University of California, Los Angeles, Athletics
Two Bruins Invited to USA Basketball U23 Training Camp
July 11, 2017 | Women's Basketball
Jordin Canada and Monique Billings have accepted an invitation to attend the USA Basketball Women’s U23 National Team Training Camp.
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COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- Forty elite collegiate athletes, including 22 international gold medalists, accepted invitations to attend the 2017 USA Basketball Women's U23 National Team Training Camp, which will take place July 31-Aug. 4 at the United States Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The USA Basketball Women's Junior National Team Committee issued the invitations.
UCLA seniors-to-be Jordin Canada (Los Angeles, Calif.) and Monique Billings (Corona, Calif.) will each head to Colorado for the five-day camp. Additionally, Geno Auriemma, 2009-16 USA Basketball Women's National Team head coach and head coach at the University of Connecticut, will serve as the lead clinician during training camp, guiding all of the skill development sessions. UCLA Head Coach Cori Close and Jamelle Elliott of the University of Cincinnati will serve as court coaches.
The 12-member team that will represent the USA in an inaugural U23 Four Nations Tournament for college-aged women this summer in Tokyo, Japan, is expected to be announced on Aug. 4. Players selected to the team will continue training at the USOTC through Aug. 7 before departing for Tokyo. Athletes eligible for this team must be U.S. citizens who are 23 years old or younger and currently are freshmen, sophomores or juniors in college.
Other collegiate players taking part in training camp include: Kristine Anigwe (California/Phoenix, Ariz.); Ariel Atkins (Texas/Duncanville, Texas); Erin Boley (Oregon/Hodgenville, Ky.); Kalani Brown (Baylor/Slidell, La.); Lexie Brown (Duke/Suwanee, Ga.); Tyra Buss (Indiana/Mt. Carmel, Ill.); Natalie Chou (Baylor/Plano, Texas); Napheesa Collier (Connecticut/O'Fallon, Mo.); Sophie Cunningham (Missouri/Columbia, Mo.); Asia Durr (Louisville/ Douglasville, Ga.); Katelynn Flaherty (Michigan/Point Pleasant, N.J.); Channon Fluker (CSUN/Pasadena, Calif.); Rebecca Greenwell (Duke/Owensboro, Ky.); Linnae Harper (Ohio State/Chicago, Ill.); Myisha Hines-Allen (Louisville/Montclair, N.J.); Sabrina Ionescu (Oregon/Walnut Creek, Calif.); Marina Mabrey (Notre Dame/Belmar, N.J.); Tynice Martin (West Virginia/Atlanta, Ga.); Brooke McCarty (Texas/League City, Texas); Teaira McCowan (Mississippi State/Brenham, Texas); Brittany McPhee (Stanford/Normandy Park, Wash.); Kelsey Mitchell (Ohio State/Cincinnati, Ohio); Mariya Moore (Southern California/Hercules, Calif.); Jamie Nared (Tennessee/Portland, Ore.); Arike Ogunbowale (Notre Dame/Milwaukee, Wis.); Teniya Page (Penn State/Chicago, Ill.); Mercedes Russell (Tennessee/Springfield, Ore.); Katie Lou Samuelson (Connecticut/Huntington Beach, Calif.); Jessica Shepard (Notre Dame/ Fremont, Neb.); Kristen Simon (Southern California/Gardena, Calif.); Destiny Slocum (Oregon State/ Meridian, Idaho); Azurá Stevens (Connecticut/Raleigh, N.C.); Hallie Thome (Michigan/Chagrin Falls, Ohio); Victoria Vivians (Mississippi State/Carthage, Miss.); Jatarie White (Texas/Charlotte, N.C.); Gabby Williams (Connecticut/Sparks, Nev.); A'ja Wilson (South Carolina/Hopkins, S.C.); and Jackie Young (Notre Dame/Princeton, Ind.).
"We are very excited about the group of players coming out to Colorado Springs for the U23 training camp," said Jennifer Rizzotti, chair of the USA Basketball Women's Junior National Team Committee and head coach at George Washington University. "We believe they represent the best players returning to college basketball this coming season. There is depth at every position, and we anticipate a highly competitive camp. It's important to recognize the young talent that has potential to be in the USA National Team pool in a few years. They will get invaluable experience during those five days and learn from some of the best on what it takes to progress to the highest levels of women's basketball."
