COLUMBIA, Mo. – Mizzou Women’s Basketball freshman Amber Smith (Shreveport, La.) has accepted an invitation to attend the 2017 USA Basketball Women’s U19 World Cup Team trials May 18-21 at the United States Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo. Invitations were issued by the USA Basketball Women’s Junior National Team Committee. Athletes eligible for this team must be 19 years old or younger (born on or after Jan. 1, 1998) and U.S. citizens.

“These athletes represent the top talent our country has to offer at this age level,” said George Washington University head coach Jennifer Rizzotti, chair of the selection committee. “This is a very versatile group that will give the coaching staff a lot of options. They are all tough competitors, and it is not going to be easy for us to pare it down to the final 12-member team. The committee feels we will be able to select from this group a team that will represent the USA well on and off the court, and these athletes have what it takes to win a seventh-straight gold medal at the FIBA U19 World Cup.”

Smith was named Southeastern Conference Co-Freshman of the Year after an outstanding first campaign at Mizzou, becoming the fourth Tiger in program history to earn a conference freshman of the year award. Smith averaged 5.9 points and 2.8 rebounds while shooting 40.0 percent from three-point range, 45.4 percent from the field and 77.8 percent from the free throw line.

Smith reached double figures five times with Mizzou going 5-0 in those contests, scoring at least eight points nine times during the regular season, with seven of those occasions coming in league play. From Jan. 23 on, she averaged 7.6 points and 3.8 rebounds per game. Mizzou was 9-4 in that span.

Smith is one of 33 of the nation’s top 19-and-unders who accepted invitations to the trials. University of Pittsburgh head coach Suzie McConnell-Serio, who led the 2016 USA U18 National Team to gold, will lead the USA U19 World Cup Team and will again be assisted by collegiate head coaches Kamie Ethridge from the University of Northern Colorado and Charlotte Smith from Elon University. Additionally, Georgetown University head coach Natasha Adair and Drake University head coach Jennie Baranczyk will serve as court coaches during the trials.

— Mizzou Athletics —