Staff Report
MaxPreps.com
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Nneka Ogwumike of Cy-Fair High School in Cypress, Texas, was named the MaxPreps Girls National Athlete of the Year on Wednesday. A day later, she earned one of 12 roster spots on the USA Basketball Women’s U18 team, scheduled to compete in July at the FIBA Americas zone qualifier in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Ogwumike will be joined by Kelsey Bone (Dulles High School/Stafford, Texas), Sarah Boothe (Warren/Gurnee, Ill.), Alyssia Brewer (Sapulpa/Sapulpa, Okla.), Ashley Corral (Prairie/Vancouver, Wash.), Skylar Diggins (Washington/South Bend, Ind.), Kelly Faris (Heritage Christian/Plainfield, Ind.), Lynetta Kizer (Potomac/Woodbridge, Va.), Samantha Prahalis (Commack/Dix Hills, N.Y.), Nikki Speed (Marlborough/Pasadena, Calif.), SheKinna Stricklen (Morrilton/Morrilton, Ark.) and Joslyn Tinkle (Big Sky/Missoula, Mont.).
“I feel this is a good group and that they are going to do very well,” U-18 head coach Carol Owens of Northern Illinois said. “I think the committee did a great job selecting the right kids, the right fit and a balanced group that I think will work well together.”
Indiana’s Diggins and Ogwumike were both named first team All-Americans by MaxPreps in April. Boothe, Brewer, Corral, Prahalis and Stricklen also earned All-American mention following the 2007-08 season.
“It is an amazing feeling to represent your country,” Ogwumike said. “Only a select few of us were chosen to represent the USA and I’m really proud to be a part of this team.”
The team will train in Colorado Springs from July 10-16 and in Washington, D.C., July 17-20 before heading to Argentina for the FIBA Americas U18 Championship for Women.