Leading the 2017 USA Basketball Women's U23 National Team will be Jeff Walz of the University of Louisville as head coach, with Courtney Banghart of Princeton University and Michelle Clark-Heard of Western Kentucky University as assistant coaches.
Additionally, Geno Auriemma, 2009-16 USA Basketball Women's National Team head coach and head coach at the University of Connecticut, will serve as the lead clinician during training camp, guiding all of the sessions except the team practices and games.
During training camp, athletes will take part in sessions dedicated to skill development and to understanding the culture of success that is an important aspect of playing for the USA Basketball Women's National Team. Additionally, the participants will be divided into four teams that will compete in a round-robin tournament that results in semifinals and gold and bronze medal games.
Training camp begins on July 31 with a session at 4:45 p.m. (all times listed are PDT). On Aug. 1, training camp will continue at 8 a.m. and 2 p.m., while Team 1 will play Team 2 at 3:30 p.m. and Team 3 will take on Team 4 at 5 p.m. Aug. 2 will begin with Team 1 versus Team 3 at 8:30 a.m. and Team 2 against Team 4 at 10 a.m., and after a training camp session at 2 p.m., Team 1 will play Team 4 at 4 p.m. and Team 2 will meet Team 3 at 5:30 p.m. On Aug. 3, the day will start with semifinal games at 7 a.m. and 8:30 a.m., followed by a training camp session at 11:30 a.m. and then one-hour team practices for each of the teams from 3-7 p.m. The final day of training camp on Aug. 4 will feature a bronze medal game at 7 a.m., a gold medal game at 8:30 a.m. and the official USA U23 National Team expected to be announced early that afternoon.
The 2017 U23 Four Nations Tournament, which will include the USA, Australia, Canada and Japan, will be a round-robin tournament played Aug. 12-15 in Tokyo (arena TBA).
The 2017 U23 Four Nations Tournament will provide meaningful competition and development opportunities. The USA's participation in the tournament is intended to help further develop the USA Basketball athlete pipeline and to help prepare athletes for possible future participation in the USA Basketball Women's National Team pool.
With four gold medals, Ogunbowale and Samuelson own the most gold in the group. They earned top finishes at the 2014 Youth Olympic Games (3x3), the 2014 FIBA U17 World Championship, the 2013 FIBA Americas U16 Championship and the 2013 FIBA 3x3 U18 World Championship. Ogunbowale also earned a silver medal at the 2015 FIBA 3x3 U18 World Championship.
Four players have won three gold medals, including Collier, Harper, Russell and Wilson. Collier and Wilson were teammates on the gold-medal winning 2015 USA U19 World Championship and 2014 USA U18 National Teams. Collier also finished in first place at the 2014 Youth Olympic Games (3x3), while Wilson was a two-time U19 participant, winning gold in 2013 as well. Harper and Russell each won gold medals at the 2012 FIBA U17 World Championship and 2011 FIBA Americas U16 Championship. Harper also collected gold at the 2013 FIBA U19 World Championship, bronze at the 2016 FIBA 3x3 World Championship, silver at the 2015 Pan American Games and an honorary bronze at the 2011 FIBA 3x3 Youth World Championship. Russell won her third gold medal at the 2015 World University Games.
Six players own two gold medals, including Anigwe, Canada, Durr, Greenwell, Ionescu and Moore. Anigwe won gold at the 2014 FIBA U17 World Championship and the 2015 FIBA U19 World Championship, as well as silver at the 2015 FIBA 3x3 U18 World Championship. Canada won gold at the 2011 FIBA Americas U16 Championship and 2015 World University Games. Durr and Ionescu finished in the top place at the 2013 FIBA Americas U16 Championship and the 2014 FIBA U17 World Championship. Greenwell earned gold at the 2011 FIBA Americas U16 Championship and the 2012 FIBA U17 World Championship, as well as an honorary bronze medal at the 2011 FIBA 3x3 Youth World Championship. And, Moore won gold at the 2014 FIBA Americas U18 Championship and 2015 FIBA U19 World Championship.
The remaining 11 gold medalists include 2014 USA U18 National Team teammates Atkins, Mabrey, McCowan and Shepard; and 2015 USA U19 World Championship Team members Slocum and Stevens. Kalani Brown won gold at the 2016 FIBA Americas U16 Championship; Lexie Brown earned gold at the 2012 FIBA Americas U18 Championship; Chou won gold at the 2014 FIBA U17 World Championship, and she and Boley won silver medals at the 2015 FIBA 3x3 U18 World Championship; while White won gold at the 2011 FIBA Americas U16 Championship.
