2019 USA U-19 roster underscores pipeline to women’s basketball
The team’s gold-medal campaign featured Paige Bueckers as tournament MVP and preceded professional careers for several roster members, including Caitlin Clark, Rhyne Howard and Aliyah Boston.
Team USA’s 2019 FIBA U-19 World Cup roster remains notable for the number of players who later reached the top levels of women’s basketball, according to a review by The Sporting News.
The Americans won their group-stage matches by an average margin of 30 points before facing tighter contests in the knockout rounds. They defeated Belgium in the semi-final and Australia in overtime to claim gold.
Paige Bueckers was named tournament MVP. The roster also included Caitlin Clark, Rhyne Howard and Aliyah Boston, alongside Ashley Joens, Celeste Taylor, Cameron Brink, Hailey Van Lith, Queen Egbo, Naz Hillmon, Diamond Miller and Fran Belibi.
The Sporting News review says six players from the roster later received WNBA Draft lottery distinction. Howard, Boston, Clark and Bueckers were selected first overall in their respective WNBA Drafts, according to the article.
The review also charts differing professional paths. Brink and Hillmon are described as showing promise, while Joens, Miller, Egbo, Taylor and Belibi followed less direct routes through or beyond the professional game.
