COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo — LSU women’s basketball signees Allison Hightower and Porsha Phillips were both invited to the United States Basketball U18 National Team trials, it was announced by the USA Basketball Women’s Collegiate Committee, which is chaired by Sue Donohoe, the NCAA’s vice president of Division I women’s basketball.
Hightower and Phillips, who will be freshmen for the Lady Tigers next season, are among 34 of the nation’s top 18-and-unders (born on or after Jan. 1, 1988) will be under consideration for spots on the eventual 12-member 2006 USA U18 National Team that will look to defend the United States’ title at the 2006 FIBA Americas U18 Championship.
USA Basketball will conduct trials for the USA U18 Women’s Team June 16-19 at the U.S. Olympic Training Center (USOTC) in Colorado Springs, Colo. Finalists for the USA U18 National Team will remain in Colorado Springs, and the official 12-member squad will be announced prior to the start of the 2006 FIBA Americas U18 Championship for Women.
The 2006 FIBA Americas U18 Championship For Women is being hosted by USA Basketball at the USOTC from June 28-July 2. The top four finishing teams will earn qualifying berths for the 2007 FIBA U19 World Championship, slated to be held July 7-22 Bratislava, Slovakia. Teams in addition to the United States that will participate in the U18 tournament include Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Paraguay and Puerto Rico.
Hightower, out of Juan Seguin High School in Arlington, Texas, signed with LSU during the early period in November. She earned McDonald’s, Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) and Parade All-American honors last season as a senior.
Phillips, from Redan High School in Stone Mountain, Ga., signed with the Lady Tigers during the late period in April. She joined Hightower as a McDonald’s, WBCA and Parade All-American.
In addition to Hightower and Phillips, others accepting invitations to participate in the USA U18 Trials were: Jayne Appel (Carondelet H.S./Pleasant Hill, Calif.); Victoria Baugh (Sacramento H.S./Sacramento, Calif.); Jessica Breland (Bertie H.S./Kelford, N.C.); Kelley Cain (St. Pius X H.S./Atlanta, Ga.); Charles; Joy Cheek (South Mecklenburg H.S./Charlotte, N.C.); Elena Delle Donne (Ursuline Academy/Wilmington, Del.); Nikitta Gartrell (Benjamin E. Mays H.S./Lithia Springs, Ga.); Stefanie Gilbreath (Cinco Ranch H.S./Katy, Texas); Quanitra Hollingsworth (Virginia Commonwealth University/Chesapeake, Va.); Alison Jackson (Fenwick H.S./Chicago, Ill.); Amy Jaeschke (New Trier H.S./Wilmette, Ill.); Brittany Johnson (East Richland H.S./Olney, Ill.); Jantel Lavender (Cleveland Central Catholic H.S./Cleveland, Ohio); Italee Lucas (Centennial H.S./Las Vegas, N.V.); Christy Marshall (A.E. Beach H.S./Savannah, Ga.); Andrea Mingo (Marist H.S./Atlanta, Ga.); Maya Moore (Collins Hill H.S./Suwanne, Ga.); Melanie Murphy (Midwood H.S./Brooklyn, N.Y.); Kayla Pedersen (Red Mountain H.S./Fountain Hills, Ariz.); Kristen Phillips (High Point Central H.S./Greensboro, N.C.); Epiphanny Prince (Murry Bergtraum H.S./New York, N.Y.); Brittainey Raven (North Crowley H.S./Fort Worth, Texas); Danielle Robinson (Archbishop Mitty H.S./San Jose, Calif.); Khadijah Rushdan (St. Elizabeth H.S./Wilmington, Del.); Sydney Smallbone (St. Joseph’s H.S./Granger, Ind.); Jasmine Stone (Martin Luther King H.S./Detroit, Mich.); Brittany Thomas (Bolingbrook H.S./Bolingbrook, Ill.); Jasmine Thomas (Oakton H.S./Fairfax, Va.); La’Teena Wickett (Castlemont H.S./Oakland, Calif.); Danielle Wilson (St. John the Baptist H.S./Bay Shore, N.Y.); and Monica Wright (Forest Park H.S./Woodbridge, Va.).
DePaul head coach Doug Bruno will lead the USA’s 2006 FIBA Americas U18 Championship For Women Team, while Northern Illinois University head coach Carol Owens and University of Hartford head coach Jennifer Rizzotti will serve as assistant coaches.