USA Take Group A; Await Round of 16 at 2026 FIBA U17 Women’s World Cup

14 July 2026

USA 105, LAT 53

By defeating Latvia (1-2) 105-53 Tuesday night, the 2026 USA Basketball Women’s U17 National Team (3-0) clinched the top spot in Group A at the FIBA U17 Women’s World Cup in Brno, Czechia.

The U.S. is set to play Mexico (0-3), the fourth-place finisher in Group B, in the Round of 16 on Wednesday.

The U.S. has won 25 consecutive games at the U17 World Cup, dating back to 2016.

View the USA-Latvia box score here.

POSTGAME NOTES

Look Who’s On TV: The USA had a change to the starting lineup with Morghan Reckley joining Olivia Jones, Eve Long, Ivanna Wilson Manyacka and Micah Ojo. The U.S. jumped to a 29-14 lead on Latvia in the first quarter with the starters accounting for 24 of the team’s points. By the end of the game, the starters were responsible for 57 total points.

The Search Continues: Tonight was the first time the U.S. faced off against Latvia in a U17 competition. The Americans carry an all-time U17 record of 53-1, which includes victories over 24 nations. Latvia is the second win over a new opponent this tournament, the USA played and defeated Ivory Coast (117-24 on 7/11) for the first time in the opening game.

No Mercy: The USA leads all teams in total points through group play with 296. So far, the U.S. is the only squad to hit the century mark (105 vs. LAT today; 117 vs. CIV on 7/11). Like the game against CIV, every U.S. player who saw the floor against Latvia scored.

High Quality: The Americans have never dropped a group play game in U17 (dating back to 2010). Through 8 stagings of the U17 World Cup, the U.S. has tallied a 28-0 record in group play games. The U.S.’s lone defeat in U17 play came in 2016 (vs AUS, 60-73 in the semifinals).

With Charm, Athletic Ability: The U.S. forced Latvia into 19 first half miscues, resulting in 29 points off turnovers over those 20 minutes. The Americans had 12 steals in the opening half, most coming during a 17-0 run in the second quarter.

You Can Do It: Contributions were scattered throughout the U.S. roster. Wilson Manyacka (16 points) led the USA in scoring for the third straight game. Other team-highs featured Tatianna Griffin and Nya Riak (9 rebounds); Griffin and Reckley (6 assists) and Arianna Robinson (7 steals).