USA Defeat Mexico 125-53 at 2026 FIBA U18 Women's AmeriCup

11 June 2026

USA 125, MEX 53

The USA (2-0) beat hosts Mexico (1-1) 125-53 at the 2026 FIBA U18 Women’s AmeriCup Wednesday night in Irapuato, Mexico. The game was delayed an hour due to a leaking roof which led to condensation on the court. With the win, the U.S. are now 7-0 vs. Mexico in U18 play. The U.S. will wrap 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 59th consecutive win at the FIBA U18 Women’s AmeriCup (formerly FIBA U18 Americas Championship). The Americans move to 73-2 all-time in the tournament, dating back to its inception in 1988.

View the USA-Mexico box score here.

POSTGAME NOTES

First Five: For the second straight night, Kelsi Andrews, Haylen Ayers, Bella Flemings, Jordyn Palmer and Kaleena Smith started for the USA. With the exception of Andrews, Douglas and Palmer, each player is making their USA Basketball competitive debut in Irapuato.

Starting Strong: Like Tuesday, the USA opened the game in commanding fashion, leading 38-8 after the first 10 minutes of play. Smith was dominant in the opening frame, notching 13 points (5-6 FG, 3-4 3FG), including the first 8 points for the U.S. The Americans outscored Mexico 22-0 in the paint and 13-2 on fast breaks in the first period as part of their electric start.

Record Setter: Smith continued her hot start into the rest of the contest, finishing with a game-best 30 points (11-12 FG, 7-8 3FG, 1-1 FT) along with 4 assists and 3 rebounds. With her scoring performance, Smith surpassed Candace Parker (29 pts, 8/8/04 vs. Puerto Rico) and Laurie Koehn (6 3FG, 7/28/00 vs. Argentina) for the USA single-game records for points and 3-pointers at the competition.

Out Front: The USA, who had five double-digit scorers, were led by Smith and Palmer (24 points, 11-15 FG, 0-1 3FG, 2-2 FT), marking the first time since Aug. 8, 2014, that the USA have had two 20+ scorers in this competition (Napheesa Collier, 21; Briana Turner, 20 vs. Canada).

On the boards, the U.S. was led by Miciah "Mimi" Fusilier with 11 rebounds. Three U.S. players had 10+ rebounds, with Fusilier (10 pts, 11 rebs) and Palmer (24 pts, 10 rebs) each recording double-doubles in the victory.

Jezelle “GG” Banks led the USA with 9 assists, coming just short of the single-game USA record (10) set by Michaela Mabrey in 2012. The U.S. have had a player reach 9 assists in each of their first two games (Smith vs. ARG).

Making Their Mark: Following their 11 3-point makes vs. Argentina, the U.S. went 12-for-26 (46.2%) from downtown against Mexico, tying their single-game record at the competition. The red, white and blue shot a blistering 51.5% (51-99 FG) from the field overall in the win, while limiting Mexico to 25.4% (17-67 FG) from the floor and 16.7% (5-30 3FG) from 3.

Numbers Game: The win was the USA’s 59th consecutive win at the FIBA U18 Women’s AmeriCup (formerly FIBA U18 Americas Championship). The Americans move to 73-2 all-time in the tournament, dating back to its inception in 1988.