slimecap said:
2023 RECRUITING
Sahara Williams
May 17, 2022
Wing 5-11 Waterloo West HS Waterloo IA
The USA Basketball 3x3 U18 women's team sealed their gold medal runon Sunday in Debrecen, Hungary, with a 21-11 victory over Germany, marking their fourth consecutive 3x3 U18 World Cup title.
The women started the weekend and their run to the finals with an early
quarterfinal matchup against the Netherlands on Saturday. Led by
Sahara Williams, who recorded a team-high nine points, the U.S. was able to hold off their opponents and capture the victory, 21-15, to move on to a semifinal matchup with Spain on Sunday.
After a 40-minute rain delay, the U.S. and Spain tipped off in the first
semifinal game Sunday, marking a rematch of the 2021 3x3 U18 final. In an evenly matched contest, the Americans and Spaniards traded baskets for the first half of the game and showed a tie at seven with around 5:00 to play. Over the next 90 seconds, the U.S. added three hard-fought one-point baskets while also locking down defensively. The run would ultimately push to seven points (14-7) highlighted by a
Mikaylah Williams two-pointer.
Spain's first points in nearly three minutes of game time came via two free throws by Irene Broncano at the 2:12 mark for a 16-9 USA advantage. The U.S. weathered a late surge by Spain but secured their spot in the finals with
KK Arnold's two-pointer with :31 remaining on the clock. When asked about the rematch, Mikaylah Williams, the 2021 MVP, noted that "We had the same game plan. We executed the game plan and it ended up working out. We faced adversity and took care of business."
In the
final, the U.S. opened the scoring with a Mikaylah Williams make from beyond the arc, the only two-pointer for the U.S. in the contest. The rest of the 21-11 win was defined by the team's tenacity in the paint.
Sahara Williams was everywhere, helping on the glass and registering two critical blocks in the first five minutes to help set the tone for the Americans defensively. She finished with six points, helping cap off an impressive string of performances through the single-elimination games.
With just over four minutes remaining, a Mikaylah Williams behind-the-back lay-in pushed the U.S. lead to six (12-6), but Germany was able to make a push to cut the deficit to two (12-10) with 4:30 left to play. The Americans responded, closing their title win on a 9-1 run highlighted by a bevy of physical and determined inside scores.
Sarah Strong helped in that way by making her presence felt on the boards and ended the game with four points.
-
USA Basketball press release, 28 Aug 2022