AmeriCup: College Stars Power USA Basketball
- Rather of entering the WNBA draft, LSU's Flau'jae Johnson and TCU's Olivia Miles chose to represent the United States at the AmeriCup competition in Santiago, Chile, from June...
- Meanwhile, Sarah Strong, the consensus national freshman of the year from UConn, is participating in the FIBA 3x3 World Cup in Mongolia, which concludes June 29.
- The AmeriCup, a 5-on-5 tournament as 1993, gains importance as a qualifier for the 2026 FIBA Women's World Cup in Berlin.
LSU’s Flau’jae Johnson and TCU’s Olivia Miles are set to ignite the AmeriCup, choosing national team duty over the WNBA. This bold move showcases the rising talent of college basketball stars, including UConn’s Sarah Strong, leading the charge in the FIBA 3×3 World Cup. Duke’s Kara Lawson coaches a tenacious AmeriCup team, emphasizing a disruptive defense, pulling players from the SEC and Big Ten. News directory 3 reports on this exciting shift, highlighting the impact of rising sophomores like Mikayla Blakes. The AmeriCup serves as a crucial qualifier for the 2026 FIBA Women’s World Cup. Witness the future of women’s basketball unfold in Santiago. Discover what’s next …
AmeriCup Team Features SEC, Big Ten Women’s Basketball Stars
Rather of entering the WNBA draft, LSU’s Flau’jae Johnson and TCU’s Olivia Miles chose to represent the United States at the AmeriCup competition in Santiago, Chile, from June 28 to July 6. Both guards are among the top college players vying for a spot on the senior national team in the future.
Meanwhile, Sarah Strong, the consensus national freshman of the year from UConn, is participating in the FIBA 3×3 World Cup in Mongolia, which concludes June 29. She is joined by LSU’s Mikaylah Williams,Oklahoma’s Sahara Williams,and Creighton graduate Morgan Maly.
The AmeriCup, a 5-on-5 tournament as 1993, gains importance as a qualifier for the 2026 FIBA Women’s World Cup in Berlin.
The U.S. finds itself in AmeriCup Group B, set to clash with Chile (June 28), Colombia (June 29), Puerto rico (June 30), and Mexico (July 2). Games will be available on FIBA’s Courtside 1891 streaming service.
Duke’s kara Lawson, coach of the AmeriCup team, aims to leverage a strong defense. Her Duke Blue Devils allowed just 56.5 points per game last season, ranking second among major conference teams.
“It better be. That’s our plan: to be very disruptive,” Lawson saeid, emphasizing the team’s focus on imposing athletic, physical play.
The AmeriCup team features notable portrayal from the SEC and Big Ten conferences.Mikayla Blakes (Vanderbilt),Joyce Edwards (South Carolina) and Kennedy Smith (USC) are among the rising sophomores on the team.
Blakes,the SEC freshman of the year,noted the impact of players like JuJu Watkins from USC,saying,”I think as young hoopers,we have that edge to us: We want to be great,and our age doesn’t matter.”
Blakes also expressed her satisfaction with Vanderbilt’s progress, highlighting their consecutive NCAA tournament appearances after a long drought.
“I’m not going to put any boundaries on myself,” Blakes said. “To me,it’s about being a good leader for the freshmen coming in and just continuing to get better.”
What’s next
The U.S. team will continue group play in the AmeriCup, with hopes of advancing to the FIBA Women’s World cup in 2026.