In addition to Rizzotti, the USA Basketball Women's Junior National Team Committee, which will select the 12-member roster for the U23 national team, also includes 2008 Olympic gold medalist Kara Lawson Barling as the athlete representative, and NCAA representatives Karen Aston of University of Texas, Tonya Cardoza of Temple University, who was a member of the 1987 U.S. Olympic Festival East Team, and Wes Moore of North Carolina State.
2017 USA Basketball Women's U23 National Team Training Camp Roster
NAME POS HGT AGE YOG COLLEGE HOMETOWN
Kristine Anigwe C/F 6-4 20 2019 California Phoenix, AZ
Ariel Atkins G 5-11 21 2018 Texas Duncanville, TX
Monique Billings F 6-4 21 2018 UCLA Corona, CA
Erin Boley G 6-2 19 2021 Oregon Hodgenville, KY
Kalani Brown C 6-7 20 2019 Baylor Slidell, LA
Lexie Brown G 5-9 22 2018 Duke Suwanee, GA
Tyra Buss G 5-8 21 2018 Indiana Mt. Carmel, IL
Jordin Canada G 5-6 22 2018 UCLA Los Angeles, CA
Natalie Chou G 6-1 19 2020 Baylor Plano, TX
Napheesa Collier F 6-1 20 2019 Connecticut O'Fallon, MO
Sophie Cunningham G 6-1 21 2019 Missouri Columbia, MO
Asia Durr G 5-10 20 2019 Louisville Douglasville, GA
Katelynn Flaherty G 5-7 21 2018 Michigan Point Pleasant, NJ
Channon Fluker C 6-4 20 2019 CSUN Pasadena, CA
Rebecca Greenwell G 6-1 22 2018 Duke Owensboro, KY
Linnae Harper G 5-8 22 2018 Ohio State Chicago, IL
Myisha Hines-Allen F 6-2 22 2018 Louisville Montclair, NJ
Sabrina Ionescu G 5-10 19 2020 Oregon Walnut Creek, CA
Marina Mabrey G 5-11 20 2019 Notre Dame Belmar, NJ
Tynice Martin G 5-11 20 2019 West Virginia Atlanta, GA
Brooke McCarty G 5-4 21 2018 Texas League City, TX
Teaira McCowan C 6-7 20 2019 Mississippi State Brenham, TX
Brittany McPhee G 6-0 21 2018 Stanford Normandy Park, WA
Kelsey Mitchell G 5-8 21 2018 Ohio State Cincinnati, OH
Mariya Moore F 6-0 21 2019 USC Hercules, CA
Jamie Nared G/F 6-2 21 2018 Tennessee Portland, OR
Arike Ogunbowale G 5-8 20 2019 Notre Dame Milwaukee, WI
Teniya Page G 5-7 20 2019 Penn State Chicago, IL
Mercedes Russell C 6-6 22 2018 Tennessee Springfield, OR
Katie Lou Samuelson G/F 6-3 20 2019 Connecticut Huntington Beach, CA
Jessica Shepard F 6-4 20 2020 Notre Dame Fremont, NE
Kristen Simon F 6-2 21 2018 USC Gardena, CA
Destiny Slocum G 5-7 19 2021 Oregon State Meridian, ID
Azurá Stevens F/G 6-6 21 2019 Connecticut Raleigh, NC
Hallie Thome C 6-5 20 2019 Michigan Chagrin Falls, OH
Victoria Vivians G 6-1 22 2018 Mississippi State Carthage, MS
Jatarie White F/C 6-4 22 2019 Texas Charlotte, NC
Gabby Williams F 5-11 20 2018 Connecticut Sparks, NV
A'ja Wilson F 6-5 21 2018 South Carolina Hopkins, SC
Jackie Young G 6-0 19 2020 Notre Dame Princeton, IN
Head Coach: Jeff Walz, University of Louisville
Assistant Coach: Courtney Banghart, Princeton University
Assistant Coach: Michelle Clark-Heard, Western Kentucky University
Team Physician: Dave Weinstein, Colorado Springs, Colorado
Athletic Trainer: Sarah Newman, La Mesa, California
