COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — Penn State incoming freshman Candice Agee (Victorville, Calif./Silverado) has accepted an invitation to participate in the 2012 USA Basketball Women’s U18 National Team Trials. The 6-6 center is one of 26 of the nation’s top U18 that have accepted invitations to attend the 2012 USA Basketball Women’s U18 National Team Trials, which will take place May 19-21 at the U.S. Olympic Training Center (USOTC) in Colorado Springs, Colo. Invitations to the trials were issued by the USA Basketball Women’s Junior National Team Committee, chaired by Sue Donohoe, executive director of the Kay Yow Cancer Fund.
Agee is a highly touted recruit, ranking 34th by ESPN/HoopGurlz, 38th by Collegiate Girls Report, 17th by Blue Star Basketball and 40th by All-Star Girls Report and Peach State. Agee is the fourth McDonald’s All-American in school history and will be the third on the 2012-13 Lady Lion roster, joining Maggie Lucas (Narberth, Pa.) and Dara Taylor (Wilmington, Del.). Agee tallied seven points and seven rebounds in the McDonald’s High School All-America game in April. She is also a 2012 WBCA High School All-America honorable mention. She is a three-time Desert Sky League first team selection and was the league’s Most Valuable Player as a junior. Additionally, she was the Daily Press Girls’ Athlete of the Year. Agee was named to the All-Region first team as a junior. The center played her AAU ball with West Coast Premier. Agee also plays volleyball at Silverado High School.
The 26 athletes who have accepted invitations to attend the team trials include: Candice Agee (Silverado H.S. / Victorville, Calif.); Lexie Brown (North Gwinnett H.S. / Suwanee, Ga.); Brianna Butler (Nazareth Regional H.S., N.Y. / King of Prussia, Pa.); Kaelyn Causwell (Wesleyan School / Johns Creek, Ga.); Saniya Chong (Ossining H.S. / Ossining, N.Y.); Kahleah Copper (Prep Charter School / Philadelphia, Pa.); Rebekah Dahlman (Braham Area H.S. / Braham, Minn.); Briana Day (Millbrook H.S. / Raleigh, N.C.); Bashaara Graves (Clarksville H.S. / Clarksville, Tenn.); Moriah Jefferson (Texas Home Educators Sports Assocciation / Glenn Heights, Texas); Kailee Johnson (Central Catholic H.S. / Portland, Ore.); Michaela Mabrey (Manasquan H.S. / Belmar, N.J.); Breyana Mason (Forest Park H.S. / Woodbridge, Va.); Tess Picknell (South Medford H.S. / Medford, Ore.); Kelsey Plum (La Jolla Country Day School / Poway, Calif.); Alexis Prince (Edgewater / Orlando, Fla.); Faith Randolph (Good Counsel H.S. / Derwood, Md.); Tyler Scaife (Hall H.S. / Little Rock, Ark.); Ieshia Small (Dr. Krop H.S. / Tallahassee, Fla.); Imani Stafford (Winward School / Los Angeles, Calif.); Breanna Stewart (Cicero-North H.S. / North Syracuse, N.Y.); Brittney Sykes (University H.S. / Newark, N.J.); Morgan Tuck (Bolingbrook H.S./ Bolingbrook, Ill.); Shilpa Tummala (St. Mary’s Catholic H.S. / Phoenix, Ariz.); Halle Washington (Parkway H.S. / Bossier City, La.); and Courtney Williams (North Shore H.S. / Houston, Texas).
"The committee is excited about this group of players as they are all highly skilled and accomplished," said Donohoe. "With all the talent that will be at trials, we are going to have a difficult time selecting the team. The committee is responsible for not only selecting young women who are talented on the playing floor but also for selecting young women who will contribute in a positive manner as part of the team representing the United States. We are really looking forward to these trials, as we know that the players invited to the trials are the types of players who will positively represent USA Basketball in its quest for gold this summer at the FIBA Americas U18 Championship."
Trials to select the 12-member USA squad will be held May 19-21 at the U.S. Olympic Training Center (USOTC) in Colorado Springs, Colo. After arriving in Colorado on May 18, the participants will get on the court on May 19 at 8:30 a.m. (all times listed are MDT) and will hold their second session starting at 3:45 p.m. Following two sessions on May 20, at 10:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m., the trials participants will compete in one final session on May 21 at 8:30 a.m. It is anticipated that the team will be announced at 11:00 a.m. on May 21.
The team will regroup at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Fla., for its first training camp from May 28-June 2. The USA squad will then return to the USOTC for its final training camp Aug. 3-12, prior to traveling to Puerto Rico for the competition.
The USA U18 National Team will compete in the 2012 FIBA Americas U18 Championship, held in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Aug. 15-19, in hopes of securing a berth in the 2013 FIBA U19 World Championship for Women (dates and site TBD). The FIBA Americas U18 Championship will feature eight national teams from North, South and Central America and the Caribbean, with the top three finishing teams qualifying for the 2013 FIBA U19 Worlds. Players eligible for this competition must have been born on or after Jan. 1, 1994.
University of Miami head coach Katie Meier will serve as head coach of the U18 squad, while collegiate head coaches Nikki Caldwell of Louisiana State University and Kelly Graves of Gonzaga University will act as assistant coaches.
In addition to Donohoe, the USA Basketball Women’s Junior National Team Committee includes NCAA appointees Joanne Boyle (University of Virginia), Coquese Washington (Penn State University) and Connie Yori (University of Nebraska). The athlete representative is current University of Notre Dame associate coach Beth Cunningham (1999 USA Pan American Games Team member).