USA Continue U17 Women’s World Cup Group Play with Big Win Over Puerto Rico

The USA Basketball Women’s U17 National Team dominated day two at the 2024 FIBA U17 Women’s World Cup Sunday with a strong 121-36 victory over Puerto Rico at the Inforum in Irapuato, Mexico. The 85-point win gives the Americans a 2-0 mark in pool play as they continue their quest for a sixth gold medal at the biennial tournament. In the first meeting of the two opponents at the U17 Women’s World Cup, U.S. dominance reigned from the opening tip to the final buzzer. McKenna Woliczko (6'2''-F-2008), the Americans’ five-star forward in the class of 2026, opened up scoring on the second day of action, punching in a lay-up in the game’s opening minute. From there, the USA used their full-court defensive pressure to force turnovers and high-low offensive set to gain a commanding 37-7 advantage through the first ten minutes. Led by guard Jordyn Palmer (6'1''-F-2008, college: USA NT U16) scoring 17 points on 6-8 shooting off the bench in the first half, the U.S. continued to do it all offensively through the second frame. Hailee Swain (5'9''-G-2007) and Lanie Grant (5'9''-G-2007) combined for 10 straight points to usher the USA to a swelling 54-12 advantage by the quarter’s 6:57 mark. Jerzy Robinson (6'1''-G-2008), the class of 2026’s top recruit, showcased her versatility and court vision, finding her teammates on two full-court passes for easy transition buckets while adding 11 points in the first half. The Americans took a 75-14 edge into halftime on a remarkable shooting half — landing 26-40 attempts from the field. It was a 3-and-D half for head coach Meg Barber’s unit, as the team knocked in 7-13 from 3-point land and forced 20 turnovers for 28 points. An aggressive presence in the paint fueled the USA’s fire, as the squad skied for 31 rebounds in the opening 20 minutes, including 12 offensive boards for 22 second-chance points. The American women showed no signs of slowing down through the third frame of action. The USA extended their domination on both ends of the floor in the latter half and hit the triple-digit mark by the start of the fourth on a made lay-up by Addison Bjorn (6'1''-G-2007). The Americans flourished from top to bottom en route to their 121-36 victory — a record-tying 85-point margin that mirrored the USA Basketball Women’s U16 National Team’s win over Puerto Rico last summer at the Women’s U16 AmeriCup. With all 12 players adding buckets to the total for the second consecutive game, including five players amassing double-digit scoring, the U.S. found ways to convert baskets from all over their half. 64 points in the paint bolstered the Americans’ runaway advantage, while 10 made triples on the evening matched the record for most three-balls by a USA Basketball team at the U17 World Cup. Foul trouble plagued Puerto Rico’s defensive effort throughout, as the red, white and blue earned 37 attempts from the charity stripe, knocking down 25 free throws. Robinson tied the record for free throw makes in a U17 game with 8 of her 15 points coming from the line. The team’s 25 assists flaunted the beauty of making the extra pass, with Palmer, Grant and Jacy Abii (6'1''-G-2007) each supplying four dishes to the mix. Palmer finished the evening with a game-high 20 points, while Grant followed with 18 points. Swain added 10 points, as Robinson and Bjorn contributed 15 and 14 points, respectively, and a combined 16 boards. Palmer showed her explosiveness on offense throughout the night but also credited the team’s solid defensive performance in the win. “I was an all-around player today, mostly getting my teammates involved,” Palmer said. "Our communication and working together, I feel like we were moving a lot and helping each other on the help side and our energy was there as well.” For the Puerto Ricans, Adriana Robles (5'8''-G-2007) and Diann Jackson (6'2''-C-2007) put up eight points each in the effort. With one rest day in between, the Americans will return to the court on Tuesday, July 16, at 10 p.m. ET to take on Croatia in a final Group C contest before bracket play begins on Wednesday. Tuesday’s match-up will air live on FIBA’s official YouTube channel.
Courtesy of: usab.com