U19 Gems squad named for 2021 World Cup selection camp

Basketball Australia has named 19 athletes in the Australian Under-19 squad for a 2021 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup selection camp to be held at the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) in Canberra from 25 – 28 June 2021. Selectors have named an exciting Gems squad for these final preparations ahead of 2021 FIBA Under-19 Women’s Basketball World Cup to be held in Hungary from August 7 –15 in early May, Australia was drawn into Group A for the preliminary round stages of the global event alongside Egypt, Italy and the USA. Selection for next month’s camp was finalised after the recent Australian Under-18 and Under-20 Championships, with Head Coach David Herbert and his selectors also using February’s Gems camp, NBL1 and Waratah League performances, plus they reviewed the 2020-21 NCAA season to arrive at this final squad. In the 19-strong squad for the selection camp are Isobel Borlase and Tayla Brazel who led South Australia Metro to victory at the 2021 Australian Under-18 Championships in April plus six members of the New South Wales Blue team that claimed the Under-20 title this month including Bob Staunton Medallist for Player of the Tournament, Chyra Evans and Ruby-Belle MacDonald, who was named in the 2021 Australian Women’s 3X3 extended squad. The Gems squad also includes Jade Melbourne who played for the UC Capitals in the 2020 Chemist Warehouse WNBL plus College basketballers, Paige Price (Indiana University) and Kelsey Rees (University of Utah). Of the squad, 15 athletes are either current or former scholarship holders of the Basketball Australia Centre of Excellence (CoE) at the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra. The final team for the 2021 FIBA Under-19 Women’s Basketball World Cup will be selected from this camp. Australian Under-19 Squad – 2021 FIBA Basketball World Cup Selection Camp

  Head Coach: David Herbert Assistant Coach: Kristen Veal Assistant Coach: Katrina Hibbert Team Physio: Lauren Dixen Team Manager: Donna Turner