Elon women's basketball head coach has been named an assistant coach for the 2016 USA Basketball Women's U18 National Team, USA Basketball.
Smith joins head coach Suzie McConnal-Serio (University of Pittsburgh) and assistant coach Kamie Ethridge (University of Northern Colorado) on the coaching staff that was selected by the USA Basketball Women’s Junior National Team Committee.
The team will compete at the 2016 FIBA Americas U18 Championship from July 13-17 in Valdivia, Chile, where the top four finishing teams will earn a berth into the 2017 FIBA U19 World Championship.
In addition to their current success as head mentors in the NCAA, all three coaches enjoyed tremendous success as athletes themselves, including winning gold medals while playing for USA Basketball.
“With the age group and level of this competition, we felt it was imperative to get a strong teaching staff,” said Jim Foster (University of Tennessee-Chattanooga), who is chair of the committee. “Charlotte Smith, a former USA Basketball player and professional, has done a wonderful job with her basketball program. This only reinforces the level of teaching and experience we’re looking for with this young team.”
Smith won a gold medal at the 1996 R. William Jones Cup and silver medals at the 1995 World University Games and 1992 FIBA Americas U18 Championship (then known as the Junior World Championship Qualifying Tournament). She also played for the 1997 USA Basketball Women’s International Invitational Team, the 1994 USA Select Team and at the 1993 U.S. Olympic Festival.
Now in her fifth season as the Phoenix head coach, she has compiled an 87-68 record, including an 18-11 record this season.
“It’s an honor to be named assistant coach for the 2016 USA Basketball Women’s U18 National Team,” Smith said. “It’s a tremendous honor to be able to give back and coach for USA Basketball after having played for several years on the collegiate level. It’s a privilege to represent your country, and I definitely look forward to working with Coach McConnell-Serio and Coach Ethridge.”
2016 FIBA Americas U18 Championship
The FIBA Americas U18 Championship will feature eight U18 national teams from North, South and Central America and the Caribbean, and the top four finishing teams will qualify for the 2017 FIBA U19 World Championship.
Trials to select the 12-member USA roster will take place May 27-31 at the United States Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and athletes eligible for this team must be U.S. citizens who are 18 years old or younger (born on or after Jan. 1, 1998).
The United States and Canada earned automatic berths into the 2016 FIBA Americas U18 Championship from North America. Also earning a place in the tournament were the top three finishing teams from the 2015 South American U17 Championship, including Brazil, Venezuela and Argentina. Additionally, Guatemala, Mexico and Puerto Rico earned the three berths available from the 2015 Centrobasket U17 Championship.
Originally known as the FIBA Americas Junior World Championship Qualifying Tournament, the event was held every four years from 1998-2004. FIBA changed its calendar following the 2004 championship and the tournament is now conducted every other year, followed in the next summer by the FIBA U19 World Championship.
USA women’s teams boast of a remarkable 48-2 overall record in U18 / Junior Qualifiers and have won gold in 1988, 2000, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2012 and 2014, while capturing silver medals in 1992 and 1996.