Led by MaxPreps National Female Athlete of the Year
Joyce Edwards and a host of MaxPreps All-Americans, the USA Basketball U19 team capped its third straight FIBA title with a thrilling 69-66 win over Spain on Sunday in Madrid.
Edwards, a rising senior at
Camden (S.C.), was named to the All-Star 5 along with fellow MaxPrep All-American
Hannah Hidalgo of (
Paul VI (Haddonfield, N.J.) as Team USA won its 10th overall gold at the competition.
The Americans cruised through pool play and into the final, winning by nearly 50 points per game. But Spain, in front of its home crowd, matched the United States as the game was tied at 34 at halftime.
Knotted at 66 with under 30 seconds to play,
Cotie McMahon of Ohio State and
Centerville (Ohio) scored before Notre Dame-bound Hidalgo stole the ball and sealed the win with one of two free throws.
Edwards led the Americans throughout the week averaging 12.6 points while Hidalgo and South Carolina commit
Chloe Kitts of
DME Academy (Daytona Beach, Fla.) each averaged 10.7 points per game.
Other MaxPreps All-Americans on the squad were 2022 MaxPreps National Female Athlete of the Year
Kiki Rice, who is at UCLA after playing at
Sidwell Friends (Washington, D.C.),
Jadyn Donovan of Sidwell Friends,
Allie Ziebell of
Neenah (Wis.), Texas commit
Madison Booker of
Germantown (Madison, Miss.) and Arizona-bound
Breya Cunningham of
La Jolla Country Day (La Jolla, Calif.).
Canada won bronze with an 80-73 victory over France in which
Syla Swords of
Long Island Lutheran (Brookville, N.Y.) scored a game-high 26 points.
