COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Featuring some of the nation’s best, young talent, USA Basketball today announced the names of 33 athletes who have accepted invitations to attend the 2013 USA Basketball Women’s U16 National Team Trials that will be held May 23-27 at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo. The USA Basketball Women’s Developmental National Team Committee issued the invitations.

In addition to the 33 invited athletes, USA Basketball is conducting an open application process that is expected to add another 100-125 players who will compete for a roster spot on the USA U16 Team. The entire trials roster will be announced prior to the start of trials in mid-May.

“The committee is excited to welcome these 33 athletes and all of the applicant athletes that will participate in trials at the end of this month, and we are confident that we will have a very deep, talented pool from which we will select a 12-member roster," said Carol Callan, USA Basketball Women's National Team Director and non-voting chair of the Women's Developmental National Team Committee. "It will be a challenge given the great interest, but it is one we look forward to meeting. Trials also will be an important opportunity to get to know these players and to help them understand what USA Basketball is all about. We have designed the weekend to provide every athlete with individual skill work, team concepts and off-the-court information that hopefully will help them develop as they move forward.”

Invited athletes from the Class of 2015 include: Bri Berryman (Indian Creek H.S./Wintersville, Ohio); DeJanae Boykin (Charles H. Flowers H.S./Springdale, Md.); Kalani Brown (Salmen H.S./Slidell, La.); Kennedy Burke (Sierra Canyon H.S./Chatsworth, Calif.); Amari Carter (St. John’s College H.S./Washington, D.C.); Taja Cole (Lloyd C. Byrd H.S./Chesterfield, Va.); Te’a Cooper (McEachern H.S./Powder Springs, Ga.); Asia Durr (St. Pius X Catholic H.S./Douglasville, Ga.); Ashley Hearn (Sachse H.S./Sachse, Texas); Aliyah Jeune (Life Center Academy/Burlington Township, N.J.); Arike Ogunbowale (Divine Savior Holy Angels H.S./Milwaukee, Wis.); Teniya Page (Marian Catholic H.S./Chicago Heights, Ill.); Caliya Robinson (Kell H.S./Marietta, Ga.); Katie Lou Samuelson (Mater Dei H.S./Santa Ana, Calif.); and Faith Suggs (Plainfield East H.S./Plainfield, Ill.).

Accepting invitations from the Class of 2016 were: Jaelyn Brown (Vista Murrieta H.S./Murietta, Calif.); DiJonai Carrington (Horizon Christian Academy/San Diego, Calif.); Chassity Carter (Dickson Academy/Burns, Tenn.); Lauren Cox (Flower Mound H.S./Flower Mound, Texas); Crystal Dangerfield (Blackman H.S./Murfreesboro, Tenn.); Chelsea Dungee (Preston Public School/Preston, Okla.); Nicole Ekhomu (Joliet Catholic Academy/Joliet, Ill.); Kysre Gondrezick (Benton Harbor H.S./Benton Harbor, Mich.); Joyner Holmes (Cedar Hill H.S./Cedar Hill, Texas); Jocelyn Jones (Cosby H.S./Midlothian, Va.); Stephanie Jones (Havre de Grace H.S./Havre de Grace, Md.); Tori McCoy (The High School of St. Thomas Moore/Champaign, Ill.); Krystaline McCune (duPont Manual H.S./Louisville, Ky.); Nancy Mulkey (Cypress Woods H.S./Cypress, Texas); Amber Ramirez (Wagner H.S./San Antonio, Texas); Celeste West (Garces Memorial H.S./Bakersfield, Calif.); Jocelyn Willoughby (Newark Academy/Livingston, N.J.); and Anna Wilson (Collegiate School/Richmond, Va.).

Things begin with orientation and a skills session on the evening on May 23, and are followed by skills sessions, including drills and position work, on the morning and afternoon of May 24.

The first two days also will include information sessions for athletes and players regarding maximum performance, the U.S. Anti Doping Association and recruiting and a player’s transition to college.

Due to the anticipated number of participants, athletes will be divided into two groups for the skills sessions and the first four trials sessions. The roster will not be reduced until after at least the second trials session on May 25.

The first trials session gets underway on the evening of May 24, followed by trials sessions in the morning, afternoon and evening of May 25. On the morning of May 26, the two groups are expected to be combined for trials sessions that morning afternoon and evening.

The team is expected to be announced early on May 27, before all players and coaches depart for home. The 12-member roster will reassemble for training camp June 10- 16 at the USOTC prior to the team’s departure for Mexico and the 2013 FIBA Americas U16 Championship.

Sue Phillips, head coach at Archbishop Mitty High School (San Jose, Calif.) and for the San Jose Cagers AAU program in California, was named head coach of the 2013 USA Basketball Women’s U16 National Team, and selected as assistant coaches were Mary Coyle Klinger (Rutgers Preparatory School, Somerset, N.J.) and Brian Robinson (Bishop McGuinness H.S., Kernersville, N.C./Stealers AAU).

The 2013 USA Basketball Women’s U16 National Team will compete in the 2013 FIBA Americas U16 Championship that will be played June 19-23 in Cancun, Mexico.

The 2013 U16 championship will include North American entries Canada and the United States; as well as 2012 U15 Centrobasket Championship top finishers Puerto Rico (gold), Mexico (silver) and Costa Rica (bronze); and from the 2012 South American U15 Championship Brazil (gold), Venezuela (silver) and Argentina (bronze). The top four finishing teams will qualify for the 2014 FIBA U17 World Championship.

USA Basketball women's teams have participated in two prior FIBA Americas U16 Championships, compiling a 10-0 event record and capturing both gold medals. Notable among the list of USA U16 alumni are: Kaela Davis (2011), Rebecca Greenwell (2011, co-MVP), Breanna Stewart (2009) and Elizabeth Williams (2009).

Chaired by Callan, the 2013-16 USA Basketball Women’s Developmental National Team Committee includes National Federation of High School appointees Jody Patrick (Flint Hill School, Va.) and Jill Rankin Schneider (Monterey H.S., Texas.); AAU appointees Bill Larson (North Tartan Basketball AAU, Minn.) and Sherri Pegues (GBL Cal Sparks AAU, Calif.); and athlete representative Yolanda Griffith, a 2000 and 2004 Olympic gold medalist who has played on five USA Basketball teams.