler HS/Matthews, North Carolina); 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).
Additional players (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); Tiffany Mitchell  (Providence Day School/Charlotte, North Carolina); Alexis Prince (Edgewater HS/Maitland, Florida); 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).