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USA Women's U18 and U19 teams

 United States
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FIBA ranking 1st
FIBA zone FIBA Americas
National federation USA Basketball
Coach Suzie McConnell-Serio
World Championships
Appearances 11
Medals Gold medal with cup.svg Gold: 1997, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015
Bronze medal with cup.svg Bronze: 2001
Americas Championships
Appearances 11
Medals Gold medal with cup.svg Gold: 1988, 2000, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2014, 2016
Silver medal with cup.svg Silver: 1992, 1996
Uniforms
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Home jersey
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Team colours
Home
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Away jersey
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Team colours
Away

The USA women's national under-19 basketball team is the women's basketball team, administered by USA Basketball, that represents the United States in international under-19 and under-18 (under age 19 and under age 18) women's basketball competitions, consisting mainly of the FIBA Americas Under-18 Championship for Women and FIBA Under-19 World Championship for Women. The events were originally referred to as the FIBA Americas Junior World Championship Qualifying Tournament and the FIBA Junior World Championship.

The usual sequence is for the U18 team to play in a regional championship in one year, with the top four qualifying teams being invited to the FIBA Under-19 World Championship in the following year, as the U19 team. The first Junior World Championship was held in 1985, without a qualifying tournament in the prior year. Starting in 1988, the events were on a four-year cycle, with the FIBA Americas Junior World Championship Qualifying Tournament in 1988, followed by the FIBA Junior World Championship in 1989. This continued until the format was changed in 2006. Now, the U18 team plays in the U18 Americas event every other year, and the U19 World event in subsequent years.

The U18 team becomes the U19 team, with largely the same players and coaches, although changes can occur. For example, while Debbie Ryan served as head coach for the 1988 U18 team, and again as head coach for the 1989 U19 team, the head coach for the 1992 U18 team was Nancy Wilson, but changed to Jim Foster for the 1993 U19 team. There are also changes in the playing roster, although many of the players on the U18 team go on to play on the U19 team.

Jim Foster served as the head coach, with Rene Portland serving as an assistant coach at the FIBA Junior World Championship. The event was held in Seoul, South Korea August 1–8, 1993. The USA improved their record from the 1985 and 1989 events to 5–2, but that finish placed the team seventh overall.

In 1997, Portland became the head coach, with Marianna Freeman and Jim Lewis assistant coaches of the USA team competing in the Junior World Championship (now the U19 World Championship). That event was held in Natal, Brazil July 5–13, 1997. After beating Japan in the opening game, the USA played defending champion Australia in the second round. Despite having a 13-point lead at one time, the USA let the lead slip away and lost 80–74. However, the USA team then went on to win a four-point game against Cuba, and won easily against Russia and Spain to move to the medal rounds. In the semi-final the USA team faced Slovakia, and won 90–77 to move the team into their first ever finals for a FIBA Junior World team. The final was against Australia who had beaten the USA in the second game. The USA team had a three-point lead with three seconds to go, but Australia hit a three-pointer to send the game to overtime. Australia scored first, the USA out scored the Australians 7–2 to take a small lead. The lead was down to two points with 30 seconds left in the game, but the USA hit free throws to win 78–74, notching the first ever gold medal for a Junior World Championship team from the USA.


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