COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado (May 14, 2026) – USA Basketball announced today 46 athletes expected to participate in the 2026 USA Basketball Women’s U17 National Team trials at the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Trials begin May 21 with the 12-member team anticipated to be announced at the conclusion of trials.
The team will compete at the 2026 FIBA U17 Women’s World Cup, scheduled for July 11-19 in Brno, Czechia. The team will reconvene in Colorado Springs for training camp in early July before traveling to Czechia.
Trials participants will represent the high school graduating classes of 2026, 2027, 2028 and 2029. Team selection is made by the USA Basketball Women’s Developmental National Team Committee.
The class of 2026 includes Olivia Jones.
From the class of 2027, Sabrina Anderson, Bosola Arowolo, Jazman Bailey, Caroline Bradley, Celsy Colombo, Harper Dunn, Khalia Hartwell, Eve Long, Ashley MacCalla, Madeline Mignery, Sydney Mobley, Saniyah Murray, Micah Ojo, Nation Williams and Ivanna Wilson Manyacka.
Featured from the class of 2028, Hailey Benbow, Love Lei Best, Dakhari Blankumsee, Giovanna Burress, Marlee Michelle Coleman, Amel Cook, Leah DeWitt, Kayla Eberz, Emma Fuller, JaKaila Gaskin, Reece Gilpatrick, Tatianna Griffin, Jhaliana Guy, Janiyah Hargrave, Jordyn Haywood, Belle Hill, Maliya Hunter, Chloe Johnson, Easton McCollough, Meg Moore, Khloe Nicholson, Rosie Oladokun, Ella Peper, Ari Peterson, Morghan Reckley, Nya Riak, Arianna Robinson, Erin Thomas and Sutton Villa.
Representing the class of 2029, Kristen Winston.
Thirty-eight athletes have USA Basketball experience at previous junior national team trials, competitions or minicamps. The 12 members of the 2025 USA Women’s U16 National Team, which won gold at the 2025 FIBA U16 Women’s AmeriCup, are expected at trials, including Bailey, Bradley, Gilpatrick, Griffin, Haywood, Jones, Long, Ojo, Reckley, Robinson, Williams and Wilson Manyacka.
Additionally, Wilson Mayacka has a FIBA U17 Women’s World Cup gold medal on her resume as a member of the 2024 USA Women’s U17 National Team that prevailed in Leon, Mexico.
As previously announced, the 2026 USA Women’s U17 National Team will be led by head coach Steve Gomez (Lubbock Christian University, TX). He will be assisted by Brittanny Johnson (Evanstown Township High School, IL) and Krystle Johnson (Hoover High School, AL). The trio coached the 2025 U16 National Team to a gold medal last year.
Supporting trials as court coaches will be Liz Kay (Wahconah Regional High School, MA) and Kirsten Moore (Westmont College, CA). Kay was a court coach for the recent 2026 Women’s Junior National Team April minicamp in Phoenix and has supported USA Basketball Gold Camps. Moore was previously a court coach for the 2016 U18 National Team and served on the USA Basketball Women’s Developmental National Team Committee.
The U.S. have won six of the seven iterations of the FIBA U17 Women’s World Cup, including three consecutive. The Americans carry an all-time record of 50-1 in the competition.
The 2026 FIBA U17 Women’s World Cup features 16 teams. The USA, who drew into Group A, will take on Ivory Coast on July 11 in their opening game before facing Australia on July 12 and Latvia on July 14. Each of the 16 teams will advance from group play to the single-elimination tournament, with the round of 16 on July 15, quarterfinals on July 17, semifinals on July 18 and the Final on July 19.
2026 USA Women’s U17 Trials Participant Highlights
- Most recently, Benbow, Blankumsee, Bradley, Colombo, Dunn, Eberz, Gaskin, Gilpatrick, Griffin, Guy, Hargrave, Haywood, Hill, Hunter, Long, Mignery, Mobley, Murray, Ojo, Peper, Reckley, Robinson, Thomas, Villa, Williams and Winston participated in the 2026 USA Women’s Junior National Team April minicamp.
- Several athletes have competed in previous USA Basketball national team trials: Anderson (2025 U16); Arowolo (2025 U16); Best (2025 U16); Colombo (2025 U16); Cook (2025 U16); Dunn (2025 U16); Eberz (2025 U16); Gaskin (2025 U16); Guy (2025 U16); Hargrave (2025 U16); Hartwell (2025 U16); Hill (2025 U16); Hunter (2025 U16); Johnson (2025 U16); Long (2024 U17); MacCalla (2024 U17; 2025 U16); Mignery (2025 U16); Mobley (2025 U16); Peper (2025 U16); Peterson (2025 U16); Riak (2025 U16) and Williams (2024 U17).
- Burress, Coleman, DeWitt, Fuller, McCollough, Moore, Nicholson and Oladokun will make their USA Basketball debuts.
To apply for media credentials in Colorado Springs, visit usab.com/credentials. For more information on competition accreditation, visit fiba.com/media-center.