Thirty-Six athletes accept invitation to 2018 USA Women’s U18 National Team trials

By Staff

Thirty-six athletes are set to participate in the 2018 USA Basketball Women’s U18 National Team Trials which will take place May 26-28 at the United States Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The 12-member 2018 USA Women’s U18 National Team is expected to be announced on May 28, and athletes eligible for this team must be U.S. citizens who are 18 years old or younger (born on or after Jan. 1, 2000).

Trials Participants

• Shakira Austin (Riverdale Baptist H.S./Fredericksburg, Va.)
• Breanna Beal (Rock Island H.S./Rock Island, Ill.)
• Grace Berg (Indianola H.S./Carlisle, Iowa)
• Aijha Blackwell (Whitfield School/Berkeley, Mo.)
• Kennedy Brown (Derby Senior H.S./Derby, Kan.)
• Jenna Brown (The Lovett School/Smyrna, Ga.)
• Desiree Caldwell (Byron P. Steele II H.S./Cibolo, Texas)
• Taylor Chavez (Valley Vista H.S./Surprise, Ariz.)
• Amira Collins (Paul VI Catholic H.S./Waldorf, Md.)
• Maori Davenport (Henderson H.S./Troy, Ala.)
• Aquira DeCosta (St. Mary’s H.S./Stockton, Calif.)
• Elizabeth Dixon (Ridgeway H.S./Germantown, Tenn.)
• Queen Egbo (Travis H.S./Houston, Texas)
• Emily Engstler (St. Francis Prep/New York, N.Y.)
• McKenzie Forbes (Folsom H.S./Folsom, Calif.)
• Hayley Frank (Strafford H.S./Marshfield, Mo.)
• DeYona Gaston (Pearland H.S./Pearland, Texas)
• Katlyn Gilbert (Heritage Christian School/Indianapolis, Ind.)
• Zarielle Green (Duncanville H.S./Dallas, Texas)
• Heavenly Greer (Horizon H.S./Phoenix, Ariz.)
• Nazarah Hillmon-Baker (Gilmour Academy/Cleveland, Ohio)
• Rhyne Howard (Bradley Central H.S./Cleveland, Tenn.)
• Ashley Joens (Iowa City H.S./Iowa City, Iowa)
• Jazmine Massengill (Heights Christian Academy/Harrison, Tenn.)
• Olivia Nelson-Ododa (Winder-Barrow H.S./Winder, Ga.)
• Karisma Ortiz (Archbishop Mitty H.S. San Jose, Calif.)
• Jaden Owens (Plano West H.S./Plano, Texas)
• Jordan Nixon (Mary Louis Academy/New York, N.Y.)
• Anaya Peoples (Schlarman H.S./Danville, Ill.)
• Sedona Prince (Liberty Hill H.S./Liberty Hill, Texas)
• Abby Prohaska (Lakota West H.S./Liberty Township, Ohio)
• Sammie Puisis (William Mason H.S./Mason, Ohio)
• Honesty Scott-Grayson (Riverdale Baptist H.S./ Severn, Md.)
• NaLyssa Smith (East Central H.S./Converse, Texas)
• Christyn Williams (Central Arkansas Christian School/Little Rock, Ark.)
• Zoe Young (Valley H.S./Urbandale, Iowa)

Head coach: Jeff Walz (Louisville)
Assistant coaches: Natasha Adair (Delaware), Cori Close (UCLA)

From USA Basketball:

All of the 25 athletes who will graduate high school in 2018 have signed a National Letter of Intent. Heading to Baylor University will be DeCosta, Egbo, Scott-Grayson and Smith; signed with the University of Tennessee are Collins, Green and Massengill; the University of Notre Dame will feature Gilbert, Nixon and Prohaska; the University of Connecticut will get Nelson-Ododa and Williams; Austin signed with the University of Maryland; Berg will play at the University of Missouri; Brown is headed to Stanford University; Caldwell signed with the University of Southern California; Chavez will play at the University of Oregon; Dixon signed with Georgia Tech University; Engstler is headed to Syracuse University; Forbes will play at the University of California; Hillmon-Baker signed with the University of Michigan; Howard will play at the University of Kentucky; Joens is headed to Iowa State University; Penn State University will feature Ortiz; and Prince is headed to the University of Texas

Among the 11 athletes who will graduate high school in 2019 and 2020, four players have verbally committed, including Peoples to Notre Dame; Frank to Missouri; Young with Maryland; and Puisis to Florida State University.

Austin and Scott-Grayson, who both attend Riverdale Baptist in Virginia are the only high school teammates on the trials roster.