2013 USA Basketball Women’s U19 World Championship Team Preliminary Round Opponents Unveiled

Colorado Springs, Colo. • Jan. 17, 2013

FIBA on Jan. 17 in Vilnius, Lithuania, conducted the draw to determine the four preliminary round pools for the 2013 FIBA U19 World Championship for Women, scheduled for July 18-28 in Klaipeda and Panevėžys, Lithuania, and the U.S. has been placed in Group D with China (FIBA Asia gold medalist), host Lithuania and Mali (FIBA Africa silver medalist).

“While the USA Basketball women’s program has claimed the last four FIBA U19 World Championship gold medals, they were hard-fought tournaments,” said Jim Tooley, USA Basketball Executive Director/CEO.

“Lithuania is a basketball country and knowing what an outstanding job the Lithuanian Basketball Federation did last summer hosting the FIBA U17 World Championship for Men, I can only imagine this summer’s competition will again be extremely well organized and I'm looking forward to the competition.”

Drawn into Group A for the July 18-20 preliminary round were Brazil (FIBA Americas silver medalist), Russia (FIBA Europe silver medalist), Serbia (FIBA Europe bronze medalist) and South Korea (FIBA Asia bronze medalist); Group B includes Argentina (FIBA Americas bronze medalist), Australia (FIBA Oceania gold medalist), Japan (FIBA Asia silver medalist) and Spain (FIBA Europe fifth place); while Group C is comprised of Canada (FIBA Americas fourth place), France (FIBA Europe gold medalist), Netherlands (FIBA Europe fourth place) and Senegal (FIBA Africa gold medalist).

The U.S., which will play its preliminary and second round games in Panevėžys, opens against Lithuania on July 18, followed by China on July 19 and caps the opening round against Mali on July 20.

The top three finishing teams from each first-round group will advance to the second round, held July 22-24. The 12 nations qualifying for the second round will be divided into Groups E and F. Each team will play the three new teams in its new group, with all results of games played in the preliminary round carrying over to determine the second-round standings.

Teams finishing in first through fourth places in the second round will qualify for the quarterfinals, with the opportunity to advance to the semifinals and finals. The medal round will be played in Klaipeda, with the quarterfinals held on July 26, semifinals are slated for July 27 and the gold medal game will be contested on July 28.

The complete schedule, including game times will be announced by FIBA at a later date.

While Lithuania earned an automatic berth to the tournament as the host country, the remaining 15 nations were determined by the five FIBA zone qualifiers in 2012.

USA Basketball earned its entry by virtue of a gold-medal finish at the 2012 FIBA Americas U18 Championship. The 2012 USA U18 National Team posted an unblemished 5-0 record at the qualifying tournament, held Aug. 15-19 in Guarbo, Puerto Rico, including a 71-47 come-from-behind victory over Brazil in the gold medal game. Led by University of Miami head coach Katie Meier, the U.S. featured a well-balanced scoring attack that averaged 84.0 points a game and won its five contests by an average of 47.4 points a game.

The USA U19 World Championship Team coaching staff will be selected by the USA Basketball Women’s Junior National Team Committee at a later date.

The 12-member 2013 USA Women’s U19 World Championship Team will be selected by USA Women’s Junior National Team Committee during the 2013 USA U19 World Championship Team Trials, scheduled for May 16-19 at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo. Only athletes born on or after Jan. 1, 1994 are eligible.

Originally known as the FIBA Junior World Championship, the tournament was held every four years starting in 1985. FIBA recently changed its calendar and now conducts the U19 World Championship every other year. USA women's teams are 57-12 in the U19/Junior World Championships, capturing a fourth consecutive gold with an 8-1 record most recently in 2011.

USA U19 World Championship Team players of note include: Alana Beard (2001); Essence Carson (2005); Tamika Catchings (1997); Monique Currie (2001); Crystal Langhorne (2005); Erlana Larkins (2005); Jantel Lavender (2007); Lisa Leslie (1989); Rebecca Lobo (1993); Maya Moore (2007); Nnemkadi Ogwumike (2009); Vickie Orr (1985); Courtney Paris (2005); Cappie Pondexter (2001); Katie Smith (1993); Dawn Staley (1989); Breanna Stewart (2011) and Diana Taurasi (2001); Abby Waner (2005) and Candice Wiggins (2005). Additionally, eight USA U19 athletes from the first seven USA U19 squads have gone on to compete in the Olympic Games, including Catchings, Leslie, Lobo, Moore, Pondexter, Smith, Staley and Taurasi.