LSU star Angel Reese headlines the roster for USA Basketball’s 2023 AmeriCup team, revealed Thursday.
Joining Reese are South Carolina’s Raven Johnson, UCLA’s Lauren Betts and Tennessee’s Rickea Jackson, among others. Eight players made the initial roster announced in May, and Texas A&M’s Janiah Barker, Oregon’s Chance Gray, Columbia’s Abbey Hsu and UNC’s Deja Kelly — were added to the roster after being invited to training camp.
Of the 12 players on the roster, five of them — Barker, Betts, Jackson, UCLA’s Charisma Osborne and Wake Forest’s Jewel Spear — have a combined seven gold medals as members of USA Basketball teams.
Reese, though, will be competing internationally for the first time. The 2023 NCAA champion faced a long road to USA Basketball. While she had been a finalist for a variety of youth teams, she hadn’t made the cut until this time around.
“NEVER GIVE UP ON THINGS YOU WANT IN LIFE,” she wrote in May. “TIME TO BRING HOME GOLD.”
U16 cut.
— Angel Reese (@Reese10Angel) May 15, 2023
U18 finalist but cut (I WAS HURT)🥲
U19 declined invite to win EYBL championship.
U19 finalist but withdrew to focus on my health.
THIS WAS MY YEAR. U23 I MADE IT.
GOD DID.
NEVER GIVE UP ON THINGS YOU WANT IN LIFE.
TIME TO BRING HOME GOLD. 🏅🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/ld9qYz3wIC
The tournament will run from July 1-9 in León, Mexico. Held every two years, the AmeriCup features teams from 10 different countries in North America, South America and the Caribbean. The United States has won the title four times, including at the last two tournaments in 2019 and 2021.
Team USA will compete in Group A against Argentina, Brazil, Cuba and Venezuela. Group play starts on July 1.
2023 FIBA Women’s AmeriCup: Team USA schedule
- Group stage
- July 1 vs. Venezuela — 4:40 p.m. ET
- July 2 vs. Argentina — 4:40 p.m. ET
- July 4 vs. Brazil — 4:40 p.m. ET
- July 5 vs. Cuba @ 2:10 p.m. ET
- Knockout stage
- July 7: Quarterfinals
- July 8: Semifinals
- July 9: Medal games
2023 FIBA Women’s AmeriCup: Broadcast information
All 28 AmeriCup games will be available via streaming platform Courtside 1891.
2023 FIBA Women’s AmeriCup: Team USA roster
- Janiah Barker, F, Texas A&M
- Lauren Betts, C, UCLA
- Chance Gray, G, Oregon
- Abbey Hsu, G, Columbia
- Rickea Jackson, F, Tennessee
- Raven Johnson, G, South Carolina
- Deja Kelly, G, North Carolina
- Rayah Marshall, G, Southern California
- Charisma Osborne, G, UCLA
- Laila Phelia, G, Michigan
- Angel Reese, F, LSU
- Jewel Spear, G, Wake Forest
Introducing the 2023 🇺🇸 #AmeriCupW team! pic.twitter.com/Gk2qdO0fVl
— USA Basketball (@usabasketball) June 23, 2023
LSU star Angel Reese leads the eight players selected for the Team USA roster for the 2023 Women’s AmeriCup.
“DELAYED BUT NOT DENIED. THANK YOU GOD,” Reese wrote on Twitter in celebration of her selection.
DELAYED BUT NOT DENIED. THANK YOU GOD. https://t.co/nMMIckkl2y
— Angel Reese (@Reese10Angel) May 15, 2023
A leader for LSU’s 2023 national champion squad, Reese takes another step in her career on the international stage. She previously had been a finalist for Team USA’s youth teams, as she outlined on her Twitter account, but made the cut this time around.
“NEVER GIVE UP ON THINGS YOU WANT IN LIFE,” she wrote. “TIME TO BRING HOME GOLD.”
U16 cut.
— Angel Reese (@Reese10Angel) May 15, 2023
U18 finalist but cut (I WAS HURT)🥲
U19 declined invite to win EYBL championship.
U19 finalist but withdrew to focus on my health.
THIS WAS MY YEAR. U23 I MADE IT.
GOD DID.
NEVER GIVE UP ON THINGS YOU WANT IN LIFE.
TIME TO BRING HOME GOLD. 🏅🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/ld9qYz3wIC
Reese is joined by a bevy of other college stars for the tournament, which is held every two years and features teams from 10 different countries in North America, South America and the Caribbean. Team USA has won the AmeriCup four times, including at the last two tournaments in 2019 and 2021.
South Carolina’s Raven Johnson, Tennessee’s Rickea Jackson and Jewel Spear, UCLA’s Lauren Betts and Charisma Osborne, USC’s Rayah Marshall and Michigan’s Laila Phelia also made the squad. An additional five finalists were selected for training camp – Texas A&M’s Janiah Barker, Illinois’ Makira Cook, Columbia’s Abbey Hsu, Oregon’s Chance Gray and LSU’s Aneesah Morrow – with the 12-person roster to be announced before the team heads to the AmeriCup in July in Mexico.
As part of Group A, the U.S. will face Argentina, Brazil, Cuba and Venezuela. They will open up group play against Venezuela on July 1.