Sabrina Ionescu of Miramonte was a surprise selection to the USA Women's Basketball U16 National Team roster.
Photo by David Steutel
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Choosing the USA Basketball 2013 Women’s U16 National Team roster for FIBA Americas is not nearly as simple as it looks. The five-person selection committee is charged with much more than just picking the best 12 players out of the Classes of 2015 and 2016, and sending them off to Cancún to beat up on the other teams from North, South and Central America.
First, any 12 of the final 43 players from the four-day tryouts would have been a prohibitive favorite to win the gold medal in Mexico June 19-23, so there was no pressure to make sure all the most talented players were on the team.
Second, the committee then had to decide if it wanted to pick the best players right now, this May of 2013, or look down the road at players who would develop into potential Olympians in 2020 and beyond. For that reason, for example, 6-9
Nancy Mulkey was invited to practice with the final 12-player team even though she didn't make the cut. Obviously, Mulkey might develop into a very good player, though at this point her lack of strength, bulk and skills means she couldn't keep up with the competition in Colorado Springs.
Third, the older players — the rising juniors — would be expected to better, because of age and experience. And to a certain extent they were — yet six of the 12 girls chosen are rising sophomores, as the committee recognizes that developing this entire group means taking into account a variety of factors.
And then there's always the battle between potential and production.
Kelly Koshuta of
Madison (Vienna, Va.), for example, was one of the most consistently productive players in the last two days, but at 6-1 and lacking the pure athleticism of other girls, her chances of making the team were slim.
Of course,
Te'a Cooper of
McEachern (Powder Springs, Ga.) showed both production and potential, yet was left off the team. Cooper had controlled most of the scrimmages she played in, and delivered some great interior passes, scored on penetration and generally played the game at a very high level — but for whatever reason, she was passed over.
Instead, the committee surprisingly chose unheralded
Sabrina Ionescu of
Miramonte (Orinda, Calif.). Ionescu was one of the 91 players who self-selected themselves for the tryouts, sending in an application and paying their own way. Thirty-three had been invited, and in the last open tryouts in 2011, the final 12 all came from the invited group.
Crystal Dangerfield, Blackman
Photo by John Pratt
Also uninvited but selected was
Taylor Murray of
Annapolis Area Christian (Severn, Md.), who will pair with
Crystal Dangerfield of
Blackman (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) at the point — though
Asia Durr of
St. Pius X Catholic (Atlanta) and Ionescu can also play the one.
Durr and
Arike Ogunbowale of
Divine Savior Holy Angels (Milwaukee) were the most impressive players on the wings, though there's plenty of help available.
Kalani Brown of
Salmen (Slidell, La.), daughter of long-time NBA player, P.J. Brown, showed power, skill and a high basketball IQ at the post, while
Lauren Cox of
Flower Mound (Texas) is a 6-4 power forward who can shoot and handle, and just turned 15.
Complete USA Basketball Women's U16 roster DeJanae Boykin,
Flowers (Springdale, Md.), 2015
Kalani Brown, Salmen (Slidell, La.), 2015
Chassity Carter,
Dickson County (Dickson, Tenn.), 2016
Lauren Cox, Flower Mound (Texas), 2016
Crystal Dangerfield, Blackman (Murfreesboro, Tenn), 2016
Chelsea Dungee,
Preston (Okla.), 2016
Asia Durr, St. Pius X Catholic (Atlanta), 2015
Sabrina Ionescu, Miramonte (Orinda, Calif.), 2016
Tori McCoy,
St. Thomas More (Champaign, Ill.), 2016
Taylor Murray, Annapolis Area Christian (Severn, Md.), 2015
Arike Ogunbowale, Divine Savior Holy Angels (Milwaukee), 2015
Katie Lou Samuelson,
Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.), 2015
The team is coached by Sue Phillips of
Archbishop Mitty (San Jose, Calif.), and even if, as expected, this group qualifies for the FIBA U18 World Championships in 2014, there will be another round of tryouts next spring where several of these players will likely wind up being replaced.
