USA Run Past Venezuela 104-51, Advance to Final at FIBA U18 Women’s AmeriCup

15 June 2026

USA 104, VEN 51

The USA (4-0) ran through Venezuela (3-2) 104-51 on Sunday night in Irapuato, Mexico, to advance to Monday’s final at the 2026 FIBA U18 Women’s AmeriCup. The USA will go for its 12th consecutive gold medal at the competition as they will face off against Canada at 10 p.m. ET.

With Sunday’s win, the U.S. is 3-0 vs. Venezuela in U18 play. The win was the USA’s 61st consecutive win at the FIBA U18 Women’s AmeriCup (formerly FIBA U18 Americas Championship). The Americans move to 75-2 all-time in the tournament, dating back to its inception in 1988.

View the USA-Venezuela box score here.

POSTGAME NOTES

Starting Out: Kelsi Andrews, Haylen Ayers, Bella Flemings, Jordyn Palmer and Kaleena Smith were the USA starters for the fourth straight game. With the exception of Andrews, Sydney Douglas and Palmer, each player is making their USA Basketball competitive debut in Irapuato. The starers opened the game on a 17-2 run in the game’s first 4:37 to set the tone for the rest of the contest.

Early Pressure: Like they’ve done all tournament, the USA opened with a dominant opening quarter to jump out to a 32-4 lead. The American defense stifled Venezuela, forcing them into 2-for-17 shooting (11.7%) and 9 turnovers. On the offensive end, eight players scored, led by Palmer with 6 points. The USA committed just 2 turnovers in the first quarter and eventually took a 63-21 lead into the halftime break.

Making Them Count: The USA forced 25 turnovers during the game, resulting in 32 points. The USA is averaging 40 points off turnovers per game, leading all teams. The USA had 13 steals on Sunday night and are leading all teams with 18.3 steals per game.

In the Paint: The USA dominated the boards with a +32 (29 OR, 36 DR) rebounding advantage. They outscored Venezuela 60-18 in the paint, which accounted for a large portion of their 29 second-chance points.

Team Effort: All 12 players scored in Sunday’s win, and the red, white and blue were led by Jezelle “GG” Banks (6-11 FG, 1-3 3FG and 5-5 FT) and Smith (6-10 FG, 4-8 3FG and 2-3 FT) who had 18 points apiece. Two more Americans scored in double figures: Andrews (13 points, 6-9 FG, 0-1 3FG, 1-2 FT) and Douglas (11 points, 5-8 FG, 1-1 3FG), both of whom recorded their highest point totals at the event.

On the boards, Andrews tallied 10 rebounds to lead the way on the glass, while Flemings recorded a team-best 5 assists for the stars and stripes.