USA Open 2026 FIBA U18 Women's AmeriCup with 113-47 Win Over Argentina

10 June 2026

USA 113, ARG 47

The USA (1-0) opened Group B of the 2026 FIBA U18 Women’s AmeriCup with a 113-47 win over Argentina (0-1) Tuesday night in Irapuato, Mexico. With the win, the U.S. are now 12-0 vs. Argentina in U18 play. The U.S. will play Mexico on Tuesday night (10 p.m. ET) before wrapping up group play vs. Paraguay on Friday afternoon (2:30 p.m. ET). The USA are seeking their 12th consecutive gold medal at the competition.

The win was the USA’s 58th consecutive win at the FIBA U18 Women’s AmeriCup (formerly FIBA U18 Americas Championship). The Americans move to 72-2 all-time in the tournament, dating back to its inception in 1988.

View the USA-Argentina box score here.

POSTGAME NOTES

Starting Out: Kelsi Andrews, Haylen Ayers, Bella Flemings, Jordan Palmer and Kaleena Smith made their first career starts for the USA in Tuesday’s win. With the exception of Andrews, Douglas and Palmer, each player made their USA Basketball competitive debuts.

Opening Strong: The USA started the game on a dominant 18-0 run to gain control of the game and close the opening frame with a 28-9 advantage. The Argentinians didn’t score until the 5:29 mark of the first quarter. Ayers led the U.S. with 7 points, 2 rebounds and 3 assists in the opening frame. She finished the game with 10 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 steals.

Leading the Way: Palmer led six double-digit scorers for the USA with 16 points (4-7 FG, 8-12 FT) while adding 6 rebounds and 7 steals (one short of the USA’s all-time U18 record). Others in double-figures were Sydney Savoury (15), Flemings (13), Jordyn Jackson (12), Ayers (10) and Michiah Fusilier (10). All 12 USA players scored in the 66-point win.

On the boards, Flemings, who notched a double-double, led the U.S. with 10 rebounds. Meanwhile, Smith led the USA with 9 assists, coming just short of the single-game USA record (10) set by Michaela Mabrey in 2012.

Domination in the Paint: The Americans dominated in the paint, outscoring Argentina 48-12 behind a 66-33 rebounding advantage. Six USA players had 6+ rebounds.

Defiant Defense: While the USA notched 113 points, their defensive efforts were just as impressive. In the first half, the red, white and blue held Argentina to just 17 points on 9.7% shooting (3-31 FG). For the game, Argentina shot 18.6% (11-59 FG), including 14.3% from 2-point (3-21 3FG).

The USA forced 37 turnovers, including 21 steals, which led to 48 points off those miscues.