COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado (April 19, 2023) – USA Basketball announced today that Kamie Ethridge (Washington State University) will coach the USA Women’s AmeriCup Team, which is set to compete at the 2023 FIBA Women’s AmeriCup July 1-9 in Leon, Mexico. Ethridge will be assisted by Katrina Merriweather (University of Cincinnati) and Aaron Johnston (South Dakota State University).
Ethridge, Merriweather and Johnston each have previous USA Basketball coaching experience, while, as a player, Ethridge is a 1988 Olympic gold medalist for the United States.
“On behalf of the USA Basketball Women’s Junior National Team Committee, we are thrilled to have Kamie Ethridge, Aaron Johnston and Katrina Merriweather leading this year’s AmeriCup squad,” said Doug Bruno, chair, USA Basketball Women’s Junior National Team Committee. “USA Basketball could not have chosen a more experienced head coach than Coach Ethridge to lead this team. She is a proven champ as a player and coach. Coach Johnston is a tremendous teacher and tactician, while Coach Merriweather has done a fantastic job wherever she has coached.”
In her previous assistant coaching assignments, Ethridge won a gold medal at the 2016 FIBA U18 Women’s Americas Championship and silver at the 2017 FIBA U19 Women’s World Cup. She was also a court coach for the 2015 USA women’s junior national team trials. In addition to Olympic gold, Ethridge won gold as a player at the 1986 Goodwill Games, 1986 World Championships and 1987 Pan American Games.
Ethridge, who has helmed the Washington State women’s basketball program since 2018, was named the 2022-23 National Coach of the Year by The Athletic after guiding the team to its first-ever Pac-12 Tournament title. The program set a record total for wins at 23-10 and earned a bid to the 2023 NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament.
“I am thrilled to have been selected to coach the 2023 USA AmeriCup team. Representing USA Basketball is one of the highlights of my career. I have been fortunate to do it as a player, an assistant coach, on committees and now as a head coach,” Ethridge said. “I look forward to working with two of the very best coaches in the country in Aaron Johnston and Katrina Merriweather. It is exciting to imagine coaching some of the very best collegiate players from all across this country. I am confident in the success this team will have as we come together in pursuit of gold!”
Merriweather will undertake her first USA Basketball bench coaching assignment after having served as a court coach for the 2021 USA Women's U19 National Team Trials.
Merriweather was named head coach at Cincinnati, her alma mater, on March 25. She returned to Cincinnati with a 151-70 overall coaching record in seven seasons with the University of Memphis and Wright State University. Last season, Memphis recorded its first 20-win season in more than a decade (22-11) and advanced to the 2023 WNIT Sweet 16.
Johnston, the winningest women’s basketball coach in South Dakota State history, served as an assistant coach for the 2021 USA Women's U19 National Team and helped guide the USA to a gold medal at the FIBA U19 World Cup. He previously served as a court coach for the 2019 USA U19 and Pan American Games team trials.
Johnston recently completed his 23rd season at the Jackrabbits’ helm with an 11th NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament berth after the team recorded a 29-6 record and captured The Summit League Tournament title.
Since the event’s inception in 1993, the United States has captured four AmeriCup gold medals, including titles in 2019 and 2021.
In addition to the United States, Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Puerto Rico and Venezuela will participate in the 2023 FIBA AmeriCup. The draw is set to take place in May.
The 2023 USA Women’s AmeriCup Team will be announced following team trials next month in Colorado Springs.
For more information about the 2023 FIBA Women’s AmeriCup, click here.