Destanni Henderson
Jenna Brown's continued improvement earned her a spot on the U17 national team in 2016. * Photo by Chris Hansen.
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado (June 2, 2016) - After trials that began with 139 hopefuls at the United States Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado, on May 26, and following the naming of 18 finalists on May 30, the 12-member roster for the 2016 USA Basketball Women's U17 World Championship Team today was announced.
The 12 team members will return to Colorado Springs for training camp June 8-14, before the team departs on June 15 for the 2016 FIBA U17 World Championship, which will be played June 22-July 2 in Zaragoza, Spain. Players eligible for this team must be U.S. citizens born on or after Jan. 1, 1999.
Named to the team were: Janelle Bailey (Providence Day School/Matthews, N.C.); Jenna Brown(The Lovett School/Marietta, Ga.); Samantha Brunelle (William Monroe H.S./Ruckersville, Va.); Charli Collier (Barbers Hill H.S./Baytown, Texas); Aquira DeCosta (St. Mary's H.S./Stockton, Calif.); Maya Dodson (St. Francis H.S./Alpharetta, Ga.); Destanni Henderson (Fort Myers H.S./Fort Myers, Fla.); Taylor Mikesell (Jackson H.S./Massillon, Ohio); Olivia Nelson-Ododa(Winder-Barrow H.S./Winder, Ga.); Sedona Prince (Liberty Hill H.S./Liberty Hill, Texas); Abby Prohaska (Lakota West H.S./Liberty Township, Ohio); and Christyn Williams (Little Rock Central H.S./Little Rock, Ark.).
The 2016 USA Basketball Women's U17 World Championship Team will be led by Dori Oldaker, head coach at Mt. Lebanon High School in Pennsylvania, with USA assistant coaches Dianne Lewis of Thomas Edison High School in Virginia and Samantha Quigley, who is the head mentor at the University of St. Francis (NAIA).
"With the finalists that we had, the committee could not go wrong," said Oldaker. "I think the 12 that we have are outstanding young ladies on and off the floor, extremely coachable. I'm very, very excited to get back here Wednesday and get started with training camp.
"First and foremost, their work ethic is amazing and so is their togetherness and teamwork. You can see that they really love to take care of each other on the floor. They are always looking for the best opportunities for their teammates."
Along with DeCosta and Prince, the coaching staff helped the USA qualify for the 2016 FIBA U17 World Championship by virtue of a bronze-medal finish at the 2015 FIBA Americas U16 Championship.
Finalists with experience at the 2015 USA Basketball Women's U16 National Team Trials include: Bailey, Brown, Collier, Dodson, Henderson, Mikesell, Prohaska and Williams.
Two finalists are from the high school class of 2017; nine are from the class of 2018; and one will graduate high school in 2019.
RETURNERS
NEW FACES
