South Carolina women's basketball: Two Gamecocks invited to USA Basketball U18 team trials

A pair of future Gamecocks has been invited to the USA Basketball U18 AmeriCup trials. The trials take place next week in Colorado Springs. 

Forwards Oliviyah Edwards and Kelsi Andrews are among 22 players who have been invited to try out for the U18 National team. The tryouts begin on May 30, and the 22 invitees will be trimmed to a 12-player roster at the end of the trials.

Edwards is hoping to make the USA Basketball team for the first time. In 2023, she attended the inaugural USA Basketball Women’s Junior National Team April minicamp in Dallas and, a month later, was a finalist for the U16 National Team.

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Edwards also attended Junior National Team minicamps in 2024 and 2025.

Andrews has more international experience and is seeking her third gold medal with USA Basketball. She previously won gold at the 2024 FIBA U17 World Cup and the 2023 FIBA Americas U16 Championship. She also participated in the U19 National Team Trials in 2025. 

At the U17 World Cup in Leon, Mexico, Andrews averaged 2.4 points and 2.9 rebounds in seven games despite coming off an injury. She averaged 6.0 points, 6.5 rebounds, and a team-leading 1.7 blocks at the U16 Americas Championship.

Whether Andrews makes the U18 AmeriCup team or not, it is encouraging that she is healthy enough to participate in the trials. Andrews missed almost all of her senior season with a knee injury, only playing in a cameo role in the final game of the season. 

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Jerzy Robinson and Kaeli Wynn, the other two American-born members of South Carolina’s signing class, will not attend the trials. Wynn is still recovering from her injury. Robinson has played for Team USA before and was the MVP at the 2024 FIBA U17 World Cup and 2023 FIBA U16 Americas Championship.

The U18 national team is led by head coach Niele Ivey of Notre Dame and assistants Robyn Fralick (Michigan State) and Charmin Smith (Cal). For the trials, Megan Griffith (Columbia) and Scott Rueck (Oregon State) will assist as court coaches. 

The 2026 U18 AmeriCup Tournament will be played from June 9-15 in Irapuato, Mexico. USA Basketball has won 11 consecutive gold medals at the tournament.

There are several players from the 2027 and 2028 classes participating in the trial who are being recruited by South Carolina. Among those players are Jezelle Banks, Jordyn Palmer, Qandace Samuels, Sydney Savoury, and Kaleena Smith (all class of 2027), and Sydney Douglas (class of 2028).

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