The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
Pair of Huskies named to US squad
Crystal Dangerfield never got to play with former UConn greats Breanna Stewart and Morgan Tuck, but she does share of distinction with two members of UConn’s Huskies of Honor.
When Dangerfield was among the 12 players named to the U.S. U-19 national team on Sunday after three days of trials, she became one of five players named to multiple U.S. U-19 teams. Stewart and Tuck, who helped the U.S. win U-19 world championship gold medals in 2011 and 2013, current South Carolina star A’ja Wilson and Alexis Jones, currently a rookie guard with the WNBA’s Minnesota Lynx are other twotime U-19 team members.
“I just hope to lead them from experience,” Dangerfield said. “In 2015, it was hard. I remember our championship game — that was our toughest game. I’m excited to get back out here in July. “I think we have what it takes
to be very competitive. I think we are going to have a lot of energy. We’ll be able to get up and down to score a lot of points and defend on top of that.”
UConn incoming freshman Megan Walker and Class of 2018 recruiting target Christyn Williams were also selected to the team, which will compete in the FIBA U19 World Cup for Women from July 2230 in Italy.
Walker joins Harvard forward/center Jeannie Boehm, Texas A&M signee Chennedy Carter, South Carolina guard Tyasha Harris and Oregon forward Ruthy Hebard as members of the 2016 U-18 team to make the squad. Williams is the only player from last year’s U-17 national team to be named.
Nine of the 12 players selected are going into their sophomore season of college. With Princeton’s Bella Alarie making the team, there will be a pair of Ivy League products on the team as the U.S. goes after a seventh straight gold medal. Texas star Joyner Holmes, the United States Basketball Writers Association’s national freshman of the year, Vanderbilt’s Kayla Overbeck, Arizona State’s Reli Richardson and Alecia Sutton, also out of Texas, were also selected to the team.
This is the sixth straight time the U.S. will compete for the U-19 world title with at least one current or future UConn player on the roster. Walker will be the 12th player with UConn ties to suit up for the U.S. U-19 team. The run began with Rebecca Lobo being a part of the 1993 team and in 2011, five of the 12 players (Stefanie Dolson, Bria Hartley, Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis, Stewart and Tuck) would eventually become teammates at UConn.
UConn incoming freshman Mikayla Coombs and Class of 2018 commit Charli Collier were among the 33 players who competed for the 12 roster spots.
Former UConn star Jen Rizzotti was the chair of selection committee. Former UConn assistant coach Tonya Cardoza and former Connecticut Sun guard Kara Lawson were also members of the committee while Pittsburgh’s Suzie McConnell-Serio will serve as the head coach.