Press release from UofL:
Louisville, Ky. – Louisville head coach Jeff Walz was named an assistant coach for the 2014 USA Basketball Women’s U18 National Team, USA Basketball announced today. Walz will assist head coach Dawn Staley, a three-time Olympic gold medalist and University of South Carolina head coach. Michigan’s Kim Barnes-Arico will also join them on the sideline as an assistant.
The trio will lead the USA at the 2014 FIBA Americas U18 Championship (dates and site TBA), which will feature eight national teams from North, South and Central America and the Caribbean. The top four finishing teams will qualify for the 2015 FIBA U19 World Championship for Women.
“I am honored to have been selected to represent USA basketball as an assistant coach for the U18 Women’s National Team,” Walz said. “Since beginning in this profession, the realization of this endeavor has been a life-long ambition. I am thrilled to be amongst some of the greatest collegiate coaches and hope to contribute both on and off the court. I appreciate USA Basketball for recognizing my passion and will work diligently to help mentor and coach some of the most talented young women in the game.”
Currently in his seventh season as the Louisville head coach, Walz owns a 175-67 (.723) record with the Cardinals, where he has led the program to NCAA National Runner-up finishes. So far in 2013-14, he has guided the third-ranked Cardinals to an impressive 27-2 record for the season.
USA Basketball will conduct trials for the 2014 USA Women’s U18 National Team May 23-27 at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo. Players eligible for this competition must have been born on or after Jan. 1, 1996 . Originally known as the FIBA Americas Junior World Championship Qualifying Tournament, the U18 tournament was held every four years from 1998-2004. FIBA changed its calendar following the 2004 championship, and the tournament is now conducted every other year, followed in the next summer by the FIBA U19 World Championship. USA women’s teams boast of a remarkable 43-2 overall record in U18/Junior Qualifiers and have won gold in 1988, 2000, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2010 and 2012, while capturing silver medals in 1992 and 1996.
USA U18 women’s alumni of note include: Jayne Appel (2006); Tamika Catchings (1996); Skylar Diggins (2008); Rebecca Lobo (1992); Maya Moore (2006); Chiney Ogwumike (2010); Nneka Ogwumike (2008); Candace Parker (2004); Cappie Pondexter (2000); Nicole Powell (2000); Breanna Stewart (2012); Diana Taurasi (2000); Morgan Tuck (2012); and Candice Wiggins (2004).
In addition to Foster, the 2013-16 USA Basketball Women’s Junior National Team Committee includes: NCAA appointees Melanie Balcomb (Vanderbilt University), Lindsay Gottlieb (University of California) and Joi Williams (UCF); as well as athlete representative Kara Lawson (2008 Olympic gold medalist and a veteran of nine USA Basketball teams).
USA Basketball
Based in Colorado Springs, Colo., USA Basketball, chaired by Jerry Colangelo, is a nonprofit organization and the national governing body for men’s and women’s basketball in the United States. As the recognized governing body for basketball in the U.S. by the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) and the United States Olympic Committee (USOC), USA Basketball is responsible for the selection, training and fielding of USA teams that compete in FIBA-sponsored international competitions, as well as for some national competitions.
During the 2009-12 quadrennium, 1,273 male and female players and 235 coaches participated in USA Basketball, including USA Basketball teams and trials, and USA Basketball 3×3 FIBA championships.
USA Basketball men’s and women’s teams between 2009-12 compiled an impressive 262-35 win-loss record in FIBA and FIBA Americas competitions, the Pan American Games, the World University Games, the Nike Hoop Summit and in exhibition games.
USA teams are the current men’s and women’s champions in the Olympics; men’s and women’s FIBA World Championships (Basketball World Cup); men’s and women’s FIBA U19 and U17 World Championships; men’s and women’s U18 and U16 FIBA Americas Championships; the FIBA 3×3 Women’s World Championship; and the FIBA 3×3 Women’s U18 World Championship. USA Basketball currently ranks No. 1 in all five of FIBA’s world-ranking categories, including combined, men’s, women’s, boys and girls.
For further information about USA Basketball, go to the official Web site of USA Basketball at usab.com and connect with us on facebook.com/usabasketball, twitter.com/usabasketball, plus.google.com/+usabasketball and youtube.com/usab.
*Information for this release provided by USA Basketball Communications
